via email …
  
Last chance to save on Crozet Park Aquatics & Recreation Center (PARC) fees!  Register by Monday, May 28 and pay no joining fees to the PARC facility, which includes full access to the pool, full access to the fitness center, group exercise classes, and member discounts on all programs!   (Savings on Joining Fees:  $75 for Adult; $100 for Family).
 
Last chance to save on pool only fees!  Register by Monday, May 28 and pay discounted rates. 
 
See website for more information on membership rates. 
 
POOL OPENS SATURDAY, MAY 26!  For Memorial Day weekend, we will be open as follows:
 
Saturday, May 26:  10 AM – 8 PM
Sunday, May 27:  12 PM – 8 PM
Monday, May 28:  10 AM – 8 PM
 
FITNESS CENTER OPENS ON TUESDAY, MAY 29!
 
See website for information on hours of operation.
 
Check out all of our aquatics programming.  Additional information added daily!
 
Check out our fitness center programming.  New information added daily!
 
Join us for summer day camp.  Spaces are limited!
 
For those that have already joined, you can pick up your membership key tags starting Saturday, May 26!  We’ll see you soon!
 
Please contact Jessica Maslaney, Site Director, with any questions:  jmaslaney@piedmontymca.org. 
 
Thanks for your time!
 
Jessica
 
Jessica P. Maslaney
Site Director, Crozet PARC
 
Crozet PARC/YMCA
1075 Claudius Crozet Park
Crozet, VA  22932
 
434-205-4380
www.piedmontymca.org
 

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

I asked last week on the RealCrozetVA Facebook page (and emailed as well) for Steve Landes’ to explain his choice to not vote on on the Tracy Thorne-Begland judicial vote.

Delegate Landes responded this morning:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding my vote for the judgeship of judicial candidate Tracy Thorne-Begland.

Judges are elected in Virginia with the Constitution requiring 51 “yes” or affirmative votes in the House of Delegates and 21 “yes” votes in the Senate. Judicial elections are not like voting on house and senate bills. In elections, a person only votes “for” a candidate. For example, just like when you go to vote in a general election, you cast a vote “for” someone not “against” another. There is only one vote. In the General Assembly election of judges, that is why the question put forth is “Those in favor of XXX will vote yes.”

In that situation, anyone who does not vote yes (whether voting “no”, using “Rule 69 in the House Rules ”, or “not voting”) for purposes of judicial elections is a major distinction without significant meaning. By those votes, you do not know “why” a particular person chose to vote that way; the person is not obligated to give a reason. Looking at prior votes on judges, there are many examples of members voting Rule 69 or not voting by both parties in other years during the selection of judges. Attached you will find a more detailed legislative history on judicial elections in Virginia.

Let me reiterate, it has long been a “custom and practice” of the body for members by and large to abstain or not vote for someone if they didn’t support that candidate for whatever reason. The practice is not spelled out in the House Rules, but part of past procedure and practice done routinely in the House of Delegates.

In 2002, there was a Parliamentary Inquiry raised by Delegate Robert Hull (D-38th) about judicial elections. Cited in the February 28, 2002 House Journal, Hull asked then Speaker Vance Wilkins if, “the members should not vote in the negative, since those votes were not counted. The Speaker stated that the gentleman was correct and that negative votes were not counted in judicial elections.”

Now, since many people have incorrectly assumed I abstained for voting for Tracy Thorne-Begland because of his sexual preference, I will be glad to share my reason for abstaining. I chose not to vote for him and I do have serious concerns for his lack of judgment. It is my understanding that while in the military, Mr. Thorne-Begland admitted to conduct contrary to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, violating the oath he took as a military officer when he was commissioned in the U.S. Navy. He violated the “Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell” official Department of Defense Policy. He has also a record of actively putting forth his personal beliefs above military rules, laws, and protocols by going on national television to complain about military policy.

Had Mr. Thorne-Begland openly criticized the abilities of our Commander-in-Chief on television, no one would be questioning that he be denied a judgeship for lack of good judgment. No matter the subject matter of his personal beliefs, he used poor judgment in putting them ahead of his duty and sworn oath. No one should appear before a sitting judge who does not observe a sworn oath or follow the letter of the law himself.

