Category: Crozet

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Independence Day Celebration – 2 July 2022

One of the most fun days of the year in Crozet is upon us, and once again, they need some community help to help pull off what is always an enormously well attended event.

As always, if you can walk or ride a bike to the fireworks, everyone would be happier with less traffic.

From the Crozet Community Association site

(click here to read the whole thing!)

It all starts with the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) parade at 5:00 PM at Crozet Elementary School and goes down Crozet Avenue through downtown Crozet to Claudius Crozet Park.  The Parade Grand Marshal is TBA.  .

If you would like to be a part of the 2022 Crozet Firemen’s parade, please submit your entry to be in the parade  to ensure you are included in the lineup. Lineup will be based on a first come basis. Horses/livestock will be placed near or at the end of the parade. Lineup will begin at 4:00 P.M. at Crozet Elementary School and the parade ends at Claudius Crozet Park.

The celebration begins at Claudius Crozet Park after the parade.    Bring a lawn chair if you want to be comfortable as you listen to the local band, Jacabone.   Traditional American Fourth of July fare will be available, including hot dogs,  hamburgers, chicken, kettle korn, funnel cake, BBQ, and sno-cones, as well as vegetarian and vegan choices, tacos, and other favorites! Local beer and Bold Rock Cider will also be available for a separate cost.  Event culminates at 9:30 PM with a stupendous fireworks show. (We have it at 9:30 PM so it’s late enough to be dark, but not too late to for the youngsters to view the show.)

There are no pets allowed in the event

Designated smoking areas are provided and we ask that you only smoke in those areas.  If you live nearby Crozet Park, we encourage you to walk!

How much would you pay for such good times?  All that’s asked is a donation of $5 per person (and  children 9 years and under are free) as you enter the festivities (parking is free).  The non-profit civic groups in Crozet are the ones that benefit from any money raised above the cost of the event, so please be generous.  Most years, we’ve donated over $7,000 to CVFD, WARS, Crozet Park, and other civic groups.

Check out our Facebook page at: http://facebook.com/Crozet.Independence.Day.Celebration

…

The event is sponsored by the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, Crozet Community Association, Claudius Crozet Park, Crozet Lions Club,  Life Journey Church, Crozet Board of Trade, and several other area churches, and citizen volunteers.

Making a Contribution

These events involve a lot of donated time from a lot of individuals, but they can’t happen without financial contributions, too. We want everyone to enjoy our small-town event, so we only ask for donations at the entrance – A donation of $5 per person (and  children 9 and under are free) as you enter the festivities (parking is free).   Of course, we appreciate all donations, but to boost our efforts to cover expenses, we have three leadership donor levels and we are hoping that you will show your support by becoming a lead patron this year.

  • For a gift of $500 or more, we will prominently display your company banner you provide at the entrance to the park during the event, identify your patron status in the Crozet Gazette and event handbill and provide you with ten passes to the celebration in the park.
  • For a gift of $250 to $499, you will receive acknowledgment in the Crozet Gazette and event handbill and four passes to the celebration in the park.
  • And, for a gift of $100 to $249 you will receive two passes to the celebration in the park, published thanks in the Crozet Gazette and the event handbill.

July 2nd  will be here before you know it.  Won’t you join us by contributing whatever you can afford?  If being a lead patron is too much this year, please send whatever you can afford.   Your contribution is tax-deductible charitable donation. Last year, thanks to generous donations, we donated over $7,000 to multiple local charities- including the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, Crozet Trails Crew, and Claudius Crozet Park.  Thank you!

Please make your donation by Monday, June 27 in order to be listed on the event  handbill. 

  1. You can mail a check payable to: Crozet Board of Trade and send it to: CBT, P.O. Box 261, Crozet, VA 22932.  Please put  “CIDC donation” on the memo line.
  2. You can contribute right now, online, by clicking on this link:  
  3. Please put “CIDC donation” in the Designation box.
  4. Thank you for your generous support!

It takes a village – won’t you help out on Saturday, July 3 for an hour?

We need your help for just an hour or two on Saturday, July 2.  Below is the website to sign-up to help with the Crozet Independence Day Celebration (CIDC)  Saturday, July 2, between 5PM to 10PM (or Sunday morning to pick up the park).  There are a variety of tasks and time slots. Most of the time slots are only an hour – so there’s lots of ways to help and still enjoy the event.

