Should be interesting, and relevant. #CCAC1117
CROZET COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Crozet Library
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Agenda
1. Agenda Review (Dave Stoner – CCAC chair)
2. Approval of Minutes
3. Re-Store ’n Station SP Amendment Presentation (Jo Higgins, Re-Store ‘n Station, 45 min) (staff seem to be recommending approval of gas pumps being open 24 hours, & store being open 20 hours/day – pdf)
4. Project Updates & Discussion (45 min)
a. Neighborhood Improvement Funding Initiative (NIFI) – Crozet Square Streetscape – approved by BoS
b. Barnes Lumber Rezoning – applicant’s requested deferral
c. Western Park Master Plan Update – follow-up discussion
5. Downtown Crozet Initiative – Request for Virginia Main Street Affiliate Application
Support
6. Items Not Listed on the Agenda
7. Announcements & Future Agenda Items
I’m appending a couple emails to this post, as I’ve seen things online get lost; better to save them here for posterity.
From Elaine Echols, Chief Planner with Albemarle County
Hi Jennie and Dave,
Happy election day! I hope you are both well. I’d like to give you some updates on a couple of projects.
Crozet Square: Frank has sent a letter to the Clerk of the BOS asking for a deferral. He doesn’t yet have permission from the church or Ross Stevens to put the extension of Library Ave. across their properties. He would like to know the outcome of the County’s revenue sharing request before continuing with his proffered plan. For these reasons, he has asked the BOS to extend the time for the PC to act on his request.
We are recommending that he have up to a year to do this. I know it sounds like a lot of time, but the County won’t hear from VDOT about our revenue sharing request until at least May. If it comes through, we need a little bit of time to work out agreements between the County and developer for the road cost reimbursement. Then Frank has to develop his proffers and we can advertise for the public hearing. I don’t think it will take a year, but he can’t get another deferral without starting the ZMA request again. Starting the ZMA request again would not be the end of anything; he would just have to pay his fee and advertising costs, which he is not paying now.
Regarding a community meeting, Frank’s application came in before there was a community meeting requirement, although he has had numerous meetings that would qualify as the community meeting. That does not preclude the CCAC from discussing or commenting on the project. Please be advised that once Frank is ready for his PC public hearing, we begin the advertising and take it to the PC. I feel certain that Frank will provide ample time for the CCAC to comment prior to setting the public hearing, though.
Western Park Master Plan: I was asked to check into whether changes to the Western Park Master Plan would require a Comprehensive Plan (Crozet Master Plan) amendment. The answer is no, because the Western Park Master Plan was not adopted into the Crozet Master Plan. The Western Park Master Plan is referenced 4 – 6 times in the Crozet Master Plan but it is not appended to the Crozet Master Plan.
After the Parks and Rec. Dept. receives community input, it will put together a plan with which to proceed. If the updated plan merely moves activities and improvements around on the property, then the Planning Commission will not need to do a Compliance with the Comprehensive Plan review. If there are major changes to the Western Park Master Plan, then a Compliance with the Comprehensive Plan (CCP) Review ( also called a 2232 Review) will be needed from the Planning Commission. If public parking for the park is moved outside of the area for shown on the Crozet Master Plan for the Western Park, then a CCP will be needed. For a CCP, the Parks and Rec. Dept. would fill out and submit an application to our Dept., hold at least one community meeting, receive comments from staff, then proceed to the Commission. The Commission will provide opportunity for public comment. If after the Commission takes action the BOS wants to discuss it, they are enabled to do so and are also empowered to overturn the PC’s decision, if they so choose. Hopefully, it will not come to that! J I know the Parks and Rec. Dept. wants to develop a plan that is supported by the community.
I hope this email provides useful information. Feel free to pass it on to others.
Elaine
RE: NIFI, From Emily Kilroy, Community Engagement Coordinator | Albemarle County, VA
I just wanted to let you all know that the Board of Supervisors approved the CAC recommendations for projects on Wednesday evening. The Board will receive an appropriation request for the funds in December, and our Project Management Division will begin laying the groundwork to move from project approval to implementation. For any projects involving construction, this means moving into the next phase of design, working towards project bid and ultimately, build.
The total project requests were $1,255,273 of the original $1.4 million identified for project implementation. The Board directed staff to hold $44,727 of those remaining funds as supplemental contingency funds. Contigency funds are funds that would be available in the event that a project’s construction estimate is within 10% of the cost estimates we have today and we’ve exhausted efforts to descope/value engineer the projects back within budget. The remaining $100,000 will be available to be used towards developing a collaborative process for a comprehensive corridor plan and actually creating a plan for Avon Street Extended; with the understanding that the process developed would be able to be replicated in other parts of the County in the future.
Please let me know if you have any questions – we will continue to keep you all informed and engaged on the projects as they move forward.
I also wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the work that has gone into the NIFI process – I know it has dominated many of your meetings over this past year. I hope you are pleased with the outcome! “NIFI” was a new program and staff would like to invite you all to provide candid feedback on the process. I will be in touch next week with some opportunities on how to do so.
Best,
Emily
Dave,
As we discussed at the last DCI meeting, there are two issues that DCI would like to put forward.
One is that we ask the CCAC to support DCI becoming a Main Street affiliate and to forward a recommendation for an endorsement to the BOS. That requires a resolution approved by the BOS. A draft is attached. Please note it is not in the format required by the BOS. Also, the resolution template is for a town or city so I have made an adjustment to the wording to accommodate Crozet since it is not incorporated. I’m checking with DHCD to see if my wording is correct. If needed, corrections will be forwarded to the County prior to the Board acting. DHCD is okay with receiving the CCAC endorsement as part of the application to become a Main Street Affiliate expecting Board of Supervisor endorsement at a later date.
Secondly, DCI plans on submitting a grant to DHCD for MS Affiliates, due December 1. DHCD is okay with the grant being submitted by DCI as long as the BOS agrees to collaborate with DCI as a Main Street Affiliate prior to an award being made. The grant requires no cash from the County. The only contribution from the County would be for the Economic Development office to answer a few questions in the event DCI needs assistance. DCI will write the grant.
Regardless of the grant moving forward, we would appreciate the County agreeing to support our becoming a Main Street Affiliate.
I have already spoken to Ann Mallek, Susan Stimart, and Holly Bittle. I have attached the draft resolution, the 2 pages of the guidelines on becoming an Affiliate and the blank application. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Pat Groot
Groot Consulting and Grant Services, LLC
Charlottesville VA 22902
434.962.2029 | grootco…@gmail.com
And the followup from Dave Stoner
Attached is some information relating to the new agenda item on DCI’s plans to apply to become a Virginia Main Street Affiliate organization, in collaboration with Albemarle County, and the DCI’s request for CCAC support.
More information on the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Virginia Main Street and Affiliate program can be found here: http://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/index.php/community-partnerships-dhcd/downtown-revitalization/virginia-main-street.html
The Virginia Main Street Program is a preservation-based economic and community development program that follows the Main Street Four-Point Approach™ developed by the National Trust Main Street Center. Virginia Main Street designation offers a range of services and assistance to communities interested in revitalizing their historic commercial districts. Typically, DHCD Commercial District Affiliates are incorporated municipalities, counties, or urban neighborhood commercial districts who utilize the Main Street Approach for downtown revitalization, and therefore benefit from Main Street program services, but may not be ready to support a full Main Street program.
- DHCD-Commercial-District-Affiliate-Application-2016
- 2017 VMS Program Guidelines pp12-13- FINAL (1)
- Main Street Affiliate Resolution DRAFT
