I’m trying hard to explicitly not be for or against the Restore N Station, but to provide a discussion and news forum about it. If anyone with the Restore N Station would like to make their case here, they’re more than welcome. But … the “shut off valve” seems absurd.
Background:
So, Is the Restore N Station Getting Built?
Restore N Station *Does* Need a Special Use Permit
With that preface, I received the following from Mary Rice:
The proposed mega gas station/convenience store truck stop – Restore N Station – is coming up for THE big determining vote at the Board of Supervisors on
Wednesday, October 13 at 6 p.m.
It is once again critical that we get a large group of people at this meeting and that we have people contacting the Board prior to the vote to tell them what you think about the project as this is the vote that will determine whether or not the project gets built.
We need you to send the Board a quick e-mail and we need you to come to this meeting!You can e-mail the Board at [email protected]
We had a good group of people at the Planning Commission hearing and I am quite sure it was the intelligent comments of the community and the public presence that made the Planning Commission deny the Special Use Permit. However, that vote was only a recommendation, and was not the final word on the Special Use Permit. This vote by the Board will be the determining vote.
Both the Chief of Zoning and the Planning Commission have now ruled that they believe it is likely that the project will use more than its allotment of 1,624 gallons of water per day from its well, and therefore, requires a Special Use Permit. Despite requests, there has been no traffic study, no independent study by the County to investigate the effect this project will have on adjacent neighbor’s wells, and no County analysis of the usage comparables submitted by the applicant, although there is compelling evidence to suggest that those comparables are not at all correct, (see attached information from Goeke).
Recently, the applicant responded to this ruling on expected water overuse by proposing to use a shut-off valve to cap the amount of water it pulls from its well. The valve would shut the pump off after it had pumped 1,624 gallons in a 24 hour period. This shut-off valve seems an unsatisfactory solution for a business that has been deemed by the County to need more water than will be let through the valve. What will the business do when it runs out of water? Turn off the hand washing sinks? Go back to the County for a higher allowable limit at the expense of neighbors’ wells?
Please refresh yourselves on this important issue and let the Board know what you think. I have attached some talking points. It seems that the least the Board could do is request a traffic study and subsequently, an independent water study that will show the affect that an excessive water draw would have on neighbors’ wells.
Thanks, Mary Rice
The referenced PDFs:
Background on Board of Supervisors Special Use Permit Oct 13
Re-Store N Station Power Point by Goeke
Re-Store ‘N Station letter from Goeke
Update 12 October 2010:
This from the Crozet Community Advisory Council:
The proposed mega gas station/convenience store truck stop – Restore N Station – is coming up for THE big determining vote at the Board of Supervisors this Wednesday, October 13 at 6 PM at the Lane Auditorium in the County Office Building on McIntire Road.
Remember that we (the CCAC) has been advocating for a more appropriately sized station, an independent water study and a traffic study for awhile now. I include our two resolutions, both passed unanimously as a reminder of where the CCAC publicly stands on the Restore ‘N Station project.
If you need more background/reminder about this project, please see the latest edition of the Crozet Gazette
or you can e-mail Mary Rice at [email protected].You can also see Jim Duncan’s web site, Real Crozet,
http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/08/24/so-is-the-restore-n-station-getting-built/
It is once again critical that we attend this meeting and that we let the Board know what we think about the project as this is the vote that will determine whether or not the project gets built. We should also be reminding our friends and neighbors they need to do the same.
Interesting that you attach “Talking Points” for people to use. If you just
want an ignorant mob all bleating the same things, is that the ends to your
means? I can buy a case of beer and get similiar results the other way.
If you want to be fair and use facts I suggest this: If you want to use your own well for water but, want to connect to county sewer you have to install a water usage meter on your well. Why? The county charges you
based on the number of gallons of water used to determine sewage rates.
Require one of these meters on this gas station’s well. Check this meter for compliance. If the agreed on limit is exceeded impose a $100 @ gallon
penalty for overage. There are not any business owners that I know of that could stand paying this type of penalty and would make sure that they
did not. This would be put in writing as a condition for the permit and would have to be signed off on by the applicant. This would work and allow the station to be within the limits that have been imposed.
Of course, if you simply do not want a gas station built a short distance from tract housing then fairness will not matter to you. If you want to try to project power outside of Crozet this will not matter to you.
And please, if the issue of business size is brought up it would only be fair to mention that it is being built near one of the largest tract housing developements in the County. Now, on to something more interesting.
What should be built there? More tract housing? Strip mall? More coffee
shops? Super cosmic mega bookstore? Islamic daycare center? What????
The last meeting was full of intelligent speaking individuals who expressed their concern about their community.
So what happens when the business owner does sign off on the $100 overage charge, starts up the business and then goes bust because he cannot afford the additional fees. You have an empty mega gas station similar to what happened on the downtown mall which currently stills stands, empty.
The citizens that spoke are not saying the owner does not have a right to build a station there just not the size they want.
