Category: Politics

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Crozet – Steve Landes wants your Opinion

Steve Landes is our Delegate, so I figured you might be interested in his “Legislative Newsletter.”

While you’re looking, take a look at where his money comes from (courtesy of VPAP) and what bills he’s sponsoring and how he votes.

INTRODUCTION

Happy New Year! Out with the old and in with the new. My legislative aide, Judy Wyatt, and I are looking forward to the 2010 Virginia General Assembly Session which begins January 13th in Richmond. The budget will be the hottest topic but we are hoping that under the leadership of Governor-elect Bob McDonnell that Virginia will fare better than most states across the nation.

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

In preparation for the upcoming 2010 Virginia General Assembly Session, I have scheduled three town hall meetings this week. The first town meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 5, 2010, from 6:30 -8:00 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room at the Augusta County Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane, in Verona.

The second town meeting will be on Saturday, January 9, 2010, from 9:00 -10:30 a.m. at the Elkton Area Community Center, 20593 Blue & Gold Drive, in Elkton.


The third and last town meeting will be January 9, 2010, from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Crozet Public Library, 5791 Three Notched Road, in Crozet.

Please attend one of these meetings to express your opinions and give your suggestions to me as I prepare to represent you in Richmond during the 2010 session. I appreciate knowing what my constituents feel important as I prepare to vote on your behalf on issues of importance to all of us.

Continue reading “Crozet – Steve Landes wants your Opinion”

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Crozet Library – Some Numbers on Why It’s Needed

The Crozet Library has been delayed. Again.

This comment on cvillenews last week spurred me to ask a question about the Crozet Library’s traffic and circulation numbers. I remembered some data about circulation being high in Crozet, but could not remember (nor find) the exact numbers … I have bolded what I was looking for … John Halliday was kind enough to respond in detail.

That’s all we need is a new library in crozet. Can you imagine what a new library will do to the population of crozet. Lets move to crozet, they just got a new library. Population explosion in crozet all over again. BOS are finally getting it right, at least on this one.

I suspect no one has or will move to Crozet because of the library, but having a good library, as we do now, is a component of a community with a high quality of life. One that values knowledge, literature, community and the sharing of all three. Having a new, more adequately-sized library is a promise that the County of Albemarle made to its citizens and is a promise that they should keep.

Tim Tolson asked me to respond to your questions about the need for additional space at Crozet Library. Here (below) is some information you may find helpful. If you need any more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The current Crozet Library is 1,728 square feet. That is smaller than most private homes in Albemarle County. For many years the minimum square footage standard for public libraries, set by the State Library Board of Virginia, has been 4,500 square feet. Last January, the State Library Board adopted a new standard of “.6 SF with .8 desired” for public libraries serving populations up to 25,000. Many years ago, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, through the CIP process, adopted .7 SF as Albemarle’s goal. Based on those standards, if Crozet’s service area population (that is, the population within 6 miles of the library) reaches 25,000, the public library should be in the square foot range of 15,000 SF – 20,000 SF.

A rule of thumb in public library development is that when a building’s circulation of library materials (checkouts) reaches 25 per square foot per year, the library should plan for expansion. Here’s how JMRL’s annual circulation per square footage compared as of July 2009: Central Library, 11; Gordon Avenue Library, 25; Scottsville Library, 17; Greene County Library, 13; Louisa County Library 7; Nelson County Library, 17. The two Albemarle libraries that have been discussed for possible expansion are as follows: Northside Library (Albemarle Square), 34; Crozet Library, 76.

Crozet Library makes very efficient use of its limited space, but it is clearly overcrowded compared to other JMRL libraries and it is, in fact, substandard based on Virginia’s state standards. By the way, the SF standard in many other states is 1.0 SF per capita. So, Virginia’s standards are modest.

Crozet Library is the 4th most heavily used library in JMRL’s 8-library system. It is less than half the size of our 8th busiest branch. To give you an idea of how busy the library is, in the past year an average of over 5,500 residents visited the library each month. About 500 people each month visit Crozet Library to use its Internet computers. During a typical summer month over 1,000 children attend library programs.

Hopefully, that gives you a snapshot of Crozet Library’s current situation. Again, please let me know if you need more information.

