Category: Growth

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Yancey Business Park folded into the Master Plan

Find out more at Charlottesville Tomorrow –

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has overturned a decision by the Planning Commission to end consideration of a proposal to create a new industrial park in Crozet on largely rural land just outside the designated growth area. The 184-acre Yancey Mills Business Park will now be considered as part of the mandated review of the Crozet Master Plan scheduled to take place next year.

And December 9 at the Crozet Firehouse, talk to the Yanceys about their plans. Please attend; this has the potential to greatly impact our community – whether you’re for or against it, participate in the conversation.

Yancey Mills Business Park in Crozet

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Gas Station Coming to 250 in Crozet

Huge Gas Station coming to Crozet

In response to John-N’s comment –

What about the imminent approval of a mega gas/diesel fuel station in the Brownsville-Yancey Mills area and its potential impacts on the western Albemarle community on Free State Lane? Some reports say it would be the largest of its type in Albemarle County! Marketing to I-64, perhaps open 24/7. Dramatically increased frequency of turn-arounds at that point on Rt.250 by vehicles coming from and returning to the interstate. It promises to be a safety issue in that neighborhood and also for the nearby school traffic. IMMINENT approval possible due to grandfathered zoning. What about the right — apparently NOT grandfathered in Albemarle County — to quality-of-life on Free State Lane? What about school traffic safety? Lots of questions. VERY LITTLE time — literally days — to seek public input or compromises. —- This should be no less a concern than the POLITICAL (i.e. Crozet Master Plan) issues of the Yancey proposal.

Basically, this (bolding mine) –

Request for preliminary site plan approval to construct a 7,000 square foot, two (2) story commercial building with eight (8) gas pumps and associated parking 4.06 acres. The property is zoned HC (Highway Commercial) and is described as Tax Map 55B, Parcel 1. The site is located on the south side of Rockfish Gap Turnpike (SR250), approximately 0.78 miles west of its intersection with Miller School Road/Crozet Avenue (SR240). This site is located in the White Hall Magisterial District and is recommended for Rural Area uses in Rural Area 3 by the Comprehensive Plan.

Is possible due to by-right, existing zoning. This is a story in progress; I had heard about this project but hadn’t had the time to research/write about it. I’m going to try to update this as the day progresses, but I understand that there is a meeting on Monday at Albemarle County about this. If anyone out there wants to make some phone calls/emails and update via the comments, please do so.

By the way, if you haven’t used Albemarle County’s online GIS program, you’re missing out on one of the best things local government has ever done.

Update 14 November: I heard back from Albemarle County today – for readability’s sake I’m not quoting out the following email I received from Bill Fritz, Chief of Current Development at Albemarle County. I am greatly appreciate for their remarkable response. Bolding, however, is mine.

The next deadline for the Re-Store’n Station site plan is Monday November 17. If the applicant wants to stay on the published review schedule Monday is the deadline for the applicant to submit a revised site plan addressing the comments of the Site Review Committee. If a revised plan is not submitted, review of the project will be suspended until such time as revisions are submitted. Monday is also the deadline for the site plan to be appealed to the Planning Commission for review. An appeal may be filed only by: the owner, an abutting property owner, member of the Planning Commission, member of the Board of Supervisors, the zoning administrator, the county executive, or the agent. An appeal must be in writing and state the reasons for review.

If revisions are made and the application is appealed this item will be scheduled for Planning Commission review on Tuesday December 9. If the item is not appealed staff will administratively take action to either approve or deny the plan by Thursday December 11. This project is a ministerial project meaning that if the plan does not meet the requirements of the ordinance it will be denied and if the plan does meet the requirements of the ordinance it will be approved. .

The site plan review process is a two step process. What is currently under review is the preliminary site plan. If the preliminary plan is approved it will be subject to conditions that must be met prior to the final site plan being approved. No development may occur until the final site plan is approved. Typical conditions include such things as: Architectural Review Board approval, approval of an erosion and sediment control plan, approval of entrance details by VDOT, approval of water plans, approval by Health Department, approval of landscape and lighting plan. Other conditions are possible and this list is only intended to give an example of the types of conditions commonly applied to preliminary approvals.