Yes, no doubt, for some members who did not vote for this candidate it was about his sexual preference. But please do not assume that all of us not voting or abstaining were doing so for that reason. Mr. Thorne-Begland’s past breach of military conduct did not come to light to the members of the House Courts Committee during the time of his interview and certification. That is regrettable; but, once these issues were brought forth to the attention of members of the House, they simply could not be ignored and therefore he did not receive support for his election.

Thank you for your contact and giving me the opportunity to explain my vote. I understand if you still disagree with it, but we will have to respectively agree to disagree on the issue.

Sincerely,
R. Steven Landes

 Rule 69 from the House Rules states that “Upon a division of the House on any question, a member who is present and fails to vote shall on the demand of any member be counted on the negative of the question and when the yeas and nays are taken shall, in addition, be entered on the Journal as present and not voting. However, no member who has an immediate and personal interest in the result of the question shall either vote or be counted upon it.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Driving home yesterday, lamenting how I had missed both the Crozet and Charlottesville markets, I wondered if a mid-week late afternoon farmers market which be feasible or viable in Crozet. What do you think?

The response on FB to my query was quite positive.

As a side note, who updates the Crozet Farmers’ Market page on Local Harvest? The page hasn’t been updated since 2010.

Related:

- Help the Crozet Farmers’ Market (2009)
- What’s the future of the Crozet Farmers’ Market? (2010)Other area markets:

- Forest Lakes has a Farmers’ Market on Tuesdays

- Meade Park in Charlottesville has a market on Wednesdays (the misplaced apostrophe on this page grates my brain)

- Pen Park has a market on Tuesdays (also on Facebook)

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Last week I lamented the possibility of Crozet Avenue becoming a bottleneck. This week, it appears that the right turn lane may not be viable. After the break, you can see Piedmont Development Group’s proposal for a right turn lane followed by Albemarle County’s response. I’m no engineer so I’ll leave it to those who know better as to whose response is more practical. All I know is this – traffic and congestion are coming; those who live within walking or biking distance of downtown Crozet will benefit greatly from the growth.

This week, Katurah Roell of Piedmont Development Group, the group building Claudius Place and proposing the “downtown mall” where Barnes Lumber is currently located emails:

I have attached a concept for a right turn lane on to Library Ave.  This is currently not being considered by the county although it has been presented to them and discussed with Ann Mallek.  This example would provide to traffic to turn right into the new downtown area that is anticipated to generate more traffic.  This lane would provide for additional traffic flow between Jarmans Gap Rd and Library ave.  Otherwise, this piece of Crozet Ave will become a bottleneck and create congestion of traffic during peak hours.  I urge you all to ask the county to consider moving the library back from the frontage the necessary distance to provide for enough right-of-way to construct this turn lane.  If they build the library tight up against the road this will prevent any future improvements for Crozet Ave.  As you all know, they have been working on Right-a-way easements in order to improve that stretch of Crozet Ave.  It is very important that the County provide additional Right-a-way on there frontage for these needed improvements.  I hope you all understand the importance of providing the road width and turn lanes for that stretch of Crozet Ave.  If Library ave is suppose to connect all of the neighborhoods to the East and to the proposed 240-250 connector road, then it is very important that proper access for these connections be provided for good transportation movements.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for considering this extremely important matter for Corzet’s (sic) future.

Proposal from Piedmont Development Group for right turn lane on Crozet Avenue

And Albemarle County’s response:

Albemarle County’s response to the right turn lane proposal on Crozet Ave

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

From the CCAC’s April draft minutes:

Crozet’s Independence Day Celebration, parade & fireworks on Saturday, June 30th. Parade line-up at 3:00 PM around Crozet Elementary. Parade starts at 4PM, goes down Crozet Avenue to Tabor Street to Crozet Park. Festivities there like last year. Fireworks at 9:30 PM., The same two bands are back, sound system and fireworks are booked, need to raise money to pay for the fireworks. CCAC members will take donations at the gate again this year. Think the White Hall Ruritans will do parking again. Need to make sure no construction on Crozet Ave for parade get the word out for the County so there’s no StreetScape work that messes up the street or sidewalks. Organizations can have “booth” at Park for celebration. Next planning meeting is May 3rd at the Firehouse; anyone is welcome to come, to help.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Agenda after the jump … as always, lots of pertinent stuff on the agenda!

