Update 28 September around 9:30 pm –
There was quite a bit of discussion at last night’s Crozet Community Advisory Council meeting about Virginia Tourism Development Financing Program, Tourism Zone Ordinance. If you’re interested, read these three background reports at Albemarle County’s site:
– One (June 5 2013)
– Two (September 4 2013)
– Three October 2 2013
I was talking to a local today about the possibilities of a Crozet hotel and he came up with a few questions for Crozetians. Click through if you have two minutes to fill out a survey. I’ll take the responses and publish them in the next couple weeks … also, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is meeting next week to discuss the Tourism Zone Ordinance. Both this survey and next week’s meeting could be good opportunities to express your voice about the future of Crozet.
I am all good with a hotel, probably serves a good purpose, but should be in the downtown area to drive business there and serve the broader community and not stuck in Old Trail. Sticking it in Old Trail strikes of really poor zoning. Yes its next to retail and the Senior Living Center, but those are permanent members of the community, not transient vacationers, so it maintains a neighborhood feel. Adding a hotel in a dense residential zone is out of character. Plus, it increases the divide between the traditional Crozet downtown and Old Trail’s push to become that
Sorry, “traditional Crozet downtown” if it ever existed will soon be
destroyed. Old Trail already has a hotel going in and the area does not need two. It is really a business decision. And,business
has chosen the best place it will have a chance to survive. On Route 250. There is no divide. Old Trail is moving on with sound
judgement and business sense. To ignore reality and to keep expecting taxpayers to pay for basic leadership mistakes keeps
the area in decline.
On another issue, Polls can serve a purpose. For what, I don’t know but, since this forum has started thinking that this
somehow reflects a prevailing opinion why not get behind having actual elected people on these boards that claim to represent the community? Would that not be the ultimate poll? I’m guessing that with a little over 50% turnout things would be looking a whole lot different…
And “planned Community” Anyone have an example of one
local govt. planned community that actually worked. Northern
Virginia was planned out this way. The USSR and Cuba tried it
too with the same results. It just ain’t working…
1 – No one (except you perhaps, so thank you) thinks that anything here reflects a “prevailing opinion.” I’d say with the last poll on the police station 239 responses isn’t insignificant but doubtful is a “prevailing” opinion. With 35 responses on the hotel survey so far, I’d say that’s well on its way to being a valid opinion as well.
I’m guessing that with over 50% turnout in *anything* we’d have a different and hopefully better community, but what are the chances of that?
You always say that you want “elected boards” – please elaborate on that – where would the district be? What powers would they have? How frequently would they meet and be elected?
Survey’s, Polls, anything you can do multiple times
using whatever name you want, well, you know
how valid that is.
The last general election held in Virginia had over a 50% turnout. A strong local issue could easily top that.
Crozet would first have to apply for Town status
with a charter. I’d say elections every four years
for town council. The area would be the original
Crozet. Trying to grab too much area could backfire on them. Since the unelected want what Towns have, Police Stations, Library/Municipal buildings, zoning, urban development they should have to pay for them. At least through a valid election process they can actually claim to represent the community. We used to have appointed School Boards. Can you imagine that
still happening now?
On to something else: The Modern Barber Shop
is coming up on it’s 80th year in the community.
With all the talk of “History” here I thought that I’d
bring this up.
The Old Trail hotel location was not based on it being the best business location! The developer owned the land and choose to put in a hotel. That is it, no study, no business plan based on what is best for Crozet. Simply he had the land and that is what he wanted. No concern about the residents, the traffic, the children, the parking, NOTHING but greed.
Greed is the wrong word. Business is what it is called. Is Crozet going to bail him out if the hotel fails? Are you? Crozet is an unincorporated
community. Who was he supposed to ask? What is
happening is within his rights. If the ever was any concern for residents, children, parking, traffic, then Old Trail would not be there…
Curious as to what you mean by traditional downtown Crozet will be destroyed? Do you know something that I don’t know? I do know that I frequent all of the stores and shops in downtown Crozet. They are a necessity for me and other citizens as well. I don’t care what the storefronts look like, I care about the services that they provide. Currently, the services are top notch for small-town living and supply me with everything I need to live.
Now, what I do need is for the freight trains not to go by multiple times a day and in the middle of the night at 100 miles an hour and shake the walls of my house!
Streetscapes will change forever what you consider
“downtown” Crozet. Read up on it. And please, the
trains do not run 100 mph through or even close to Crozet. Did you not realize the train tracks before you moved in?