But, it is the water usage that is the problem not the size. Any business
can go broke, do you deny them all? Tract housing can go under.
Wintergreen even has changed owners several times and is still not built out and that is supposed to be a resort. The proper response to
you is really what happens if this business prospers and does not
exceed the water usage limit? What if’s work both ways. The property owner assumes the cost and all the risk. He deserves the benefit of the
doubt…
Thank you Mary, for all your hard work. Although there are differing opinions and beliefs about this development issue, it is important to have people who are involved in the process and who are representing affected parties and the adjacent community.
Thanks Mary for keeping us informed on the development of the process. I’m send another email to the board to voice my concerns.
My concerns extend beyond the water issue (the use of well water will drain the entire water table and does affect the existing homes nearby using the same water table). My problem with Edward’s contrarian remarks is that he clearly does not see that businesses CAN ruin the livelyhood of others who have lived there for decades. One case in point is the “fracking” that gas-oil companies apply to get natural gas out, and poison the ground water in the process that the locals rely upon. Now according to Edward’s logic, the companies have the full right to go ahead, and ignore the damage imposed. Another issue: the I-64 tractor trailer and other traffic that is supposed to use that Gas Station: they will need to use the exit on/off ramps that are NOT divided, not provided with traffic lights and are simply not designed to handle the increased traffic volume. Chaos will ensue there. And who is going to pay for the needed upgrades?
If businesses can ruin the livelyhood of others why have any?? The
type of business that we seem to attract now usually lowers the standard of living of the people who have to work there. Unless they
have multiple jobs. There is no oil or gas exploration involved with
the special use permit being discussed. What does “fracking” have
to do with any of this? If it does I’ll also bring up the conditions that
the workers who harvest coffee work under. Truck traffic was heavier
back when Crozet had industry than it is now. Two trucking companies had offices and small lots in the general area where the station is proposed. You are not capable of having a relevant conversion with even a small number of facts. What area did you come from where chaos was involved after building a gas station?
What can be built there?
Fracking.
For some disturbing read or listening: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127593937
From an offline commenter:
Having read a number of different articles on the proposed Restore N Station, it is clear to me that the project needs a Special Use Permit.
I hope the Supervisors are listening to the local residents.
To Edward Strauss in particular: his question “what CAN be built there” is very clearly answered in the Crozet Gazette this month. See the editorial by Mike Marshall. And ALL letters to the editors make the issue loud and clear.
I would like to know where all the complainers are when OldTrail was/is cutting down our trees and putting up overpriced housing ? OT is destroying the wildlife environment. OT is thinning our water table. Yet I don’t hear anyone complaining about this.
Has anyone noticed all the open land and no houses in OT? Why cut the trees down and destroy a view when it was unncessary ?
This also applied to the other subdivisions that are currently building houses and destroying Crozets landscape.
The subdivisions are taking up ALOT more water and resources than the RS.
Wow “Johnny” you sound so much like someone else that posts on here. I wonder who that could be?
I believe Old Trail is on county water, not well water, which is the issue with RestorNStation, but I could be mistaken.
And as for your short-term memory, there was a LOT of uproar over Old Trail when it started.
There is nothing improper in a government entity limiting the use of property that adversely impacts a community (and by adverse, I mean depletes the water table, increases large vehicle road usage, increased exterior lighting, etc.) That is the purpose for creating planning commissions and BOS in the first place.
Well, I guess the BOS didn’t listen then, so what makes anyone think they’ll listen now ?? The OT still cut down trees and built overprised housing(that contributed to the housing crash).
The RNS is still going to get built whether we like it or not.
Money talks and complaining raises blood pressure.
The BOS didn’t listen when we wanted to keep our teachers, the only listen to the bottom line and the dollar line.
Johnny Appleseed is what we call a “response in search of a stmulus”.
What does the Crozet Gazette have to do with anything? Print a paper rule a community? An unelected CCAC? You simply can not drown out real people with their own real thoughts. Can you even put into words what you would like to see built on the property in question?
Once the water usage issue is settled it will be built. Why? It is not in Crozet and, it is on a scale with other projects in the area. It will make
a nice companion to the tract housing developement down the road…
Edward –
I’m certain we’ve had this discussion before, but for clarity’s sake – how do you define “Crozet”?
You see, I would be a rich man if I had a nickel every time Edward said “tract housing”. He has said it 5 times in this thread alone.
I concur with you 250%. The CCAC has assumed the role of our County Board of Supervisors and the Albemarle County Planning Commission. If you think the rhetoric on this blog and in the paper are fascinating you should attend one of the meetings.
I believe that the County is beginning to work on a theme “Open for Business” given that Greene, Augusta, Fluvanna and Louisa are attracting every business opportunity because of our cumbersome process and our “No Growth” attitude. One can only hope that the Board of Supervisors will take back their responsiblity and make decisions for the entire County and not for just selected groups and areas. We MUST get some business growth into our community to avoid further tax burdens on the citizens of this county.