The draft minutes from the April meeting and draft agenda are here. Take some time to read the minutes from the last meeting – there is a lot of stuff there that matters, from the CSX parking lot deal to the Street Scaping, to the Crozet Library, Crozet’s potential historic districts …

CROZET COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Meadows, Crozet (5735 Meadows Dr.)
Thursday, May 17, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Tentative Agenda

1. Agenda Review. (Meg Holden – CCAC chair)
2. Approval of Minutes from April 19, 2012 meeting.
3. Public Comment.
4. Project Updates/Information:
 * Communication plan for County projects: Crozet library construction and Downtown Streetscape projects. (Lee Catlin)
 * Update on Crozet Library fundraising (Bill Shrader)
 * CCAC members participation in Crozet’s Independence Day Parade and Celebration on June 30th.
 * Talk about where we need new advisory council members to be ombudsman.  Go over ombudsman list. (Attached)
 * Developments at the I-64/Route 250 Crozet interchange
 * Any updates on other local development submittals to the county?
   - SUB201200038 Westlake Hills (View at: http://countyviewweb.albemarle.org)
 * Others?

5. Old Business
 * PTO leaders involvement/school involvement.
 * Any word from VDOT on roadways in downtown and on the Blue Ridge shopping driving/turning lanes and speed signs.

6. New Business
7. Items not listed on the Agenda
8.     Announcements.
9.     Future Agenda Items.
Adjourn

Crozet Community Advisory Council – Tentative Agenda for May 2012 meeting

Crozet Community Advisory Council – Draft minutes for April 2012 meeting

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

More good food, more kids’ stuff, more arts, more crafts … and no rain! Walking to the Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival twice a year is one of my favorite things.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Crozet has a new place to eat burgers.

In the former Pesto Grille space comes Mountainside Grille. Beer, burgers*, cheese fries, grilled cheese and more (menu is below). And because I know people are likely to be searching for their phone number – Mountainside Grille’s phone number is 434-823-7080.

* Mountainside is being run by a former long-term employee of Riverside Grill … I haven’t eaten there yet so can’t make any determination as to the tastiness of the burgers, but early reports are that the food is tasty.

Mountainside Grille

Storified by Jim Duncan · Thu, May 10 2012 17:40:48

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

I had a better rant written (see the end of the post if you’re curious), but moderated it as I got better informed.

Growth is coming to Crozet. Crozet is a designated growth area, and has been since 1989. (Albemarle County pdf, ASAP, Charlottesville Tomorrow)

What doesn’t seem to be part of the growth plan’s implementation is adequate understanding and acknowledgement that said growth requires infrastructure improvements* – sidewalks, bike lanes, roads … turn lanes. If you look at the files embedded below, it appears there will be left turn lanes, but no right turn lanes … my non-traffic-engineer mind tells me that the roads are simply too narrow. (I’ve long struggled with growth. See: 2007 & 2009)

Ultimately, my question for those directly involved in this process – the County of Albemarle, VDOT, Crozet Library and Claudius place – is this: what infrastructure improvements are going to be built to accommodate the current and imminent traffic that is/will be generated by these new buildings? Luckily, the fine folks at the County of Albemarle were quick to respond to my queries (I’m still waiting to hear from VDOT, but it’s only been 1.5 days)

The takeaway from this post? Be informed and aware.

Claudius Place is getting ready to break ground in the next four to six weeks … presumably they’re going to bring businesses that are going to attract traffic onto Crozet Avenue

Also, one would expect the Crozet Library is going to attract a few cars …

(thanks to Crozet Gazette for the rendering of the Crozet Library)

My early research indicates that a turn lane is not likely. Depending on to whom I speak, in order to get a turn lane, Crozet Library would have to be moved back either 5 or “12 to 14″ feet, the latter being deemed “unexecutable”.

