The County of Albemarle provides designated spaces both within and outside of the two County Office Buildings (COB) for the use of the Community to hold Community Events and Exercise their First Amendment Rights.

(Rules for the public use of County office buildings and grounds are not meant to apply to County staff's use of buildings/grounds for County business purposes. County staff should use the internal room reservations system to schedule rooms. County departments should notify FES if they intend to use exterior spaces or grounds for County business activities.)

Public Use of Interior Spaces at COB-McIntire located at 401 McIntire Road.

Lane Auditorium and Rooms 235, 241, and 246-are reservable for Community Organizations to hold Events between the hours of 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm, Tuesday through Thursday by request.

Public Use of Interior Spaces at COB-5 located at 1600 5th Street.

Rooms A, B, and C- are reservable for Community Organizations to hold Events between the hours of 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm, Monday through Friday by request.

Please submit an application for use of a room in one of the County Office Buildings at the link below. **ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUMITTED 14 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THE EVENT**

Submit A Request for Reservation

Albemarle County Scheduled Meetings

The Community is granted access to the rooms listed above without prior permission when a Public Body is conducting a public meeting in that room. Any person attending the meeting may engage in Expressive Activity within the location where the public meeting is held if it does not actually disrupt the public meeting.

The County reserves eligibility for access to all internal COB rooms, department offices, stairwells, elevators, bathrooms, and all other areas. 

Room Rental Rules & Responsibilities

Rules for the Public’s Use of the County Office Buildings and Their Grounds

Public Use of Exterior Spaces at COB-McIntire

COB-McIntire Front Lawn-

The front lawn of COB-McIntire is available for General Access each day from 7 am until 9 pm, except when access is limited by maintenance and cleaning.

The COB-McIntire front lawn is divided into Areas 1, 2, and 3. While the entire front lawn is either a Traditional or Designated Public Forum devoted to assembly and debate, only Area 1 is available for Expressive Activity. 

Expressive Activity is defined as a non-commercial activity in which a person intends to exercise the rights of free speech and assembly through speech or conduct including public gatherings, demonstrations, or parades.

Expressive Activity is allowed in Area 1 without a permit and without reservations between the hours of 7 am and 9 pm. Area 1 is the only portion of the front lawn where restricted use of sound amplification equipment is allowed per the conditions stipulated in the published Rules for the Public's Use of the County Office Buildings and Their Grounds. Photography, audio recording, signs, placards, banners, leafletting, and other forms of communication are also permitted in Area 1. Commercial Activity is not allowed anywhere on County Office Building grounds. 

COB-McIntire Front Steps and Landing Plaza-may be used by persons lawfully entering and leaving the County Office Building and by persons walking to lawfully enter or leave the Front Lawn. They are designated as Nonpublic Forums and therefore unavailable for Expressive Activity.

COB-McIntire Travelways and Internal Sidewalks-may be used by persons as means of ingress and egress to conduct County business, persons attending a meeting of a Public Body, Invitees, and persons parking their vehicles. The County Executive may close Travelways and Internal Sidewalks when determined that their use interferes with County or School Division business, the COB parking lots are closed, or when a local emergency is declared by the County, or a state of emergency is declared.

COB-McIntire Parking Lots-are identified as the “Upper Parking Lot,” “Middle Parking Lot,” and “Lower Parking Lot” and are designed as Nonpublic Forums.

The Upper and Middle Parking Lots may be used only by persons parking vehicles to conduct County business, persons attending a meeting of a Public Body, Invitees, and persons parking their vehicles when it is related to an authorized Event that has been sponsored by or co-sponsored by the County or an Organization. 

The Lower Parking Lot has the same permissions as above but may also be used by persons parking their vehicles to dine, shop, attend an entertainment event downtown, or to engage in Expressive Activity between 6:00 am and 11:59 pm on weekends or on weekdays that are not County Business days.

On County Business days members of the public may park their vehicles in designated spots in the Lower Parking Lot between 5 pm and 11:59 pm except during meetings of the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission, or the School Board. Before and during those meetings, the Lower Parking Lot is open only for persons attending the meeting or persons attending games and related activities at Lane Field.

Public Use of Exterior Spaces at COB-5^th

COB-5^th Parking Lots-may be used only by persons parking vehicles to conduct County business, persons attending a meeting of a Public Body, Invitees, persons parking when it is related to an authorized Event of an Organization, and persons parking in conjunction with a “sale and exchange program” promoted by the Albemarle County Police Department.

COB-5^th Travelways and Internal Sidewalks-may be used by persons as a means of ingress and egress to conduct County business, persons attending a meeting of a Public Body, Invitees, and persons parking when it is related to an authorized Event of an Organization.

COB-5^th Other Exterior Spaces-may be used by persons as a means of ingress and egress to conduct County business, Invitees, persons attending a meeting of a Public Body, and persons parking when it is related to an authorized Event of an Organization.

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