Jenny –
Thank you so much for your comment. I haven’t been to a CCAC meeting for a while, so can’t speak to that …
What types of businesses do you think Crozet should try to attract?
Having moved from Greene, I say be careful what you wish for. Take a snapshot of Ruckersville and transpose it over Route 250. How many would want that to happen in the Crozet area?
Agreed. Grow, but grow wisely.
There is a reason Crozet has seen a micro growth over the rest of the county (as far as housing). It sure isn’t crozet’s higher prices (than county average) that is attracting new residents. Start cranking out strip malls, wallmarts, trucker stops and i would bet you would quickly see a drop in residents moving to the area.
Edward should attend a CCA meeting for once and see what it actually represents. This group is certainly more trustworthy and knowledgable about issues in this area than any other group, including the B.O.S. whick has only ONE member out of seven who knows Crozet factually. Why putting trust in the BOS for making wise and right decisions if 6 out of 7 do not even know or care about Crozet? And Andrew, thanks for pointing out the sheer ugliness of Green county and its massive cleared waste land sitting empty for years to come. That rivals the 25% built waste land we call “Hollymead Towne Center”
How would you know what I have attended? The self appointed,
self serving group represents whom? This group makes it easy
for the BOS to ignore the rest of us. The one member who you feel
knows the area “factually”, who are you to say, due to your limited knowledge of facts. As long as you feel she is saying what you want to hear you think it is a fact… She avoids the same question I have asked you. What do you think should be built on the proposed
Restore N Station site? You throw out alot of names, garbage, and
half truths. How about an answer to a direct question?
Jim,
Sorry I missed your question. As I have said before the
community of Crozet is defined by it’s boundary markers.
Installed by the state , you probably go by them all the time.
There is a reason Brownsville School is called what it is the same
goes for Freetown, Yancey Mills, Whitehall, etc. Is it right for
outsiders to steal other communities to make their own seem more important and try to expand their power? The BOS has
made a mistake letting the lunatics try to run the asylum…
The destruction of Crozet needs to be contained and kept from
spreading to adjoining areas. The current economic problems
do have a silver lining if it continues to slow the invasion of this area.
What should be built there? The answer emerged pretty clear during this night’s BOS public hearing on this topic: a convenience store gas station about half the size and scope than proposed by this aggressive Buckingham co lady Jo Higgins. THe issue is the well water usage that far exceeds the capacity (therefore their request for Special Use Permit). The nearby Freetown would certainly see all their wells dry up, but that is maybe what you want to see these poor people (since they are black I am sure some would not mind) having to abandon their homes for the gods of outsiders’ business profits. One supervisor was clearly in favor of the applicant no matter what dire predictions were made of the impact of this supersize business, and he is willing to sell Crozet residents out. He also was extremely rude towards the Crozetians in the public during the hearing (K Boyd is his name). I must say, when push comes to shove two supervisors were actually taking position to protect their residents against potentially (and likely) destructive effects of an ill-conceived plan: Ann Mallek and Dennis Rooker. Besides Duane Snow appeared to take note as well, good for him.
Also it is clear that Higgins wants to build this mega station to get it running and then sell it to a chain right away. Half the size would not do well with that plan.
So, you do not have your own opinion on what should be built there. You
just like to parrott what others say. You do not know Jo Higgins, you have
no idea as to water usage exceeding capacity, you cannot sell Crozet residents out since this will not be in Crozet and you do not know how the majority of these people feel on this subject . You try to imply a racial
aspect to this which only proves the depth of your ignorance. I know people who live in Freetown and I find them highly preferrable to what
has arrived in Crozet over the last several years. You seem to be the typical internet dweller with the ability to spew a large amount of words,
nicely spelled with little regard for facts. The Restore N Station will be
built but : There are still more twists and turn in this soap opera…
Some blogs have rules and administrators can ban users for insults and foul language, or for just being morons. Edward, you fit the bill quite well. Look in the mirror.
Still can’t come up with an original thought as to what should be built
on the property bordering Freetown? You should try real hard since
I don’t think that you bother to read or comprehend the fiction that you write. What you write does not bother me. That you exist in the same area that I do does…
That’s easy.
A gas station. Because the other 3 are in adequate.
Edward,
I don’t care what you believe or how you think the Crozet area should or should not develop/change .. but when you start spouting off that someone else’s existence is a problem merely because you do not share the same political views-well that is too much! You should immediately apologize. There is a world of difference between a high spririted disagreement over politics in this community, and advocating that others stop existing. You will probably reply that you only “meant” some other poster should not live in our community. That will not excuse this type of mean-spirited hate filled speech. You didn’t say move, or leave. To marginalize another individual’s existence because you disagree is inappropriate and has no place in a civilized conversation. Shame on you.
I think edward is crozet’s version of an internet troll…..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)
The old saying, don’t feed the trolls.
And, you are what? Can’t deal with different opinions so you try to
make fun of it? If the above is your real name, fine. If not, you do not
add anything and you are part of the problem you complain about.