To volunteer for an hour, please click here.

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Maybe Progress on Barnes Lumber project?

via the excellent Charlottesville Community Engagement.

Albemarle Supervisors talk $2.5 million in funding for Crozet project, $4.4M in affordable housing projects 

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors meets at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium but there is also a hybrid option. (agenda)

The first item deals with a key component for the future of Crozet. Albemarle County entered into a public-private partnership with an entity known as Crozet New Town Associates to inject new life into a plan to redevelop the former Barnes Lumber site. Part of the plan is to create a road network and public space on which to build new town space. The cost of doing so has increased and now $2.5 million more in public money is suggested.

“The proposed addendum enables the County to complete the road network, whereas the developer will provide additional contributions to include paying for water and sewer utility installation, building a public restroom in a development adjacent to the public plaza, providing seed money to fund an Executive Director for the Downtown Crozet Initiative (a community development organization supporting the project), donating Right of Way (land) in the amount of approximately $300,000, and covering expenses exceeding the new project budget,” reads the staff report. 

One million of the funding would come from the American Rescue Plan Act and $1.5 million would come from the county’s Economic Development Investment Pool.

As fun history, these are a few photos from June 2012 when the lumberyard was sold at auction.

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Albemarle Budget Town Hall 28 March 2022

Sugar Hollow

From the Daily Progress:

According to county officials, the following meetings are scheduled:

Monday, March 28 at 7 p.m.. Hosted by Supervisor Ann Mallek, White Hall District and held at Brownsville Elementary School Cafeteria.

Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m.. Hosted by Supervisor Ann Mallek, White Hall District and held at Broadus Wood Elementary School Cafeteria.

Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m.. Hosted by Supervisor Donna Price, Scottsville District, it will be held at location yet to be announced.

Saturday, April 16 at 10 a.m.. Hosted by Supervisor Ann Mallek, White Hall District, and held at the White Hall Community Building.

Meeting information is here.

And I just got this email — the () indicate where I removed personal/HOA information

We will be asking for the BOS to vote NO to new re-zoning requests in Crozet that threaten the environment, covering up important streams, overcrowd our small roads, and adversely impact our community.

WE NEED (NUMBERS) at the meeting TONIGHT!!!!

_____

Hello Neighbors!

I am sending the following notice on behalf of (), the president of our () Homeowners Association. She is urging all to attend a Town Hall meeting THIS EVENING at Brownsville Elementary School. Here’s what she says:

“We received a letter yesterday from Ann Mallek, our representative on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, inviting our neighbors to attend Mallek’s Town Hall meeting tonight in the Cafeteria at Brownsville Elementary School, beginning at 7:00pm.

It is absolutely critical that we show up, in person, to ask the Board of Supervisors to VOTE “NO” for the rezoning of the GREEN SPACE around Crozet.  The proposed high-density Montclair development will adversely impact the Western Ridge neighborhood and surrounding communities. Please see details below.

I am asking our neighbors to meet at 6:30pm tonight at the (), where we can answer your questions about the Montclair neighborhood proposed ()We will go from there to Brownsville to attend the TOWN HALL meeting.

Related reading …

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Misty Mountain Seeking to Expand

From Sean Tubbs’ excellent Charlottesville Community Engagement

Misty Mountain Resort seeking permission for expansion 

A community meeting will be held at 5 p.m. for a special use permit for the expansion of the Misty Mountain Camp Resort on U.S. 250 west of Crozet. The camp currently has 16 cabins and 104 camp sites and is allowed to hold an annual music festival. (meeting info)

“Outdoor recreation is now more important than ever, and therefore it is the intent of this special use permit to expand the capacities of the Misty Mountain Camp Report,” reads the narrative for the request to formally allow the 16 cabins and to allow 68 more campsites. The current special use permit only allows ten cabins. 

Interesting comment from the accompanying Charlottesville Reddit post:

I think this was discovered by a relatively new owner. The original permit was from 1994 or so. This property last sold in April 2021 for $4.5 million and I suspect the new owner realized they needed to become compliant. There are a total of four special use permits on the property, two of which relate to a music festival that’s allowed once a year.

For those who aren’t aware, Misty Mountain Camp Resort is a bit west of the 64 interchange just off of 250.

