"The Albemarle County Auditorium filled to capacity with people both supporters and opponents of the Planned Parenthood Clinic on Hydraulic Road. Concerned citizens crowded the aisles of the County Auditorium and the lobby of the County Office Building to hear arguments to the Albemarle Board of Zoning Appeals concerning the zoning of the Planned Parenthood clinic. The site is zoned residential and was granted a special permit to build professional offices.

Albemarle High School teacher Renae Townsend filed an appeal in August, citing diminished value of her nearby property and lack of proper notification that Planned Parenthood was moving into the building. Townsend’s attorney Mike Sharman said the original zoning applied to a proposed real estate office, not a clinic and that Planned Parenthood could not “step into the shoes of the prior owner.” In addition, Sharman said the contents of the building was not in line with a professional office, since it contains a hospital-style elevator, a lab and a pharmacy.

Assistant County Attorney… Greg Kamptner asked the board to reject Townsends appeal since she filed after the period of public comment and did not present evidence that her property rights had been denied or overly burdened. Director of the Division of Zoning and Development Amelia McCulley defended the original zoning decision, presenting photographic evidence of the surrounding area. McCulley said the clinic building was not out of character for the surrounding area and Townsend could not clearly see the clinic from her front sidewalk. McCulley also said the FirstMed clinic in Pantops the University of Virginia Northridge Medical Center are both zoned for professional offices.

Attorney for Planned Parenthood… Richard Carter concurred with the county. When Carter asked those in support of the Planned Parenthood Clinic to rise… a clear majority of people in the two hundred and thirty person capacity auditorium stood.

Designated speakers for the opponents and supporters of the clinic cited various reasons for and against the clinic. Opponents cited declining property values… misrepresenting the medical seriousness of abortion and scripture. Supporters cited the contribution Planned Parenthood has made in reducing unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted disease. They said the appeal is the latest attempt by a vocal minority to incrementally outlaw abortion.

The Board called a recess at three and no decision has been made as of press time. If no decision is made today… the Board will consider the issue again at its next meeting December seventh." (Alex Michael Ward, WTJU News Radio, November 10, 2004)