Downtown Crozet Compiled Projects Image

Crozet Streetscape Exhibit11x17

CMP Streets Cape Goals

As I said in an email late last week (edited a hair for clarity):

The following is my rant, before becoming more informed:

I hope I’m wrong in this, but if Crozet Avenue doesn’t get a turn lane into the library and Claudius Place, Crozet Avenue is likely to be an unmitigated disaster from a traffic perspective.

This is the kind of (lack of) planning that we’ll collectively look back in five years and wonder, “why didn’t we do something about this”?

* I’m working on a story discussing the fact that Crozet is going to grow – Downtown, Old Trail, 250 – and we as a community need to accept this and work within the frameworks provided.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

via email -

The Annual Spring Pig Roast!

Celebrate your graduate, or toast the wonderful Spring weather in old Virginia style!  We’ll have barbequed chicken and plenty of pulled pork with all the fixings prepared by Hill City BBQ of Lynchburg, Virginia.  Lunch (or dinner!) is served from 12:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.  Grab the family and bring your picnic blankets to enjoy a leisurely day filled with food and fun. 
Tickets: $35 adults (ages 21+), includes wine tasting and a souvenir signature wine glass); $30 ages 12-20; $18 ages 11 and younger.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

The Crozet Community Association meets this Thursday. The agenda is after the break

If you have concerns about the coming traffic from the library and Claudius Place, one might think this would be a good time to voice said concerns.Crozet Community Association (CCA) Meeting
Tentative Agenda
May 10, 2012 at 7:30 PM
The Field School Auditorium

Welcome
- Agenda Review / Changes and additions from the floor.
- Approval of last meeting’s minutes (March 8, 2012)
- Treasurer’s Report (Emery Taylor) Annual dues are $10, payable tonight
- A Moment in Crozet History (Phil James)

Presentation:  The new Crozet Library building project!  John Halliday, Director of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library and Bill Schrader, chair of the Build Crozet Library fundraising committee.   Followed by a question and answer period.

Updates and News from our supervisor,  Ann Mallek

Old Business:
- Report on the touch-up the murals in the underpass in first week of April (Meg West)
 * Update on transferring CCA bank account to BB&T (Emery Taylor)
 * Update on Crozet Independence Day Celebration and Parade, June 30.  Volunteers needed to help with this event.
 * Update on Crozet Historic District process.
 * Update on Jarman?s Gap Road tree-planting project (Jessica Mauzy)
 * Update on CCA website:  it’s live at:  http://cca.avenue.org
 * Other items?

New Business:
 * Good Neighbor Award suggestions?
 * Other items?

Comments and Questions?

Announcements -
 * Crozet Community Advisory Council meeting next Thursday, May 17, at 7:00 PM at The Meadows.
     Everyone is encouraged to attend.
 * The Lodge at Old Trail – Flag raising ceremony, 5:30 PM
     RSVP by phone: 434 823-9100 or email: rsvp@lodgeatoldtrail.com
 * Crozet Independence Day Parade, Celebration at the Park, and Fireworks: Saturday June 30th
   - Next planning committee meeting, May 15 at 7:30 at the CVFD fire house (around back).
 * Other items?

Future Agenda Items
Our next meeting is September 13, 2012 at 7:30 PM at the Field School Auditorium

Adjourn by 9:00 PM

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Congratulations to Blue Mountain and Devils Backbone. And thanks for the consistently great beer.

Devils Backbone won gold for their Vienna Lager and Blue Mountain won Silver for their Blue Reserve.

From dcbeer.com:

Here is the breakdown.

Beers judged: 3,921

Breweries: 799
Countries Represented: 54
Judges: 211 from 27 countries
Volunteers : 250

Also, Peter King with Sports Illustrated:

m. Beernerdness: Lucky enough to find Starr Hill Amber Ale (“The Gift of Great Beer” is on the label, and I don’t doubt it) from Crozet, Va., in D.C. over the weekend. Bold and full of flavor, like a strong Cabernet, and eminently drinkable.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

via email:

Chiles Peach Orchard – Sunday May 6th – 2pm

Join us for a sweet mid-spring Sunday afternoon amidst the glorious orchards and berry patches of Chiles Orchard. Locally-grown foods and drinks at the fruit stand, soulful indie folk … by Paul Tucker, Jay Glick (electronica folk, 2pm) and David Tewksbury (indie folk, 3:30pm), and live oil landscape painting by Meg West!