I hope that this information is helpful. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact either myself or Summer Frederick who is the planner coordinating the review of this application.

William D. Fritz, AICP
Chief of Current Development
434-296-5832 ext. 3242

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No Business Park in Crozet – Yet

Courtesy of Charlottesville Tomorrow – I recommend reading the entire post on what could have been (and may yet still) be a new business park in Crozet.

My primary question –

– What types of businesses and industries would they like to bring in? If they’re talking about seeking out high-value, low impact jobs – bio-tech, manufacturing, etc. wouldn’t that represent a possible net gain for Crozet?

On November 11, 2008, the Albemarle County Planning Commission held a work session on the proposed Yancey Mills Business Park in Crozet. The Commission came close to recommending that the development be reviewed as part of the upcoming Crozet Master Plan update, however, the discussion concluded with a 6-1 vote to end all further consideration of the matter. Linda Porterfield (Scottsville) was the only Commissioner who supported further study.

In an interview with Charlottesville Tomorrow the day after the decision, Will Yancey described what he had hoped to accomplish at the meeting.

…

Charlottesville Tomorrow asked Will Yancey where he thought the family would go next with their business park proposal.

“The Yancey family is going to spend the next couple of weeks speaking with our advisors and the community. We will reach out to the Crozet community and try to reassure them that have been in the area for a long time, well over a hundred years, and we intend on keeping our word and to do what we say. The notion that we want to put in a shopping mall with a Stuckeys and a Cracker Barrel there is not what we have in mind at all. We will make a determination if we should go forward and bring this to the Board of Supervisors.”

Yancey Business Park in Crozet denied

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Pulled From the Comments – Thoughs on the Crozet Master Plan and Reporting the News

In this comment, Craig covers a lot of ground – reporting of the news and the necessary relationships for said reporting, growth in Crozet and Albemarle, local economics – it is this sort of comment that helps to make writing this blog worthwhile.

Each morning, a young, green reporter at Daily Progress appears to field a call from county officials on what the “local news” should read for that day. Only a child-like mind would read the DP’s local coverage as news – or ridiculously self-interested preening for the “master plan” from Crozet Gazette’s editor, for that matter.

Right now, the local news – according to our county officials – reads that they are short the money needed to pay for the wonderful growth infrastructure contained in wildly popular urban plans. The DP – and county officials – are prepping residents for “tough decisions”, decisions the board passed on when the passed trendy development plans and hungrily consumed 30 percent increases in assessments.

I would look at recent election results, rather than the Daily Progress, for a more accurate sense of where the community stands. We just had two elections in which residents made their feelings on the rezonings in a “master plan” known. Sadly, after these elections, both Democrat and Republican supervisors for Crozet immediately passed two of the largest rezonings in the county, claiming the master plan is a popular rezoning guide.

Sure, you can find a few local residents who are wetting their pants with excitement for the high density development in the master plan or claiming they are proud of their role in it. But the vast majority of residents don’t want to pay for it (tax increase are probably coming), shift students, or commute 12 miles to densities that are 3 times as dense as the 3/acre densities of the Biscuit Run development in Charlottesville. The “master plan” is detested.

The School Board is reacting to policies that they did not create. If supervisors of both parties want to send thousands of people into Western Albemarle (both parties are passionate about it), then the school board will need to shift students from Crozet, almost annually. Students have to be placed somewhere.

Residents should expect students shifts from here on out. The Board could add on to existing schools, but I would rather keep our schools small. Smaller schools, which may no longer be possible in Crozet, are more effective socially and academically. The student shifts are not the school board’s doing, but it has become their problem.

The Board of Supervisors will also have to raise revenues to pay for the infrastructure to feed future growth caused by urbanization programs. However, they created this problem, and the excuses can be read as “local news” in the Daily Progress (concurrent calls for lower taxes and more spending on growth infrastructure can be in the Crozet Gazette).

I believe the increase of news on the internet – blogs like this one – has a function. Even though I don’t always agree with Jim, he does a great job of letting a wider array of opinions see the light.

What do you mean, you don’t always agree with me? 🙂 In all sincerity, thank you Craig for reading and posting such a thoughtful comment.

