Author: Jim Duncan

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VDOT Traffic Information – 18-22 December 2023

I get these emails every week and usually just dismiss them; this week there are a lot of Crozet-specific alerts.

I’ve bolded the Crozet items, which include pothole patching on Crozet Avenue, the closing of Browns Gap Turnpike, road widening of Route 240.

Albemarle County 

(NEW) Other construction – Expect lane and shoulder closures in the following areas:

  • Interstate 64, left lane closed between mile marker 104 and mile marker 105 in the eastbound lanes, Monday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
  • Interstate 64, right shoulder closed between mile marker 105 and mile marker 107 in the eastbound lanes, Monday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
  • Interstate 64, right shoulder closed between mile marker 104 and mile marker 107 in the westbound lanes, Monday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

(NEW) Pothole patching – Expect mobile, alternating lane closures in the following areas:

  • Interstate 64, between mile marker 100 and mile marker 131 in the eastbound and westbound lanes, Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Route 240 (Crozet Avenue), between U.S. 250 (Rockfish Gap Turnpike) and Route 1230 (Meadows Drive) in the northbound and southbound lanes, Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(UPDATE) Pipe repairs/installation – Expect lane and shoulder closures in the following areas:

  • Interstate 64, left lane and left should closed between mile marker 110 and mile marker 111 in the westbound lanes, daily through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Route 750 (Old Turnpike Road), road closed between Route 803 (Goodloe Lane) and U.S. 250 (Rockfish Gap Turnpike) with a signed detour. Drivers should follow message board detour route, Monday and Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

(UPDATE) Bridge repairs – Expect lane closures in the following areas:

  • Route 676 (Woodlands Road), alternating lane closures with flaggers between Route 743 (Earlysville Road) and Cedar Bluff Road in the northbound and southbound lanes, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Route 680 (Browns Gap Turnpike), road closed between Route 240 (Three Notch’d Road) and Route 802 (Old Three Notch’d Road). Drivers heading north on Route 680 should continue west on Route 240 to Route 802 and turn right to rejoin Route 680 north of the work zone, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

(NEW) Tree trimming – Expect lane closures in the following areas.

  • Route 6, (Irish Road), mobile, alternating lane closures between the Nelson County line and Route 20 (Valley Street) in the eastbound and westbound lanes, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Route 53, (Thomas Jefferson Highway), alternating lane closures with flaggers between Route 1102 (Michie Tavern Lane) and the Fluvanna County line in the eastbound and westbound lanes, daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

U.S. 29 (Monacan Trail) – Tree removal. Expect alternating lane closures between the Nelson County line and Route 745 (Arrowhead Valley Road) in the northbound and southbound lanes, daily, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

(NEW) U.S. 250 (Richmond Road) – Roadway improvements. Expect alternating lane closures between Route 179 (Hansens Mountain Road) and Route 1107 (North Hill) in the eastbound and westbound lanes, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(UPDATE) U.S. 250 (Rockfish Gap Turnpike) – Road widening project. Expect lane closures between Birdsall Lane and Route 750 (Old Turnpike Road). The westbound lanes will remain reduced from two lanes to one and the eastbound lane shift will remain in place. This is a long-term closure for the duration of the project. Expected completion date, April, 2024.

Route 20 (Scottsville Road) – Bridge superstructure repairs/replacement. Expect temporary traffic signal with new traffic pattern at Route 708 (Red Hill Road). Route 708 will narrow to one lane for construction on the bridge over the North Fork Hardware River in the southbound lanes, beginning Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Project completion date, Dec. 2024.

Can’t wait for them to fix all of these uniformly badly paved roads.

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Old Dominion on 240 Moving Forward with 110 Houses?

You remember the Old Dominion proposed neighborhood, right?

Imagine if the sidewalks were continuous to downtown Crozet, and if there was a protected bike lane along 240.?While I’m dreaming, review the planning commission information below.

Notably, as indicated on the Planning Staff Report Summary from 4 May 2022, there will be an internal sidewalk network as well as connectivity to 240’s sidewalks, and dedicated funds?to “help mitigate impacts of the development on schools and transportation” in addition to “proffers 20 Affordable Dwelling Units within the development exceeding the required 15% rate.”

(I’m still trying to find out the status of the pedestrian improvements at Starr Hill).

