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April 2024 CCAC Recap – Lots of Questions, Few Answers

The CCAC meeting on 10 April 2024 was an open house at Brownsville.

Spend some time going through the slides. The transportation section is particularly interesting.

A few highlights:

2024-Town-Hall-PresentatioDownload
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New Business Between Praha and Crozet Market Shopping Center?

Pulled from Google Maps

I’d still love a mural, but a new business next to Praha?

Always interesting reading the emails from Albemarle County. Bolding is mine.

Project #: Name ARB-2024-30: A1 Detailing Wall Sign
Review Type Certificate of Appropriateness for a Sign
Parcel Identification 056A2-01-00-02800
Location 5774 Three Notch’d Rd
Zoned Downtown Crozet District (DCD) / Entrance Corridor (EC)
Owner and Contact Crozet Center Partners LLC / A1 Detailing & Hand Car Wash LLC (Thomas Taylor)
Magisterial District White Hall
Proposal Install a non-illuminated wall sign
Staff Contact Khris Taggart

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Crozet real estate conversation – March 2024

We live and breathe Crozet real estate.

Crozet inventory, market segment breakdown – single family vs attached homes, why Crozet is a great place to live, and a where we are in the Crozet real estate market in March 2024.

One fun stat – in 2023, attached home sales increased by 71%, driven in large part by price point demand and lifestyle demands.

Questions? We love to talk about real estate.
Greg Slater – 434-981-6655
Jim Duncan – 434-242-7140

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Barnes Lumber Moving Forward — For Real!

No really, it’s actually going to happen. And I suggest a priority would be to either relocate the Christmas tree, or plant a new one as soon as possible.

via email – (bolding mine)

An Update on The Square Redevelopment Project

We wanted to share an exciting update on the upcoming projects to transform the Square and former Barnes Lumber site in downtown Crozet. As a key stakeholder in building community in Crozet, we wanted to share this information with you personally and thank you for your continued interest in and support for these projects.

As you may have heard, Albemarle County presented its plans for revitalizing The Square at the CCAC’s February 14 meeting with a primary goal of supporting existing locally-owned, small businesses. The Square project is a foundational first step in re-energizing and reinvigorating the heart of downtown Crozet and will set the groundwork for beginning the construction of the public plaza on the former Barnes Lumber site in the coming months. The County has acknowledged the importance of phasing the construction work so as to minimally affect businesses on and around The Square.

Key elements of the Square Project will include:

  • Critical street connectivity
  • Additional/improved parking
  • Pedestrian safety
  • Vehicular flow enhancements
  • ADA accessibility
  • Stormwater management

Key project milestones:

  • Right of way acquisition completion – March, 2024
  • Contract execution – June, 2024
  • Construction start – July, 2024
  • Construction complete – July, 2025

According to the current County schedule, we will see visible signs of the project underway this summer, representing tangible progress towards the very exciting process of converting abandoned warehouses and old lumber yard spaces into a beautiful, vibrant Plaza for the entire Crozet community. 

You can view the County presentation about the Square project in its entirety on the DCI website, including graphics that show how the parking, street connections and pedestrian access will be managed.  

We are so grateful to you for your continued involvement in this endeavor, and we will be in touch with you to share progress and more details as they become available.

For more information about DCI, please visit our website.

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ACSA Crozet Phase 4 Water main Replacement Project

This will be exciting, and likely a bit inconvenient at times. And we need infrastructure — above and below ground. That left turn from Tabor though …

via email:

Dear ACSA Customer,

The Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) is getting ready to start construction on our Crozet Phase 4 Water Main Replacement project.  We have contracted with Valley Earth and Pipe for this project and they, along with their subcontractors, will be completing the work.  The project involves replacing existing water mains, water services, water meters and fire hydrants along the following roads:

• Hillsboro Lane from Half Mile Branch Road to Route 250

• Route 250 from Hillsboro Lane to Crozet Avenue

• Crozet Avenue from Route 250 to Tabor Street

• Portions of the Park View subdivision including Locust Lane, Pine Lane, Maple Street, and Oak Drive

We will be sending out regular updates on the project status via email.  If you would like to be on the distribution list for these emails, please send me an email at [email protected].