Update 22 October 2008: I thought it warranted putting my own comment here in the main story –

In defense of Mike Marshall who is the Crozet Gazette – He has done a remarkable thing for Crozet – not just by publishing the one and only monthly newspaper, but he’s involved – in far more things than most people could possibly find the time to do.

Not to put words in his mouth, but I sincerely believe that he supports the Master Plan for at least two reasons (and likely more) – 1) He’s invested in the plan 2) He’s invested in and cares for Crozet.

Shoot, how many people would start a newspaper – in this day and age – from scratch – if they didn’t care for the community?

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Crozet Master Plan up for Review

From Charlottesville Tomorrow:

The Crozet Master Plan, the County’s first for one of its designated growth areas, was approved in 2004. Master Plans are expected to be reviewed every five years. Albemarle County Senior Planner, Elaine Echols described the goal of the review which will take place initially behind the scenes and then be in front of the public in a significant way after July 1, 2009.

“This is not a complete overhaul of the Crozet Master Plan,” said Echols. “The plan is basically good. There are some tweaks that are needed. There have been some specific areas of concern to the community as well as to the staff, and these issues are going to be resolved through the update.”

County staff outlined how they plan to work co-operatively with the Crozet Community Advisory Council (CCAC) which is setting up several subcommittees to keep the review on track between now and mid-2009. County Community Relations Manager, Lee Catlin, described the work as a “very vigorous public involvement effort.”

Download the Crozet Master Plan staff report here. (pdf)

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Here is the BIG Announcement – ACAC Coming to Old Trail

Mostly from the press release …

Opening in Spring 2009, ACAC will occupy approximately 8500 square feet of the new commercial center.

ACAC is a regional owner and operator of fitness and wellness centers, with facilities in Richmond, Charlottesville, and West Chester, PA. The new Old Trail ACAC will be its sixth location. At the new Crozet facility, ACAC will offer many of its popular services to members in Old Trail Village and the surrounding area. The new location will feature cardiovascular and strength equipment, group exercise, and child care. (ed note: bolding mine)

Old Trail Village Center, a mixed-use development at the heart Old Trail Village will feature a wide variety of businesses that improve the vitality of Old Trail and the surrounding Crozet community. The tenant mix will include eateries, medical service providers, insurance and mortgage brokerages, a Segway outlet, and the new ACAC fitness and wellness facility. Apartments varying in style from loft to townhome designs are also available in the Village Center, providing modern convenience at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The unique combination of retail, office space, and apartments creates a close-knit, friendly community in the heart of Old Trail Village.

Justin Beights, Vice President of Beights Development Corporation, said of the ACAC lease-signing, “I am excited about this partnership with ACAC as both a developer, a resident of Old Trail Village, and as a current member of ACAC. Now my family and I will have a high quality wellness center only steps from our front door.” With the addition of the large community pool currently under construction, Old Trail Village will soon feature the most complete package of neighborhood amenities in the region.

Is Crozet big enough for two gyms? We have 24-Hour Fitness in the Clover Lawn Shops and now ACAC. Don’t say we’re not an active community!

*Sorry for the delay in posting this … with respect to my sources, I have to abide by their wishes. Also, this rumor has been circulating for months, if not years and I didn’t want to jump the gun only to have the rumor prove to be just that.

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Cigars, Beer and Coffee in Old Trail

I don’t intend this site to become an Old Trail News Site, but they seem to be having many of the announcements of late – a lot of exciting things* are happening there right now, and all of Crozet benefits. Take for instance, Trailside Coffee’s survey –

1. How many cups of coffee do you drink daily or weekly?

2. What is your preferred beverage?

3. Where do you currently get your coffee? (home, office, coffeehouse…%)

4. Would you be interested in joining community events held at coffee house (ie bookclub, talkgroups, garden clubs?)

5. What type of food would you like us to serve?

6. What Hours and days would you like us to be open?

….

Many more questions giving hints about how they intend the shop to grow … Send responses to Marcia.

———-

Old Trail Cigar and Tasting Event –

Seriously – Awesome beer from Blue Mountain Brewery and cigars?