Suggested donation (pay what you will).

Come to the orchard, friends!

I invited a few other plein-air painters to come and I think four or five of us will be out there painting the orchard . . . come out and see! ~

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

As usual, chock full of good reporting – from Westlake Hills to this weekend’s open house at Crozet Park to an excellent letter from the editor to an in-depth story on the new storm water project.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

A question from the RealCrozetVA Facebook page:

This is a real estate (for my clients) and a “welcome to Crozet” question –

1: What would you tell those moving to the Crozet area about the Crozet Master Plan?

2: What would you tell those moving to Crozet about Crozet?

Good, bad, ugly … just honest.

Update 4 May 2012:

Kim writes a fantastic comment on the FB post. I’m putting it here because I don’t want FB to archive it so I can’t find it in three years. Or two months.:

I would tell them that Crozet retains its small town flavor, despite the growth due to the Master Plan so far. However, because of this growth, there has been strain on our infrastructure and schools and so far the BOS and BoEd and the Planning Commission seem to be working in silos when it comes to this.

They approve huge developments like Gray Rock and Old Trail without concurrent planning for schools and roads – that should take place at the same time, not at crisis time (Crozet Elementary in 2007 and now Brownsville in 2012). There is some tension between long time residents and those that move in to these developments and want to remake Crozet into something else. I think all residents are afraid of 250 becoming yet one more plain vanilla expanse of national chain stores. My biggest piece of advice would be to GET INVOLVED!

With schools, Crozet Trails Crew, youth sports, Crozet Community Association, Crozet Park, and so on. Take the time to walk the downtown area, go to the farmer’s market, and meet the local business owners tucked away in those funky old imperfect buildings.

That is the charm of Crozet. We came from a picture postcard perfect small New England Town in 2005, and realize now that it is not the exteriors of the buildings, but those inside them that make Crozet so friendly and special.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Good fun. You should go. Not only are they local, they’re delicious.

Also, from last year’s discussion:

We are not an organic farm, but run a strong IPM program (we let the good bugs do as much work as they can), and treat with chemicals only when necessary. Thanks for the question! And thanks for enjoying our strawberries- they are amazing right now!

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Goodbye greenspace and rarely-if-ever-used horseshoe pits. Hello Quick Start Tennis in Crozet Park.

via press release:

Charlottesville, Virginia (5/1/2012) – QuickStart Tennis of Central Virginia (QCV) is pleased to announce construction has started on three 36-foot QuickStart Tennis courts at Claudius Crozet Park in Crozet, Virginia as part of QCV’s Bring Tennis Back to the Park! collaboration with the Park Board.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

The Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival is May 12 & 13 2012 and they’re looking for volunteers.

If you’re interested, go to their sign up page and see what you can do. They have slots open for everything from setting up to tearing down. Note to the kids at WAHS – they’re offering community service hours, too!

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

The Plank Road Exchange (the former Batesville Store) is now open. And the sandwich I had was delicious. I’ll be back.

I was showing property to clients this morning and we went through Batesville. We drove past the Plank Road Exchange, and I made a U-turn because I saw their “Open” sign. Conveniently, my clients’ baby needed food, so the stop was well-timed (and they’re great new clients moving to the Crozet area). I took a few photos, got a juice, and left. Later today, I met another client and was supposed to meet a contractor who was serendipitously late. While waiting, we looked at the menu and decided to make a quick run to the Plank Road Exchange, and I’m glad we did.

While there, the store was what I’d hoped it would be – a place to get a fantastic sandwich (try the MC-50!*), the sides looked great and it looks like their ABC license is in the works … but what really defined the store was the friendliness of the proprietors, Aris and Jessica, their exuberance and the community they are facilitating. My client ran into her friend while we were there, a group of people were eating lunch and having what seemed to be great conversation, kids were running around (without being brow-beaten to be quiet by their parents), the pie was “delectable” … the Plank Road Store, which opened this past Saturday, was perfect.