John Halliday, Library Director
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
201 East Market Street, Charlottesville Virginia 22902

Mike Marshall at the Crozet Gazette noted last month:

County leaders have notified the Crozet Library Steering Committee that they will recommend to supervisors that the project be pushed back yet again (it was originally slated to open in 2011) and not be considered for funding before 2015. This is ridiculous. Anyone who has been into Crozet Library, especially for one of their popular events, knows the old depot building cannot serve western Albemarle’s burgeoning population for another five or more years. The County should take advantage of currently depressed construction costs by either borrowing money, getting a slice of the $787 billion the federals are looking to spend on “shovel ready” projects, or by suspending the County’s annual tribute payment to Charlottesville—the so-called “revenue sharing agreement” in which only the County does the sharing—a sum which next year will run about $18 million. The library’s architects say that if the project is put out to bid by the end of this year it will cost about $6.37 million. If it goes to bid in the spring of 2010 they predict the cost will be at least $7.19 million. If it goes to bid in 2015, who can imagine. It will never be cheaper than now.

Cross-posted at RealCentralVA.

Read about the Crozet Library’s Future and Vision.

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Trying to maintain 250 as a scenic byway

From part four of Charlottesville Tomorrow’s excellent series on traffic –

Scenic 250 formed as a grassroots organization in 1997 to protect the rural character of the highway. According to steering committee member Scott Peyton, it was a coincidence that the Virginia Department of Transportation launched a pivotal study of 250 that same year.

“It was a watershed moment,” Peyton said. “We had been previously unaware of VDOT’s plans to widen the road.”

VDOT’s final report in January 2000 recommended the widening of 250 west to four lanes between the US 29/250 Bypass near the Bellair neighborhood all the way to the railroad trestle crossing the Mechums River.

Scenic 250 vigorously opposed the road’s widening, a recommendation that VDOT made over the objections of the citizen committee participating in the study. The public argued that it made no sense to widen 250 when it ran parallel to the existing I-64.

With the strong support of Supervisor Sally H. Thomas, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in May 2000 that committed the county to protecting the road as a two-lane scenic corridor all the way west to the county line. VDOT conceded that 250 was used largely for local traffic, and if residents wanted to deal with the congestion, that could be a local choice.

Since 2001, the traffic on 250 west has increased on all the sections measured annually by VDOT. Near Yancey Mills and Old Trail, traffic is up by 28 percent as of 2008. However, the section from Miller School Road to the Mechums River is up 48 percent over the same period, and from there to Ivy it has increased 41 percent.

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Jarmans Gap Improvement Cut?

From Charlottesville Tomorrow:

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will vote this week on ways to deal with a $851.5 shortfall in VDOT’s Six-Year Plan. Among the cuts is nearly $7 million for Jarmans Gap Road, a key infrastructure project supporting the Crozet Master Plan, adopted in 2004. The project currently has an advertisement date of January 2011, but that is likely to change if the cuts are approved.

Read the whole story and get involved.

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Question from a Commenter – What has Crozet lost?

Rob asks:

There is talk of all that crozet has lost–and I’m sure much has been lost with all of the rapid growth of the last several years. But growth, and it’s associated losses will continue with or without master plans or streetscapes. Shouldn’t the conversation be about what are the Specific losses, and how best to plan growth to mitigate those specific losses?

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Minutes of the Crozet Community Association Meeting – 12 November 2009

Editor’s note on two of the items below:

1 – Regarding participation and publicizing the Crozet Community Association – if anyone ever wants to write a story (or three or five) about the Crozet Community Association, please feel free to submit it to RealCrozetVA.

2 – Having Homeowner’s Association Presentations each meeting is a great idea.

Staying involved in the Crozet Community is a great thing. If you can, make time to attend the next Crozet Community Association meeting!

These are the minutes as I received them via email:

New Business

It was discussed, motioned, and approved to provide a Good Neighbor Award to Linda and Danny Patterson. They have recently sold their flower shop. Quietly, with little/no recognition they have made numerous contributions to the Crozet community. Mike Marshall will provide the wording to go on the plaque. Judi Burbes will order the plaque for presentation at the January meeting.

Mike Marshall spoke on several items. To summarize the previous meeting of the CCAC (regarding the Master Plan re-visit), Mike indicated that the result was “residential areas should be residential, not mixed use. Discussion arose about developing trails through-out Crozet, but most immediately along roadsides (e.g. Jarmans Gap Road, Railroad Ave.) where there actually is allocated footage. This would allow for walking from Old Trail (for example) to downtown. Mike indicated the CCAC will take the lead so this item is not dropped.

On Nov 19, the CCAC was sponsoring the next topic of the Master Plan revisit: Downtown.

There was considerable discussion on the Streetscape project, and a new proposal for parking at the dry cleaners (yet to be approved by the alley off the current Square. The concern was also expressed that as various discussions are held with the property owners involved with the Streetscape that the funding might be pulled to be used elsewhere in the county.

Discussion arose about participation in CCA. It was suggested that an article should be written for the “Crozet Gazette”, highlighting the contributions, goals, and purpose of the Crozet community Association. Mike will pursue this.

