Jim Duncan, Author at RealCrozetVA

June 1, 2020June 1, 2020

Crozet Trails Crew – June Work Days

via email, which I copy/pasted, so please forgive my blog’s poor formatting of their awesome email.

Getting Back to Work We’ve been depending on individual workers to keep the trails in shape since March, but we’re going to try to step up our game, and start scheduling some small work days. Needless to say, things won’t be like they were before, and we have developed these guidelines to help keep us all safe and healthy.
1. Work groups will be limited in size
All groups will be limited to 10 people or fewer, depending on the space we will be working in. When we go out to prune and trim a trail, we’re able to spread out, so as many as 10 people may be OK. If we are working in a smaller space, the numbers will be smaller.
2. Everyone must sign up in advance
This allows us to control the size of groups, and to follow up with you in case contact tracing is needed. I will link to Sign Up Genius pages for each work day. PLEASE: If you sign up and then have to cancel, remove your Sign Up so we have enough workers for every project!
3. Masks are required; work gloves are encouraged
We will need to wear masks when we are close together–I anticipate this will be when we gather to discuss the work to be done. Once we are spread out, and are not within a few feet of each other, masks can be removed. Please be aware of trail users, though, and make sure to step aside to allow space if people pass on the trail.
4. Tools will be cleaned with disinfectant wipes at the beginning and end of work, and when transferred between people. The Trails Crew doesn’t have an unlimited supply, so it would be great if you bring your own.
5. A hand washing station will be available with soap, water, and paper towels. If you can bring your own hand sanitizer, please do!
6. Social Distancing will be required.

May 30, 2020May 30, 2020

Crozet Elementary’s Addition – Coming Soon

Thanks to Katherine Knott at the Daily Progress; make sure you click through to read the whole thing.

Crozet Elementary addition and renovations

Although construction funding is not certain for a long-awaited expansion of Crozet Elementary, the school division is moving forward on designing the $20.4 million project.
Ken Thacker, with VMDO Architects, walked the Albemarle County School Board through preliminary schematic designs Thursday during the board’s monthly work session. The plans include a three-story addition, new bus loop, improved play areas and an expanded gym and cafeteria.
The 28,000-square-foot Crozet expansion was identified as the division’s top capacity-related construction project by an advisory committee last year in order to ease overcrowding in the western feeder pattern. Nearby Brownsville Elementary has nearly 900 students while the building’s capacity is 764. At Crozet, enrollment is up to 360 students, 30 more than the building’s capacity.

May 28, 2020May 28, 2020

Voice your Opinion on Bicycle & Pedestrian Connectivity

Take a few minutes and voice your opinion on bicycle and pedestrian connectivity in Crozet here.

“Crozetians have told us about the importance of connecting Crozet’s different neighborhoods and centers with safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists.

We invite you to discuss potential projects and recommendations that can address the community’s goals regarding bicycle and pedestrian connectivity.

Your participation will be used to draft recommendations in the Connectivity Chapter of the Crozet Master Plan. “

May 11, 2020May 13, 2020

May 2020 CCAC Meeting – It’s Online

The CCAC meeting will be online.

7pm. Wednesday 13 May

This will be interesting. I’ve seen it written all over the web that the pandemic is rapidly accelerating changes; the move to streaming meetings is a good one. I watched part of a recent BoS meeting, and this format was quite good.

from CCA’s site:

This meeting will be streamed live at https://publicinput.com/B4573
If you are unable to join on the Internet (web), you can join the call from your phone at 855-925-2801, code 8755.

CCAC-May-2020-Agenda-Packet Download

CCAC Presentation Download

Agenda

May 5, 2020May 6, 2020

Downtown Crozet Market Study on BoS Agenda – 6 May 2020

The 6 May 2020 Albemarle County Board of Supervisors meeting has a bit about Downtown Crozet’s redevelopment on the agenda. The meeting starts at 2pm; the Crozet part starts at 4pm.

And the accompanying FB post, with a great comment:

It is encouraging to see that the consultant has incorporated COVID-19 materials in this study. The county cannot ignore the potential that the virus will literally change everything about this community (see layoffs/furloughs at UVa, dramatic declines in budgeted revenues impacting schools, services and infrastructure for the foreseeable future, etc.) I also think the focus on walkability is key given the lack of sidewalks or shoulders on several important roads leading into downtown.
Link.

Referenced PDFs are here.

