The logos are coming in for the Design a Logo for RealCrozetVA contest. If you’re interested, please submit your entry in the next couple weeks.
Environmental Studies Academy at WAHS
Nice.
Charlottesville Tomorrow reports:
Beginning in the late summer of 2014, Western Albemarle High School will play host to a new Environmental Studies Academy.
“This truly is an exciting development for our school and our community,” WAHS principal Dave Francis said in an Albemarle County Public Schools press release. “Our objective for all students is to prepare them for post-graduate success in colleges and universities and in high-value professional fields….[T]his academy will position students for that success.”
All 9-12 graders in Albemarle County will be eligible to apply for the Academy. In the first year, there will be approximately 25 seats. The specifics of the admissions process remain to be completed.
Ed Sykes at NBC29 has more as well.
This sounds like a very good start to making WAHS more competitive.
Crozet Safety Corps Meeting – 10 June 2013
via email from Tom Loach – (bolding mine)
I received the following from the police Department describing a crime problem in Crozet. Jim Crosby and I have been working to establish what we call the Crozet Safety Corps and will be having a meeting at the fire house Monday, June 10th at 7:30. At that meeting will be Officer Andy Gluba, who is a Crime Prevention Officer and will speak on the subject of setting up Community Safety Groups in Crozet. Our group will also be looking at the subject of Emergency Preparedness. We have set up a web site: www.crozetsafetycorps.org. I hope any members of the community who are interested in joining us or would just like to hear from our police department will attend?.
?I wanted to let you know that the Crozet area has been experiencing a rash of vehicle break-ins over the past three and half weeks specifically in the Wickham Pond/Old Trail area. We have also experienced a rash of vehicle break-ins in the Ivy Road area specifically in the Canterbury Road area. It does not appear that the vehicle break-ins in the Ivy area are related to the Crozet area break-ins. I want to reassure you that we are aware of the problems and have dedicated the resources to hopefully apprehend the offenders.?
?Please communicate with your neighbors and friends that live in these area, to lock their car doors and secure all valuables before they go in for the night. The suspect(s) appear to be entering vehicles that have been left unlocked and have small amounts of cash and electronics left in the vehicles. Please let everyone know to be diligent in calling the police department should they see anyone in the neighborhoods late at night that should not be there. It appears that the suspect(s) are roaming the neighborhoods after midnight to about 5:00 a.m. in the mornings.?
?Thank you for getting this information out to your community members.?
??Lieutenant Greg Jenkins?Blue Ridge District Commander
We seem to get rashes of break-ins every once in a while. Dammit.
Crozet Independence Day Parade and Fireworks – 2013
So … last year’s parade and fireworks were canceled by the derecho, so let’s make this year’s that much better!
The Crozet Fire Department is once again organizing the Crozet Parade – (bolding mine) ?
This year the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department Independence Day parade will be held at 4:00 P.M. on Saturday, July 6, 2013. Lineup will begin at 3:00 P.M. at Crozet Elementary School and end at Claudius Crozet Park. The theme for the parade will be, “America the Beautiful!” There will be field judging for Fire & Rescue apparatus at Claudius Crozet Park after the parade. Awards will be presented at 8:00 P.M. Food, beverages, and other festivities to include a softball game between the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department and the Peachtree Ball Coaches will immediately follow the parade. Fireworks begin at dark.? ?If you would like to be a part of the 2013 parade, please email: [email protected] for access to a Parade Entry Form. Please include in your email the following:
– Participating organization/Group
– Phone number
– Name and email of contact personOnce we receive this information, we will send you a link to the electronic Parade Entry Form.
Please submit your entry by June 15th to ensure you are included in the lineup.
Thanks, Crozet Fire Department and organizers!
Count the Train Day in Crozet – 31 May 2013
I’m always asked “how often does the train run in Crozet?” … and my answer always is “so often I don’t pay attention to it except when it’s not running.”
That said, I’m going to do a “count the trains in Crozet” day this Friday. I have no idea what the schedules are, but I’m going to try to count them this Friday. So if you’re around and thinking about it, please comment here what kind of train, whether it’s freight or passenger, whether it seems heavy or light, and which direction it’s going. If nothing else, hopefully this will be a fun experiment in crowd-sourcing local information.