Good comments at the corresponding Facebook post.

via email:

LEAD REVIEWER: Kevin McCollum, [email protected]
PROJECT: SDP202300067 Old Dominion Village
MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT: White Hall
TAX MAP/PARCEL: 05600-00-00-067B0 and 05600-00-00-074A0
LOCATION: 1263 Parkview Dr, Crozet, VA 22932
PROPOSAL: Request for initial site plan approval containing 110 total new lots, including 16 single-family detached lots and 94 attached single-family lots (townhouses) on 23.72 acres for a gross density of 4.64 units/acre. The development will be served by new internal public roads and public water and sewer utilities. 6.29 acres of open space is proposed within the development. An existing veterinary clinic within the site will be retained on a 0.91 acre commercial parcel within the overall development. Project is subject to the Code of Development and proffers of ZMA202000005.


ZONING: NMD Neighborhood Model District – residential (3 – 34 units/acre) mixed with commercial, service and industrial uses


PROFFERS: Yes
ENTRANCE CORRIDOR: Yes


OVERLAY DISTRICT: EC Entrance Corridor, FH Flood Hazard, Managed and Preserved Steep Slopes


COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Neighborhood Density Residential – residential 3-6 units/acre; supporting uses such as religious assembly, schools, childcare, institutional, commercial/retail, and other small-scale non-residential uses; Middle Density Residential – residential 6 – 12 units/acre (up to 18 units/acre considered with additional affordable housing units and/or small-scale housing types); supporting uses such as religious assembly, schools, childcare, institutional, commercial/retail, and other small-scale non-residential uses; Green Systems – sensitive environmental features including stream buffers, floodplains, and steep slopes; privately-owned open space; natural areas in the Crozet Master Plan. Rural Area – preserve and protect agricultural, forestal, open space, and natural, historic and scenic resources; residential (0.5 unit/ acre in development lots).

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So Many Albemarle County Meetings the Week of 4 December 2023

Moon over crozet during a bike ride

If you’re not subscribing to Sean Tubbs’ Charlottesville Community Engagement, you’re not as informed as you could be. 🙂 If you’re not paying for a subscription, please consider doing so. Please, spend a few minutes reading and supporting his work — this stuff matters.

There is so much happening during the week of 4 December 2023 in Albemarle County governance.

I’ll pay for the subscription for the first person to email me asking for one. Just ask.

From Sean’s Week Ahead email, a few snippets:

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CCAC Wrap-up – November 2023 | Transportation & Land Use!

Downtown Crozet with winter morning sun on the mountains

As ever, thanks to Crozet Gazette for the recording. If you can find the time to watch the meeting, I think it’s an instructive background into growth in Albemarle and Crozet going forward. Start or continue your learning about Albemarle’s Comprehensive Plan at Engage Albemarle.

I missed the meeting, and it looks like it was sparsely-attended, despite transportation and infrastructure being such important parts of our community conversation.

A few things jumped out as I watched the meeting

  • 12:07 multi modal planning approach; focusing growth within development areas
  • 15:50 centers and destinations of activity – Crozet is a bit ahead of other development areas
  • 16:55 jobs & people densities — this is really interesting
  • 21 modes
  • 25:00 — urban design conversation, context, vocabulary are too complicated for an an average citizen to understand? Planning and development are meaty topics that affect us all, and the November CCAC meeting is an example of why it’s important to consistently pay attention to local government.
  • 45:00 — AC44 future land use and planning designations; this is important (and technical) stuff that affects how we live and grow. There are 24 land use designations (confusing) across 5 master plans.

January’s meeting will be about the Crozet Square!

Via email from the County

(me: I always forget there’s a Crozet CAC folder on the County’s site.)

Here are the individual links

Crozet CAC AC44 Presentation

Crozet Modal Emphasis Map

Draft Updated Land Use Designations for AC44

And, just a reminder, questionnaires are open online for the following chapter draft goals and objectives:

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Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting – 15 November 2023

When I see the agenda come through my email, I try to make a few minutes to open it and scan for Crozet-related items.

Here’s the agenda for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors meeting that starts at 1pm on Wednesday, 15 November.

The items on the agenda that jumped out to me as being meaningful and relevant to Crozet:

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It’s Time to Take the Signs Down, 2023 Edition

Cold Beaver Creek on a frosty November morning.