Market Studies from Retail Strategies and Downtown Strategies SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Presentation of the County-wide Retail Market Study and the Downtown Crozet Market Study ITEM TYPE: Regular Information Item STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Johnson, Schmack PRESENTER (S): Beth Miller, Jennifer Gregory LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson BACKGROUND: On June 19, 2019, the Board authorized the County to enter into a Public-Private Partnership with Crozet New Town Associates, LLC to redevelop the Barnes Lumber site in Downtown Crozet. As part of the agreement, the County agreed to complete a market study, as provided in the 2010 Crozet Master Plan Implementation Plan. In October 2019, the Economic Development Office contracted with consultants from Retail Strategies to conduct two specialized studies; one study focused on the retail sector within the Development Areas and the other study provided a capacity analysis and development rec…

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020

Crozet Library – Virtual Events and Services

forgive the formatting; I’m copy/pasting from an email, which looked great. The transition: notsomuch

Hey Crozet Community,

Our library crew is missing you all like crazy, and I know you might be missing us too. We’re hosting some virtual programs while we are closed, and there are a lot of other great virtual services that we are offering too. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out some of these things – and tune in tomorrow for a Parenting with Neuroscience with Erin Clabough, a Crozetian neuroscientist and mom of four who will be talking about using neuroscience in parenting, and touching on parenting in the coronavirus isolation world!

To prevent Zoom bombers, you must register online at jmrl.org to make sure you get the email with Zoom information. If you have questions about how to join an online program, let me know. And if you don’t already, we also have a tone of content on social media – boredom busters, storytime videos, and more, that can help keep you entertained during the quarantine.

Your friendly neighborhood librarian,

Hayley

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020

Common Sense: Walking Facing Traffic

We all seem to be walking more, riding bicycles more, and driving less. That’s a good thing. Sharing roads is good.

Did you know that the law legislates common sense?

I saw this sign in a rural part of Western Albemarle the other day, when riding my bike.

§ 46.2-928 – Pedestrians not to use roadway except when necessary; keeping to left

Pedestrians shall not use the roadways for travel, except when necessary to do so because of the absence of sidewalks which are reasonably suitable and passable for their use. If they walk on the hard surface, or the main travelled portion of the roadway, they shall keep to the extreme left side or edge thereof, or where the shoulders of the highway are of sufficient width to permit, they may walk on either shoulder thereof.

Watch out for each other, folks. And for goodness sakes, don’t wear dark clothing when you’re walking on the roads.

April 14, 2020April 15, 2020

Get your Albemarle Absentee Ballot for June Primary Elections (2020)

I have two questions:

1 – Will they accept electronic signatures, or must they be wet signatures? Answer: Yes, they accept electronic signatures, so long as you are already registered to vote

2 – May we email the PDF of the absentee ballot application? Answer: yes; you may email to [email protected]

(and the FB post)

Here is the link to request your absentee ballot.

via email:

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALBEMARLE COUNTY VOTERS !!!

The Governor has postponed the June primary elections in Virginia. The June primary elections will now be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2020. Albemarle County voters will have an opportunity to vote in either the Democratic primary or the Republican primary (but not both).

Because of the COVID-19 virus, if you would like to vote in the upcoming June 23 primary the Albemarle County Electoral Board and Department of Voter Registration strongly urge ALL voters to vote absentee by mail in that election, so as to avoid having to go to the polls on election day.

By notice posted on the Virginia Department of Elections website, the Department of Elections has advised all Virginia localities that because of the COVID-19 emergency, ALL voters will be permitted to vote absentee for the June primary elections in Virginia.

Jim’s note: After speaking to the registrar, I struck through this. Choose the first option.

In order to get an absentee ballot, voters will need to submit an absentee ballot application form. ~~Use “my disability or illness” as the absentee reason.~~

If you have a Virginia driver’s license, you can complete that form online. https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation

April 7, 2020April 16, 2020

Need Help?

I saw this post on Nextdoor, and asked permission to share.

Won’t you be my neighbor

If anyone is laid off or furloughed and starts running out of food or anything essential, please don’t go to sleep with an empty stomach or anything that you need! Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to send me a private message, I will be more than happy to share whatever I have. I will drop and go. I will never tell a soul. I will be there if you need me.

The responses were resounding echoes of offers to help others.

Know this: if you’re reading this, and need help, people will help. Please ask.

If you need help, please email Rebecca – [email protected].

Asking for help can be hard; it shouldn’t be.

This is what community taking care of each other looks like.

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020