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March 2022 Transportation CCAC Meeting Roundup

That was an interesting meeting, and like most such meetings, one that people will look back on in three years and say, “I remember that’s when learned about X.”

X could be that they don’t seem to have the rights of way for the Eastern Avenue extension to 250, or that they still don’t have plans for sidewalks on Tabor and High, but are underway on the sidewalks from Cory Farm to Harris Teeter on 250, or that Oak Street from the Square is going to be completely revamped.

A few highlights that I’m pulling from the google doc at the bottom

  • Joe Fore (CCAC) asks about the Rt 240 (Three Notch’) Shared-use Path – Park Ridge Dr to Music Today; that was broken into 2 segments
  • “Much smaller” pot of funding is federal, not state, for “transportation alternatives” – under $1M, requires 20% local match. You know, walking and riding bikes. 
  • Project updates – skip to the bottom to read the discussion and questions about these
    • Eastern Ave South Extension – project was submitted last year; we find out in April if the state will fund it. ~$25M to do it (wonder what it would have been 15 – 20 years ago)
    • 240/250 Roundabout – going to advertise this year, construction to begin by the end of 2022
    • Old Trail/WAHS/250 Roundabout – worst performing intersection in Crozet – will be submitted as a Smart Scale project in this round. My thought: if they aren’t planning to put bikes and pedestrians first, they’re wrong.
    • US 250 Sidewalks
  • Crozet Connect update
  • Pandemic caused ridership to slump

Last night’s CCAC meeting represented two firsts for me: One – this was my first meeting as a CCAC member rather than observer, and two – the first that I’ve tried taking live notes in a google doc instead of live-tweeting. I’m inclined to go back to tweeting as the google doc does not perform as well as Twitter for inserting screenshots of slide decks (would be super-helpful if we’d get the slide decks before the meeting)

Part of the slide decks

Continue reading “March 2022 Transportation CCAC Meeting Roundup”
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Old Dominion Village Rezoning – 15 February 2022

One day, the County, VDOT, developers might see the value in adding better pedestrian and bike connectivity when proposing new housing. One day.

It’s a ~20 minute walk to Crozet Mudhouse. A 6 minute bike ride. 7 minute walk to Starr Hill.

This is the August 2020 CCAC meeting in which this development was discussed.

via the excellent Charlottesville Community Engagement

Subscribe here (I recommend paying for a subscription)

(bolding is mine)

Albemarle PC to review 110-unit Old Dominion Village in Crozet

Crozet is one of Albemarle’s designated growth areas. Last year, the Crozet Master Plan was updated with a new land use designation of Middle Density Residential which allows between six to 12 units per acre with high provisions if below-market housing is to be part of the development.

The Albemarle Planning Commission will have a public hearing tonight for a rezoning on 23.68 acres on the north side of Route 240 across from the Acme Visible Records site. Part of the land for the Old Dominion Village development contains this new category, and some parts at the less intense Neighborhood Density Residential. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. (meeting info)

The developer seeks a rezoning to the Neighborhood Model District for a project that would be built around an existing veterinary clinic. 

“After practicing for 40 years, the parcel owner, Dr Martin Schulman leases the hospital building to the Old Dominion Animal Hospital – Crozet, a sister hospital to Old Dominion Animal Hospital on Preston Avenue in Charlottesville also in operation since 1982,” reads the narrative for the application. “Dr. Schulman has decided that combining the two parcels and developing them into a mixed – use neighborhood while keeping the veterinary care center as a commercial component would be beneficial to the Crozet Community.”  

The developer has stated 20 of the units will be built under the county’s affordability guidelines. They’ll also contribute $283,000 in cash proffers “to help mitigate impacts of the development on schools and transportation.” 

Also from Sean’s Week Ahead – smaller lots in Old Trail?


The developer of Old Trail in Crozet seeks a reduction in the minimum lot size from 8,000 square feet to 4,000 square feet in order to build smaller units that might have lower prices. (staff report)

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Goodbye, St. George Mural

removed street art

What a damn shame.

More to come, but I saw during my morning bike ride that the street art on St. George Avenue has been removed/destroyed.

From the December Crozet Gazette

(bolding mine)

“VDOT does not have a policy in place to address murals and other art within the travel way on state-maintained roads,” read the statement. “We do not endorse the placement of art like what is in place in Crozet, but we will not use state resources to remove it at this time. However, in a situation where roadway art presents a safety hazard, such as creating a distraction for drivers or if it interferes with traffic control markings, it will be removed. When the road is repaved, VDOT will not replace the artwork.”