Their opening is exciting – Batesville (based on my clients’ words, not mine; I don’t live there) – needs this store, needs this hub, needs this gathering and meeting place. I’m glad they’re open.

Or, as Lonnie Murray said:

“The store has been the cornerstone of our community and we’re really glad to see it opened again.”

Find them: (they say they’ll have “live music on the weekend”!)

- On Facebook
- On their website (under construction)
- On Twitter

* I would have taken a picture of my sandwich but I was way too hungry!

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Presumably “auto laundry” means “car wash”.

Either way, it’s likely to come across from Music Today on 240.
View Crozet stuff in a larger map

From the Albemarle County website:

ZMA 2011-008 Three Notch’d Center PROPOSAL: Request to amend the application plan to include an automobile laundry use on property zoned PD-SC- Planned Development Shopping Center which allows large-scale commercial uses and residential by special use permit at 15 units/acre. No residential is proposed. PROFFERS: Yes EXISTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LAND USE/DENSITY: Light Industrial- manufacturing, storage, distribution, with supporting office, retail, R&D, flex and commercial uses within the Crozet Master Plan. ENTRANCE CORRIDOR: Yes LOCATION: 5368, 5374, and 5382 Three Notch’d Road, located on the northside of Three Notch’d Road approx 500 feet west of its intersection with Parkview Drive. TAX MAP/PARCEL: Tax Map 56A3 Parcel 9 MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT: White Hall

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

via email:

Those design-crazy, technical, artsy Fifth Grade Fasteroni Thinkers have won 1st place in the State Championship and are taking their spaceship and paper-mache babies on the road next month.
Please help the team raise the funds needed to get there.  Join us for a Spaghetti Supper at Crozet Baptist Church on Sunday, April 22 from 5-7 PM.   Donations will be gratefully accepted at the door.  If you cannot attend the supper, but would still like to make a donation, checks can be made payable to our team co-manager, Sue Brown, 4923 Lake Tree Ln., Crozet, VA  22932.
 
Where: CROZET BAPTIST CHURCH, Fellowship Hall – 5804 St. George Avenue, Crozet, VA 22932
When: Sunday, April 22, 5 to 7 p.m.
What:       Spaghetti, meatless tomato sauce, bread, salad and dessert, beverages                    
Cost:       Donations
Who:       To benefit the 5th grade Fasteroni Thinkers of Brownsville Elementary-Village School-St. Anne’s Belfield
Questions?      Heidi Brown, 434-823-5596, heidihbb@comcast.net 

Who are The Fasteroni Thinkers?
Rowan Breen, Isabel Brown, Thomas Cunningham, Julia Douvas, Annie Meenan, Kella Meier, and Everett McConville

—–

What is Destination ImagiNation (DI)?

Destination ImagiNation, our core program, is an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended Challenges and present their solutions at Tournaments. Teams are tested to think on their feet, work together and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the Challenges. Participants gain more than just basic knowledge and skills—they learn to unleash their imaginations and take unique approaches to problem solving.

Spaghetti Supper Flier for the "Fasteroni Thinkers" – Crozet’s Winning DI Team

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Update: The Newsplex did a nice story on proposed new development One clarification: the new development could help or hurt the Crozet community. My greatest personal concern is that the new development seems to have its sole access via Park Road. Go to the end of this post for an excerpt from a relevant discussion in 2006.

The question is … will the Eastern Avenue be part of this process? (I think it should be)

145 more homes could be coming to the area between Western Ridge and Foxchase and Westhall. This sort of development has wide-ranging ramifications and potential impacts:

- school populations and balancing
- loss of natural landscape (which all new neighborhoods tend to do)
- infrastructure – will there be any improvements? i.e. – roads, bicycle paths, connectivity?
- more housing inventory which could be a good thing, depending on what houses will be built (remember, I’m a Realtor)
- more traffic on 240

See the location of the proposed Westlake neighborhood on Bing.

Update: Laurie Shannon has an excellent comment on RealCrozetVA’s Facebook page: (bolding mine)

Seems a bit of a squeeze. I cannot imagine that many more houses coming out through existing neighborhoods would be a good, safe, or appealing reality. If the entire landmass that is Crozet becomes residential homes then the things that attract people to Crozet – keeping land/home prices so stable – will be gone and people will no longer desire – and pay – to live here. The view of the mountains, the expanses of open land – already depleted – and the country – not full on suburb – are very fragile and once gone cannot be brought back.