When there is a planned interruption in your water service, you will receive advance notice of the outage.  This notice will typically be a door hanger left at your front door a day or two ahead of the outage.

You may receive a similar letter in the mail from me about this project.  You do not need to respond to both the letter and this email.

We regret the inconvenience you will experience, and we appreciate your patience as we work to make these improvements to the water system.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 434-977-4511, ext.  158.  Thanks.

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The Square Improvements are Moving Forward

From the CCAC meeting last week (thanks to Crozet Gazette for the video below!)

If you have an hour, please watch the video. If you don’t, please read or skim the information below.

My notes from watching the video

The PDF of the presentation is here.

Crozet-Square-Update-2Download

From Charlottesville Community Engagement on 20 February 2024

Albemarle report provides details into Crozet’s Square project

In June 2012, Albemarle County acquired a 0.36 acre parcel in downtown Crozet from CSX Transportation in a transaction in which no money changed hands. The strip of land is known as The Square and spans between Crozet Avenue and Oak Street on the western edge of the Barnes Lumberyard. 

Continue reading “The Square Improvements are Moving Forward”
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Crozet Trails Crew – Building a Bridge

Ever think about how much less great Crozet would be without the Crozet Trails Crew? I was talking to a client last week about how amazing the Crozet Trails and Crozet Trails Crew are, and they, not being from Crozet, had not heard of either.

So I went for a walk, and shared a few photos with them. We are a better community because of the Crozet Trails. Simple.

From the CTC email

Big project: Sign up to build a bog bridge in Old Trail
Serve Beer and Wine at the Arts & Crafts Festival in May
February CTC Meeting
We need a secretary Build a Bog Bridge at Western Park in Old Trail
We have been working closely with the county Parks & Recreation department to plan some trail additions in Western Park. Our most recent project was to re-open a trail that goes through an often-swampy area. We will improve the trail by adding a narrow bog bridge. 

The first phase requires one or two people on Wednesday, February 21, to cut lumber. Sign up here to meet at the Miyamoto’s home at 9:00 a.m., address will be supplied. We need people who are comfortable using a power saw.

The big day of construction will be the morning of Saturday, February 24. Many people are needed to install a long stretch of bridge. You will be working on wet, boggy ground, so dress accordingly — you will need boots and work gloves. If you have a cordless impact driver or drill, please bring it, as well as star (torx) bits if you have them.
Activities include:
Site preparation using string trimmers, loppers, etc.
Removing the old walkway
Construction of lumber walk sections
Moving sections and materials to site
?Linking sections together

If you sign up here we can notify you of any changes, but feel free to come even if you weren’t able to plan ahead. Please review our safety guidelines before joining a work day. Bartenders For the Arts & Crafts Festival
bottles of wine and an Ipad at a table with vendors tents in the backgroundThe Trails Crew has a reputation for our work on trails. But you know what else we’re known for? The best volunteer beer & wine servers in Crozet! We have a big schedule to fill up, so why not come out to the Crozet Park Arts & Crafts Festival and be part of the story? You get in free, and another free tee shirt because I know you need one! (And of course you’ll need to sample the product to make good suggestions!)
We always have a great time at the Festival, and we will train newcomers. So sign up for a shift Saturday, May 11 or Sunday, May 12 and be part of the fun.  February Trails Crew Meeting at Crozet Park Our next meeting will be this Thursday, February 22, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Location: Community Building at Crozet Park.

We will be discussing plans for our next project, progress towards constructing the Lickinghole Creek bridge, and preparations for maintaining trails during the upcoming growing season. We welcome anyone who is interested in getting involved, or just learning about, the work (and fun) of the Trails Crew! If you’re new to Crozet, and haven’t yet found the trails, here’s your chance to meet some great people. It’s also a great chance to bring forward suggestions, so if you have a great idea, please join us.