St. George neighbors were briefly jubilant until VDOT subsequently reversed course. In a second set of comments to the Gazette, Hatter said the street mural had been reclassified as a safety hazard after VDOT fielded complaints from local residents. “We have received some additional feedback from community members regarding the St. George Avenue street mural, and have heard that it’s a distraction for drivers going through the intersection,” he said. “We’ve also heard that children are attracted to the area and have been playing around it, which means it’s hazardous at this point. So, because of this new information, we have to treat the mural as a safety hazard and will be removing it next week.”

I prefer to remember the street art this way
I prefer to remember the street art this way
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Looking at Crozet’s 2022 Real Estate Market

2021 may go in the books as one of the most expensive and fastest-moving markets in history. I wrote a bit about my thoughts on 2022:

Much the same as 2021. The pandemic will continue, inventory will be tight, and there will be a lot of competition for a lot of houses, and less for others. Similar story, different year.

  • Pandemic 
    • Inflation, supply chain, labor, economy, etc. etc. etc. 
  • Interest Rates (see below)
  • Inventory
  • More buyers in the Charlottesville – Albemarle market are going to give up and either continue renting, or move away.
  • Inventory
  • Climate change is going to affect *everything* including what we pay for homeowners insurance.
  • New construction costs
  • Inventory

Have a question? Looking for representation? I’m here. (disclosure that I’m sure you figured out: I’m a Realtor)

What do the numbers below mean?

Defining “Crozet” as “Brownsville + Crozet Elementary School districts”

  • 434 homes sold in Crozet in 2021
    • 172 were new construction; all but one of these were an acre or less
    • 262 resale homes sold; average days on market was 30, and the median days on market was 6.
  • Average price for all homes sold was $527K and the median price was $468K
    • Average price for new construction was $558K and the median was $520K.
  • 287 single family homes sold and 146 attached homes sold
  • Of the 434 homes sold, 381 were on a acre or less. 354 were on half an acre or less

Did you know?

“… Crozet had a population increase of 65.75% in the last 10 years, from about 5,565 in 2010 to approximately 9,224 in 2020, according to census data.“

And some not-specifically-related to real estate, but really about real estate thoughts and Crozet:

We need to bring business to Crozet, and do whatever we can to lure/cajole/entice businesses to move to Crozet and provide jobs so that Crozetians don’t have to commute to Charlottesville or elsewhere; this will be better for the Crozet and Albemarle economies, good for community by keeping people here, and if we can manage to build houses, we should be able to build supporting non-auto-centric infrastructure so that people are able to move from one place to another without having to get into a car.

Bike and pedestrian infrastructure is good for community, climate, health and wellness, and the economy. We need a vision that looks beyond the next few months and years, and envisions what we can be in 25 to 50 years.

Yes, we are getting some roundabouts, a bigger Crozet Elementary, and piecemeal sidewalks interspersed here and there. But we need to do better, and I’m pretty sure that we can.

Questions?

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Storage Facility Coming to 240/250

Future Crozet Storage Facility location

This will certainly change the dynamic of the intersection that used to be Gateway Gas, Rocket Coffee, Sabor Latino.

From Charlottesville Community Engagement (you should consider paying for a subscription; it’s invaluable)

ARB to review three-story Crozet Self Storage facility 

The Albemarle Architectural Review Board meets for the final time of 2021 with two items. They begin the virtual meeting at 1 p.m. (meeting info)

In the first, they’ll review an updated proposal from Yousef LC / Merchants Retail Partners LLC to construct a three-story, 90,000 square foot self-storage building at the intersection of U.S. 250 and Route 240. The property is zoned for Highway Commercial but is within the Entrance Corridor overlay. The ARB last saw the plans in September. Staff wants further changes.

“Revise the architectural design with a combination of reduced footprint, reduced height, substantial breaks in the building form, and substantial changes in depth for recesses and projections along the walls to reduce the mass and scale of the building,” reads a portion of the staff report. “Revise the architectural design to eliminate blankness on all sides of the building.” 

In the second item, the ARB will review renovations to a former Goodwill building on U.S. 29 that is being repurposed as an auto-body shop. (staff report)