Ray McCauley announced that he has petitions that citizens can sign to keep the Landfill open.

Homeowners’ Association Presentation

(NOTE: This is a new presentation that is planned to become a standing item of business at each meeting. The goal is for the community in general to learn about activities and issues occurring within the various neighborhoods and to share in solutions.)

David Foreman, President of Grayrock and Grayrock North, spoke to the group. He indicated that all the buildout for Grayrock appears to be complete (3 lots remaining do not seem to be planned for development). The major issue that the homeowners had been facing over the summer was vandalism. Homeowners increased their nighttime lighting, had fences built, and improved lighting in general. However, the problem drastically decreased when the school session began in the fall.

David also mentioned the ongoing concern of maintenance of the trails around the 2 ponds, the corresponding dam and liability associated with all of these for the Grayrock Association.

He had very positive feedback for the blending of their students into Brownsville. Many kudos to the teachers and staff at Brownsville!!!

Discussion had occurred earlier in the meeting regarding ways to increase attendance at the CCA meetings. David indicated that their association had the same issues of poor attendance and difficulty in finding individuals with the time to lead and participate in the association Hopefully, as common issues and solutions are developed there will be increased involvement in all such associations.

As a result of David’s presentation, it was agreed that the May 2010 meeting of the CCA should include a topic to address summertime vandalism, and include specific invitations to all homeowners’ associations as well as Albemarle County Police/Sheriffs representatives.

The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.

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Crozet Master Plan Forum – 19 November at Field School

The Crozet community is invited to attend public forums on the five year revision of the Crozet Master Plan.

The next forum will be held:

Thursday, November 19, 2009

7:00-9:00 p.m.

Old Crozet School/Field School

The public forum is being held by County staff and the Crozet Community Advisory Council.

This month’s topic is Downtown Crozet, focusing on:

– Promotion of the vitality of small businesses in the central Crozet business district (Downtown)

– Addressing public infrastructure needs (such as sidewalks that connect neighborhoods to downtown and parking)

– Boundaries of Downtown, potential historic district

Participants will have an opportunity to hear a presentation and provide comments and suggestions.

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Crozet Streetscape Money Called into Question

The recession is finding its way further into Crozet.

From Charlottesville Tomorrow:

Boyd expressed concern at the amount of money that the County has invested in the project. He said he was not sure if this was appropriate spending given the County’s ongoing budget issues.

“We have two master plans, and we seem to forget about the other one at Pantops that has absolutely no funding for it,” said Boyd. “At the same time, we’re throwing millions of dollars into Crozet.” Meanwhile, he pointed out that improvements called for in the Pantops Master Plan have not yet been funded.

Benish said many of the Pantops improvements are anticipated to be paid for with proffers from developers such as intersection improvements and at least $1 million in sidewalk improvements. Supervisor David Slutzky (Rio) pointed out that the Crozet Master Plan was adopted five years ago, whereas the Pantops Master Plan was only adopted in March 2008.

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Crozet Master Plan Meeting – 19 November 2009

From Albemarle County:

Mark Your Calendar…

The Crozet community is invited to attend public forums on the five year revision of the Crozet Master Plan.

The next forum will be held:

Thursday, November 19, 2009
7:00-9:00 p.m.

Old Crozet School/Field School (across from Crozet Elementary School)

The public forum is being held by County staff and the Crozet Community Advisory Council.

This month’s topic is Downtown Crozet, focusing on:

– Promotion of the vitality of small businesses in the central Crozet business district (Downtown)

– Addressing public infrastructure needs (such as sidewalks that connect neighborhoods to downtown and parking)

– Boundaries of Downtown, potential historic district

– Participants will have an opportunity to hear a presentation and provide comments and suggestions.

Other forums will be held in coming months, also at the Old Crozet School.

Visit the Crozet website or email Rebecca Ragsdale with questions or for more details.

Search for homes in Crozet.

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Downtown Crozet Redevelopment Moving Forward

Brandon Shulleeta reports in today’s Daily Progress:

A plan that would refurbish business buildings in the heart of Crozet — connected to or within walking distance of new apartments — might begin within several months, despite major financial stumbles.

And Bill Atwood verbalizes succinctly something I’ve been saying more verbosely for years (bolding mine):

Atwood said that in the retail world, “the longer you can get people to stay, the better the pay. In other words, if you have somebody who’s actually going to stay and eat at dinner and actually walk around, you’ll be viable faster. … Having people live there is the ultimate.”

Atwood said that young residents are “more apt to want to be in town and places where you can socialize, buy a dog and buy a cup of coffee. … I think that the idea of joining a village is going to be as important the next 10 years as joining a country club in the last 10 years.”

This is good news for all of Crozet.