Directions: Enter at the main Park Road entrance to Claudius Crozet Park (1075 Claudius Crozet Park, Crozet). Take the first left to go around the pool then drive through the parking lot behind the pool. The Community Building is the small white building at the far side of the parking lot. Enter through the door on the parking lot side. If you drive, please park inside the park — not along Hilltop or Indigo — leaving the places closest to the building open so the basketball hoops can be used, and enter through the door next to the equipment shed. Can you Help? We Need a Secretary Here’s an opportunity to help out with Trails Crew. We are looking for a person to take the position of Secretary, effective April 1. Responsibilities are simple: take minutes at our monthly meeting, type them up, and nag Terri to post them. At the end of the month, collect hours worked from the various work days, and email them to the county. This is a great way to help out, even if you aren’t the type to hit the trails with a trimmer on work days. If you are willing, please email [email protected]
More About the Crozet Trails Crew More about Crozet Trails, including details about the pedestrian bridge we are going to build,  plus maps, current projects, and info about our annual 5K race, is available on our web site at CrozetTrailsCrew.org. Donate to the bridge fund at crozettrailscrew.org/connecting-communities/

Also: Follow us on Facebook
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Three Notch’d Center – Coming to 240

“To construct a 23,120sf two-story multi-tenant building on a 2.32ac site that will be shared with an existing car wash building. The footprint of the multi-tenant building is 16,300sf with 6,820sf available in upper floors.”

So close to the coming 110+ houses at the Old Dominion site.

Fun what you learn when you read the Albemarle County Architectural Review Board site (thanks, Neil for the tweet!)

Things take time in Albemarle County.

“The planning and zoning history on this site is extensive. In 2009, the ARB approved a design for a commercial building in the location of the current proposal. See Figure 2 below for the approved design. Architectural designs for the carwash building were reviewed and approved by the ARB in 2013. That building was constructed in 2018.

Overall, the building configuration of the current proposal does not match previously approved site plans (Figure 3), therefore, a site plan amendment will be needed to approve the new building layout and other site changes . A more detailed evaluation of landscaping, parking areas, and other site features will be part of the review of the minor site plan.”

And yes, looks like Green Olive Tree and Laundromat will go away.

Would be great if part of this plan is to have protected bike lanes and sidewalks on 240.

Dig into the materials yourselves.

What do you think? What questions do you have?

Att-1-ARB2023116-Three-NotDownload
ARB2023116-Three-Notchd-CeDownload
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Transportation and Crozet’s Infrastructure – BoS 2-7-2024

These are the meetings where you (and we) learn what’s happening in our community, and where consistent attendance matters.*

Who’s going to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors meeting on 7 February at 1pm at Lane Auditorium? And who’s going only to the meeting that directly affects you and your backyard?

There are a lot of things on the agenda (you can find the agenda here).

A few of the many items on the agenda that have some specific-to-Crozet relevance:

There’s a lot happening in this sign

  • Eastern Avenue and Park Ridge, which really should be a roundabout, in my opinion. (further down, Hill Top will soon be renamed Park Ridge),
  • Mountains with morning light in the distance
  • Wide road with sidewalks and unprotected bike lanes
  • Curb cut (this 99% Invisible podcast is fascinating) — “If you live in an American city and you don’t personally use a wheelchair, it’s easy to overlook the small ramp at most intersections, between the sidewalk and the street. Today, these curb cuts are everywhere, but fifty years ago — when an activist named Ed Roberts was young — most urban corners featured a sharp drop-off, making it difficult for him and other wheelchair users to get between blocks without assistance.”
  • The developer’s sign
  • Car that actually has its headlights on
  • Call to attend a meeting

While not Crozet-specific, the North Fork rezoning will absolutely affect Crozet in many ways.

Part of the applicant’s narrative:

Therefore, the Foundation proposes to rezone a portion of North Fork from PDIP to
Neighborhood Model District (NMD) to allow residential uses (the “Project,
” or this “Amendment”) and additional commercial and retail uses (See detailed chart below). The existing PDIP uses will remain on the entirety of North Fork, including those approved by Special Use Permit with conditions, however a Code of Development and Application Plan will establish regulations regarding the residential uses including density, form, residential uses, and greenspace. The types of potential residential uses would include single-family detached, single-family attached, townhomes, and multi-family dwelling units.

…

The project proposes a maximum of 1,400 residential units consisting of single family detached, single family attached, townhomes, and multi-family apartments at a density of approximately 17 DUA. (bolding mine)


*I rarely go to the meetings, but I do make an effort to read as much about them as I can, on their agendas, and via Charlottesville Community Engagement.