What I would have tweeted, but with more formatting, and way longer; I hope you find this useful.
Like them or not, these meetings influence many aspects of our lives in Crozet, and in Albemarle County. Land use affects almost everything.
Highlights
Voting discussion, Animal Wellness Center expansion, adding a new, denser, middle housing category.
Each heading is a link to the video, cued to to the right time.
Voting Discussion
- Jim Heilman talking about voting in November; this election is a “perfect storm” of an election. Has never seen an election like this one.
- New election laws, some of which were passed on Friday. “Certain voices” saying mail in ballots are fraudulent, not to trust the mail, and then we have COVID-19
- Goes over what’s on the ballot, from races to two constitutional amendments
- Talking about voter registration. There is usually a spike in voter registration; not this year as voter drives aren’t happening
- Learn more about voting in Albemarle here; last day to register is 13 October
- Details how to register to vote. Or here at the Virginia elections site.
- Three ways to vote
- In person early – you’ll be voting on a machine, just as on election day. Check their site for hours.
- Mail in voting
- This time 4 years ago, they had 800 applications. Now it’s over 15K.
- Call – 434-972-4173 or do it online.
- In person on Election Day
- The Albemarle County Electoral Board encourages citizens to vote early in person or via mail so as to avoid long lines.
- Highly encourage voters to wear mask; state says they can’t force people to, but will do everything they can to encourage people to wear them. Me: Wear a damn mask.
- Jennie – if someone requested a mail in ballot, could someone still vote in person early, or once you make the request, is that the way you should vote?
- A: Fill it out, bring it to the County Office Building
- Or if you want to put it into the machine yourself, you can do that
- Dropboxes: we have never before had a legal way to do this. Last week, State passed a law allowing drop off stations, but we decided that’s not a good idea. They will have dropbox outside County Office buidling on 5th Street. May have drop off centers in the two weeks prior to election
- Q: when will the mail in ballots be mailed?
- A: by September 18, and hopefully Kanye West doesn’t win his appeal so we have to re-print the ballots. Me: #headdesk
- Heilman: we don’t think there will be a problem with the mail. But don’t wait until the last day to mail.
- Any ballot postmarked November 3, and received by 6 November will be counted.
- Two ways to track your ballot. Ballot Scout will track your ballot.
- Reminder that they’ve added a precinct, the Mechums River District.
- Five locations to vote: Crozet, Brownsville, Western Albemarle High School, Broadus Wood, Free Union Country Day School
- Discussion about how to get out the word to vote
Animal Wellness Center Special Use Permit
- Special Use Permit to allow expansion of the current facility, add parking, add a new building, and allow for overnight animal boarding. On a 3.4 acre parcel
If I’m reading this right (go here, and search SP200800009) they’ve been planning this for years; local government moves slowly. Pay attention, folks.
- Valerie Long is the representative for the applicant; Dr. Hillary Cook is the applicant. She’s owned is since 2011, and getting busier and busier.
- Dr. Cook is not the owner, but long-time tenant. She plans to purchase the property.
- Lots of discussion about setbacks, building height
Master Plan Discussion with Andrew Knuppel
- Middle Housing discussion
- Middle density residential is a proposed new housing category; going to Planning Commission first
- Jennie referencing the White Gate Farm proposal.
- Jennie saying this discussion is likely to need more than one meeting
- Discounting Minneapolis’ zoning that got rid of single family housing.
- Read about that here, and here. The latter is good, “By doing away with single-family zoning, the city takes on high rent, long commutes, and racism in real estate in one fell swoop.“
- Allie fully supports the “missing middle” category. Where it goes in Crozet is what the CCAC should be talking about.
- (me: the answer to “where” is always “not in my backyard.”
- Related to the missing middle conversation: Nest Realty’s podcast where we have recently discussed a lot of these topics
- Race, Zoning, Planning the future (ep. 41) — start with this one.
- Zoning, School Districts, Growth (ep. 47)
- How towns are divided (ep. 43; Part 1 of ep. 47)
- Discussion about the current “affordable housing” in Crozet, specifically Old Trail, and how that is decidedly not affordable.
- Comment about how infrastructure has not kept up, but if no infrastructure is commensurate, they should oppose more housing.
- Good comments and discussion about affordable housing. Watch the whole thing.