If you’re interested, go to Albemarle’s GIS site and search for these Parcel IDs – 05600-00-00-095A0 and 05600-00-00-095A0 and 05600-00-00-095a0

View Larger Map

Westlake Hills Subdivision in Crozet – Plat

Oddly, there are no results for Westlake on the County’s site.

Westlake Subdivision Subdivision Letter

This is from 2006 … thank you Charlottesville Tomorrow.:

Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett) indicated he would no longer vote in favor of any rezonings that did not adequately contribute to transportation and other infrastructure needs.  He cited what he saw as two problems with Westhall: 1) the number of units being approved in Crozet now already exceeds what the Master Plan intended for the first twenty years; and 2) that County does not have funding for transportation infrastructure (e.g. Jarmans Gap Road) because of the inadequacy of state funding.  He also suggested a new approach on future proffers which might be based on the number of vehicle trips per day anticipated to come to and from the development.  He suggested a $1,000 per vehicle trip generated per day proffer.  For Westhall at about 8,000 vehicle trips per day that would be $8,000 per unit in one-time voluntary proffers from the developer that could be applied to transportation projects.

Some Supervisors, including David Slutzky (Rio) and Lindsay Dorrier (Scottsville) expressed their discomfort discussing changing overall proffer expectations at the time of a vote on a specific rezoning request. Sally Thomas (Samuel Miller) shared her view that an up or down vote on this rezoning request was not a black and white issue with respect to the County’s proffer policies.  Ms. Thomas shared her concern that increased monetary proffers in the designated growth areas might push development to the rural areas and might result in by-right development in Crozet that won’t be in accord with the community’s goals in the master plan.

David Wyant (White Hall) indicated he could not vote for approval of Westhall until there was a clear commitment from an adjoining property owner to fund the construction of Eastern Avenue, a connector road described in the Crozet Master Plan that would interconnect this neighborhood to Routes 240 and 250.  He indicated to his colleagues that he is attempting to broker such a deal and expects a decision from the developer any day.  Eastern Avenue is currently estimated to be an $8 million road project including a bridge over Lickinghole Creek.
Ken Boyd (Rio) indicated he shared the concerns expressed by Mr. Rooker and Mr. Wyant and that he could not support the project.  He said this went against what he normally believes with respect to controlling development, but that he said the issue had to be settled somewhere along the line, and that while he felt bad about doing it here, a “line in the sand” had to be drawn and a new message sent to the development community.

During the discussion, Supervisors Boyd, Thomas, and Dorrier all seemed to change their minds on the project and they joined Rooker and Wyant in voting in favor of a deferral so the applicant can have the opportunity to come back with revised proffers and to allow the Board to receive additional information on the County’s ability to pay for new infrastructure.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Thanks to everyone who participated in rejuvenating the Crozet murals. Meg West sent me these photos so the community who hasn’t yet seen them in person can see the murals here. The Crozet Gazette has a wonderful story about the people and the process involved.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

After a seemingly interminable and often times fruitless quest, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors voted to build the Crozet Library.

From the Daily Progress:

“Best-case scenario is for a contract to be awarded in May, notice to proceed in June and for shovels in the dirt in July,” he said. “We are expecting about 12 months for the contractor to finish up all his work.”

If you’re interested in the Crozet Library saga, you can start here reading about it here.

Crozet Gazette has great renderings and a full story.

Update: Renderings below –

2012 FINAL PLAN RFQ exterior_2012_03283_17Crozet_Library_Drawings-Exterior

2012 FINAL PLAN RFQ exterior_2012_03283_17Crozet_Library_Drawings-Interior

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

I know that the sidewalks are being used now quite frequently and I look forward to more people using the bike lanes when they’re in place … if you haven’t been down Jarman’s Gap lately, the progress (while seemingly slow to those who are living through the construction) is coming along quickly.

If you’re interested, this is everything that I’ve written about Jarman’s Gap here on RealCrozetVA.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.