Or … 2023’s election season in Albemarle County is finally over.

As the dust settles, we are still a great place to live. Close to UVA, Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, good schools (with many of the challenges faced around the country), and genuinely a great place to live.

This was the most divisive, and certainly most expensive, local election I remember.

I was talking to a new-to-Crozet friend this week, and he asked for my seasoned perspective on the Crozet elections. Here we go.

That the school board races cost about $300,000

is offensive, shameful, disgusting. Give each candidate $25K, and put the rest to the Food Bank or some other worthy charity that helps people.

For Board of Supervisors between Brad Rykal and Ann Mallek

I’m glad Brad ran; contested elections are better for everyone, and I hope he continues to be involved beyond the election.

It looks like Brad’s strategy of focusing almost exclusively on growth area matters that directly affect the “urban” area of Crozet almost worked.

Crozet residents are more than the “town” of Crozet.

If “Crozet” wants to have autonomy, Crozet needs to become a town. Simple. (related stories from 2021 in January, and August; there are a lot more if you want to search the blog). Crozet is part of the White Hall district, and further, a part of Albemarle County.

We need more infrastructure (more to come after I watch the video of CCAC November), and we need more housing.

If we want more businesses and services, we need more people (have you seen the complaints on godforaken-Nextdoor about the lack of restaurants and other stuff?)

I find it instructive and interesting that the “urban” areas went so heavily for Brad; I see that as a meaningful indication that Crozet’s townification deserves a serious consideration.

Crozet has gotten a lot of money over the years – Library, Streetscape, Jarmans, Old Trail playground, and we need more — there is no argument here. I’d argue we need protected bike lanes and sidewalks. Build it and they will use it.

One request to fellow Crozetians — go to meetings other than CCAC. CCAC is interesting, yet the meetings that matter are the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors — those votes count.

Another is to support local media like Charlottesville Community Engagement, Crozet Gazette, and Daily Progress.

And go consistently, not just when you see that thing coming that will affect your backyard — go now. And next month, and then next. Be consistent in your attendance and involvement. Being a citizen takes effort and sacrifice.

Short of Crozet getting a benevolent dictator, we’re going to have to work together to continue to build a great Crozet, and we need to look beyond our backyards and look at these changes as generational changes.

I thought I was making up the word “townify” — I was wrong; it was first used in 1798!

town·?i·?fy ?tau?n??f?
-ed/-ing/-es
1
: to cause to become urban
a pleasant little village rapidly being townified
2
: to stamp with the characteristics of the town or city or of urban life
the long townified dress she’d put on—
Christopher Isherwood

M-W.com

Disclosures, for what it’s worth — I gave money to no candidates, had coffee with Brad several times, and genuinely like him, and have known Ann for many years.

It’s going to take more than a sign to make things happen; and what’s wrong with that intersection?

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Part 2 – Crozet Real Estate Conversation

What should sellers be doing to prepare for the spring market? Buyers?

Greg Slater and I spoke at length about the Crozet real estate market, what’s happened so far in 2023, and some early thoughts about 2024.

We’re going to start doing these Crozet real estate conversations quarterly; the market is ever-changing and evolving.

Questions/comments? Please leave them below, or contact us directly:

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Deadline to Request Absentee Ballot – 27 October 2023

I voted sticker

A meaningful election is upon us in Albemarle County.

Voting is key.

From Albemarle County’s site:

“For the November 7, 2023 General Election:

Early Voting: Friday, September 22, 2023 – Saturday, November 4, 2023

Voter Registration Deadline: Monday, October 16, 2023

Same Day Registration: Tuesday, October 17, 2023 – Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Last day to request a ballot by-mail: Close of business on Friday, October 27, 2023″

(bolding by me)

Figure out where to vote here.

Each election, I have to figure out where to vote, as I voted in the same place for so many years.

I always find voting histories fascinating — here is the Mechums River Voting District history.

I’m choosing to stop looking at Mechums River, as otherwise I’ll be in the voting history rabbit hole for too long, and then I might spend a lot more time looking at who’s giving how much to whom. And marvel at how absolutely insane it is that a local school board race is going to cost about a quarter of a million dollars.