Each guest will enjoy:

– Sampler pack of cigars from Miami Cigar Co. and CVille Smoke Shop, valued at $59 (retail);
– Fresh-Rolled cigar crafted on-site;
– Unlimited tastings of Blue Mountain Brewery beers and ales;
– Dinner menu paired with and created for the beers and ales offered for tasting;
– Coupon for a round of golf, compliments of Old Trail Golf (valued at $59); and
– Assorted gifts from event sponsors.

*Neither of these is the “big announcement.”

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No Business Park in Crozet … Yet

The venerable Charlottesville Tomorrow; has the full story-

It is this land, which borders Interstate 64 and Western Albemarle High School, on which Yancey is proposing that the County allow his family to develop a new light industrial business park.

…

Yancey presented his preliminary proposal to the Planning Commission during the work session’s public comment period. He acknowledged that he is asking for something that is outside of the ordinary for the County. “Approval of our application will take some unorthodox, outside of the box thinking, quite literally,” Yancey said. After showing the property’s proximity to I-64 and water/sewer lines, he ended his remarks by telling the Commission his family has been in the County since 1765.

…

However, at least four members of the Planning Commission expressed their opposition to expanding the growth area at this time. Throughout the work session, Commissioner Eric Strucko (Samuel Miller) asked Stimart tough questions to determine if there really is a shortage. He dismissed any consideration of expanding the development area until existing land there is exhausted.

“Mr. Yancey’s proposal just goes against my principle about encouraging that kind of activity [outside] the development area,” Strucko said. “What that would do is extend the Crozet development area south of 250 and that wasn’t envisioned by the community during the master planning process, and I think it’s counter to County policy.”

…

Commissioner Tom Loach (White Hall), whose district contains Yancey’s land, said growth area residents should determine for themselves what land uses are appropriate. As such, he said Yancey’s proposal should only be considered as part of the Crozet Master Plan update scheduled for next year. Loach was opposed to option 2, which he said went against the free market, and agreed with comments made by Crozet Gazette publisher Mike Marshall that there are several sites in the Crozet growth area that could be redeveloped.

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Another New Restaurant in Crozet/Old Trail

Once Harris Teeter opens, the reasons for going to Charlottesville will diminish even further. Coffee shop, bagel place, grocery store, gym, banks … if we could just get bike lanes ….

Derrico’s New York Bagels and Italian Ices is the seventh business to join the Old Trail Village Center group. Created by Brian Derrico, a lifetime Albemarle resident with New York family roots, Derrico’s will offer a full menu of bagels, bagel sandwiches and snacks as well as over thirty flavors of Italian Ices. Although the Village Center is slated to open in January, college football fans won’t have to wait that long to sample the fat and cholesterol-free Italian ices. Brian Derrico will operate an ice cart at Scott Stadium in the UVa “Fan Fest” area beginning with the opening game on Saturday, August 30th.
Using dough produced by New York City’s top bagel maker, Derrico’s will bake bagels fresh each day. Serving exclusively Boar’s Head brand deli meats, Derrico’s will offer eggs all day and regular sandwich specials for lunches. The various flavors of Italian ices, from mango to banana split, will be made in custom-built machines right in the shop.

About the new eatery, Brian Derrico states, “This is really a family venture; my mother, an Albemarle native, will be in there helping out along with other family members. One day, when they’re old enough, my kids will be in there, too, helping out after school.”

In addition to Derrico’s, the Village Center is home to Trailside Coffee, Face Value Salon and Studio, Seg-Ville, Access Home Mortgage, and the second location of Anna’s Ristorante Italiano and Pizza. Like several other businesses choosing the Old Trail Village Center, Brian Derrico and his family are Old Trail Village residents. Says Justin Beights, developer, “We are thrilled that the concept of ‘live, work, play’ in the same neighborhood truly is becoming reality for the neighbors here at Old Trail Village. Most of our new business tenants are residents or close neighbors of the community. ”

*The above is courtesy of a press release.

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More information about Crozet’s zoning

Read more at Charlottesville Tomorrow.

“The intent is to implement what the Crozet Master Plan has called for in Downtown, as well as to promote the economic and social vitality,” Cilimberg said. “We hope that it can lead to in-fill and redevelopment opportunities being realized… and also be unique to what the character of Crozet is.”

This qualifies as a “good thing” in my book.