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:
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.
I would tell them to bring a good job and a large bank account. Also, to realize
that what is here now will not be in the future. The large influx of realtors ,
developers, northern people, into a small rural southern community will create something that is attractive to no one. Once the predators that live off these arrive it should really take off. The “get involved” comment is interesting. Get involved in what? There are no elected officials, the area is
unincorporated, the current BOS can not appoint a new chairman because the
expired one can not grow up enough to step down. On the bright side, Crozet
will not be the first decent place taken over and ruined by external interests…
“Get involved” – as in, get involved in the conversation – here, at the Crozet Community Association, the Crozet Community Advisory Council, the Board of Supervisors, the PTO, the Volunteer Fire and Rescue … there’s any number of ways to express one’s opinion and thoughts.
Heck, talk to your neighbors. Walk to school, bike to school, have meetings at one of our coffee shops rather than in Charlottesville … talk to people about the coming growth and its impacts and how to manage/deal/control said growth.
Or … one could just bitch about how there’s no way to get involved. That’s easier.
I am more involved than you might think. I don’t get involved with self-serving non elected boards. Walking to school, shopping in Crozet does not change anything. Those options
existed before this nonsense did. “Our coffee shops”, I did not
know you were involved with them. How about some decent paying jobs where people could afford to live here? Building a decent community takes alot more than buying and selling it.