If you’re on Facebook, post on the RealCrozetVA Facebook stream (I’ll schedule a post to publish there at midnight Thursday) – and please use the #CrozetTrain hashtag
If you visit the RealCrozetVA blog, please comment here.
If you’re on Twitter post something like – Train! Freight – West – light – long – 11:13 am – #CrozetTrain
Crozet Triathlon – 16 June 2013
While I’ve shifted most of the Crozet Calendar/happenings to the Crozet Calendar section of RealCrozetVA, the Crozet Triathlon is really interesting. My little one did the Dogwood Duathlon this past weekend (for the 2nd time) and had a blast. I wondered on Twitter if Crozet could do one, and I was quickly told that yes, not only can we, but we are.
.@realcrozetva @stevebragaw see crozet gazette page 8! Field school is sponsoring a youth triathlon in crozet issuu.com/crozetgazette/…
— anne.d (@crozetbulldogs) May 5, 2013
So … Check out the Field School’s sponsorship of the Crozet Triathlon on 15 June. Note that this cool flyer was designed by Crozet’s Allie Pesch.
Be Patient on 64 & 250 This Week
Update 2 May 2013 – Repairs are set to last through 9 May.
—
Be patient again this week on 64 and 250 in and out of Crozet …
from VDOT’s site –
– Intermittent traffic restrictions on Interstate 64 between Charlottesville and Waynesboro will resume next week during operations to remove unstable soil from Afton Mountain above the highway at milepost 100.3 in Albemarle County.
Beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 29, traffic on I-64 will be restricted in both directions for 30-45 minutes. The restrictions will continue through the day, ending between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The westbound right shoulder will be closed and work zone activity will begin at 7 a.m. each day but traffic will not be restricted before 9 a.m. The work is expected to continue through Thursday, May 2.
The restrictions will affect traffic from Exit 107 (Route 250/Rockfish Gap Turnpike) at Crozet to Exit 96 (Route 624/S. Delphine Avenue) at Waynesboro. Drivers should expect significant congestion and delays; passenger vehicles are encouraged to use Route 250 as an alternate route. Message boards along I-64 will advise motorists of the closures and expected congestion in the area.
Motorists should check VDOT’s traffic information web site, www.511virginia.org, or call 511 for real-time information about traffic conditions and delays.
Crozet Real Estate Market – Conflicting Numbers, Fast Contracts, Not enough Inventory
If you were to look at just the data, you’d think the Crozet real estate market is worse this year than last. Anecdotally and practically though, you’d be wrong. (talk to anyone currently looking for a home in Crozet between $300k and $500k) Or ask me.
In the first four and a half months of 2012, 166 homes came on the market in Crozet. This year, 177 came on the market. (inventory is up)
Last year, 83 homes went under contract. This year, 94 went under contract. (comparing 1/1/12-4/22/12 to this year, the numbers are 89 to 99, respectively) (More homes are selling)
Last year, 54 homes sold. This year, that number is 49. (Let’s call that a push)
But … Of the 99 homes that have gone under contract this year … 44 had days on market of less than 7! 54 had days on market of less than 30. 37 had days on market of less than 3.
So. What in the world do those numbers mean? They’re a perfect representation of how numbers can be deceiving.
In a nutshell – here’s what I’m seeing in the Crozet real estate market right now:
– Great homes are selling fast.
– There aren’t enough quality homes on the market to satisfy the demand of buyers.
– There’s a pile of new construction coming to Crozet – Foothill Crossing, Wickham Pond, Old Trail, Grayrock North (West), Westlake (behind Westhall), Foxchase Landing … and a lot of my clients are shunning said new construction for existing homes because they want something less generic. (a lot are choosing new, but I’m seeing a shift I haven’t previously seen)
– If you’re thinking about selling your home in Crozet, now would be a good time to do so. If you’ve been underwater, you might not be. Seriously.
– If you’re thinking about buying a home in Crozet, be prepared for quality inventory to move. Fast.