Here’s an idea: each candidate gets $25K to spend on election stuff, and the remaining $200K goes to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, or Meals on Wheels, or PACHEM.

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Crozet Real Estate Conversation with Greg and Jim – October 2023

Altos Research Market Action index for Crozet, Virginia. Slight Seller's Advantage

The Crozet real estate market continues to be interesting, and requires constant study. Greg Slater and I are restarting the Crozet Real Estate Conversation series to help provide some insight into the market, and offer guidance for those considering buying or selling homes.

This is Part 1.

Questions/comments? Please leave them below, or contact us directly:

Quick Crozet real estate numbers*

From 1 January 2023 to 19 October 2023:

  • 233 homes have sold
  • Average price: $642,859
  • Median Price: $560,014
  • Average Days on Market: 27
  • Median Days on Market: 5
  • 132 of those 233 homes sold were resales; 101 were new construction.

Right now in Crozet**

  • There are 67 active listings — 33 are resales; 34 are new construction.
  • There are 95 homes under contract — 70 are new construction; 25 are resales.

* “Crozet” for these conversations = Crozet Elementary + Brownsville Elementary school districts

** “Right now” = ~noon on 19 October 2023

*** All data pulled from the Charlottesville MLS

Questions?

Greg Slater – 434-981-6655

Jim Duncan – 434-242-7140

Thanks to Altos for the market action index image!

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Live Where you Can Walk or Ride to School (and other things)

For a period of time, she rode the bus.

Then we walked to school, and I walked back. That took too long for my work life.

So we walked, and I walked my bike and I rode home.

Then she’d ride on the downtube, and that made more time to hang out together at Crozet Mudhouse.

Then we rode to school, and rode home. Stopping at the Mudhouse at least one direction.

Those mornings and afternoons are some of our best memories together. Sure, when I drove her to school later, that was great, but we still talk about riding to school together.

Riding back from my morning ride this week, I was happily surprised to see so many kids and families riding bikes and walking to Crozet Elementary. (turns out it was national walk to school day — without little kids, I’m out of that loop)

The kids I saw were smiling, and laughing. I’d argue that the ones on bikes were demonstrably happier than those walking, and that might be my particular bias. As I rode through the Square, the slew of bikes caught my eye, so I rode around and took a picture, and wondered, “You’d think you’d see more businesses advocating for bike/ped infrastructure, providing bike racks, and encouraging such things.” (bike infrastructure can increase sales by 49% & “one parking space costs businesses $15,000 – $25,000; a bike rack costs about $150 – $500”)

For those who walked or rode to school for the second or third time — I’d ask that you make that a habit, one that allows for more time, more conversation, more being together, in a way that is better for the community, the earth, fitness, and all the things.

(please?)

If nothing else, convince your kids to start the movement. Block traffic. Do what it takes. 🙂

Walking the dog on our usual route at our usual time today in the midst of all the walk to school hub bub on St. George Ave., I overheard a young boy riding by on a bike say to his mom who was ahead of him and may not have heard “This is the best moment of my life so far.”

From the FB post

I was reminded of a story I wrote on RealCentralVA in 2015

Why do you live (or want to live) where you do?

That’s a question I ask my seller clients – to help me better describe and market their homes – and one I ask my buyer clients – to help them define and understand their triangles.

A friend commented a few weeks ago that he was a bit surprised that we have chosen to stay in the same place for so long. My reasoning is simple – living where we live allows for walk- and bike- ability to almost everywhere in Crozet that we need or want to go.

More importantly, living in a walkable/bikeable location allows for this, which is important (to me):

We rode to elementary school many days out of the school year – quiet time together, teaching her independence, confidence, and that cars aren’t always the answer.

As I noted in 2011:

I ride my bike with my younger daughter frequently. In two days, she will be a second grader.

This morning we recommenced our morning ritual of riding our bikes to the Crozet Mudhouse, a pit stop on the path to Crozet Elementary.

Upon our return home, we stopped for a bit of exploration and she seized the opportunity to cut me to the quick:

“I wish I could stay 7 forever, and you could stay 35. Because today is just perfect.”

With that, she got on her bike and started by herself, a skill she mastered two days ago. And she said,

“Come on Daddy!”

And I followed.

Lesson of the day:

Live life every day. You don’t stay young forever. And these moments must be appreciated.