– We’re nearing the end of the traditional peak time for new homes to come on the market; most buyers in our area tend to want to either close around the end of the school year or the start of the school year …
I’m embedding some market summary reports below. Please do let me know what questions you have … also keep in mind that even though I’m writing about the Crozet real estate market, individual neighborhood trends are different – both different scales (Old Trail vs everything else) and quality.
Disclosure: I’m a real estate agent. This is a post to inform readers about the state of the Crozet real estate market. It’s not specifically written in order to advertise or solicit business, but I certainly would not dissuade potential buyers, sellers, curious readers from contacting me with questions or if they are seeking buyer or seller representation.
WAHS Academy?
Monticello High School and Albemarle High School both have academies … time for WAHS to step up.
From Albemarle County Schools:
A faculty committee at Western Albemarle High School has been working this year to explore possibilities of academy models that might be a good fit for the school. The group has visited several schools with academies (specialty centers) and has researched many others. Full faculty discussion has taken place about various ideas. At this point, five areas of interest have tentatively been identified. The goal for this year is to narrow the focus to one model which will provide quality learning experiences that appeal to a broad segment of the student body. If this is accomplished then school year 2013-14 would be a planning year with the goal of implementation the following year. Input from stakeholders is vital to this process. For this purpose, we are asking you to read and complete this survey which includes brief descriptions for each area currently under consideration. This can hopefully be done as a joint effort between parents and their student(s).
The survey window will close at noon on Friday, March 29th.
Crozet Community Association Meeting Wrap up – 14 March
Huge thanks to Todd Edgerton for volunteering to guest post this.
Crozet Community Association (March 14th, 2013)
*of note, this is my first meeting for this organization and I’m very very glad to have this support network in our community, every community should be so lucky*
• I arrived during the presentation of the ACPD Corp. Jenkins, who was explaining the new hire process and that ACPD will be growing their number of sworn officers by six, over the next 2 yrs. He also fielded a few questions regarding the firing range options which the county is currently assessing. Most important to note is that an outdoor range is currently not being explored. He also explained some of the new ‘models’ of patrol that the county has moved to, which seems promising in returning to a local officer/s scenario. I see this as a major change in our police force and am excited for the change.
• Dave Brockman (recently brought on by the Jessup family, replacing the lead developer within Old Trail) presented a number of poster board renderings for Old Trail future development. Dave then explained his background as being from the ‘West’ and having been a landscape architect. He is trying to get up to speed with our lifestyles and mannerisms in the Commonwealth, and for only being here 9 months, I’m impressed with his efforts. Even though everyone wanted to ask him questions about the hotel, he explained that the owner of the Lodge was actually building the hotel independent of Old Trail, in a by-right development. David Hilliard would have helped answer many questions, had he been present, but was travelling on business tonight. Dave also explained the vision for the new Old Trail ‘parks’ nearest to the Brownsville School, as a start to connect all the green spaces within OT. He sees the green spaces as ideal for informal sports/play and that he would like to nurture a true downtown sense in the village area of OT, esp. with the addition of 3 new commercial buildings apart from the hotel. It’s also of note that he and his family live within Old Trail.
• It was made clear after many questions that Dave ought to realign his presentations to include Old Trail as part of the greater community, and not as an island apart from Crozet. Not really Old Trail vs. Crozet, but that we are all Crozet one-in-the-same. Many comments were directed to the vein of tourism that the hotel will market themselves to, primary the alcohol tours (wine/beer/etc.) There were questions related to the hotel, traffic patterns, and timing of commercial build out – which he tried to answer the best way, but without details he wasn’t able to provide much substance.
• Bill Schrader updated the group with details about the library building and the steps he is going through with regarding to funding and the recent grant that the library received. Most of the details are written about in the most recent Gazette. There was some discussion regarding the 1st floor space and what may best go in that place, unfortunately the library will have to have a tenant that will NOT be permanent, as that sq footage will ultimately be claimed by the library with future growth. He reminded us if we gave money in 2012, that this is a new year and to dig a little deeper for contributions THIS year
• Jessica Mauzy announced the next Trail work day and that it is a great opportunity for children to earn community service hours, and to really get to know the other community members. Ann MAllek recognized the group as being the model to which other trail groups within the Commonwealth should follow.
• The Western Albemarle Rescue squad, Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, and Crozet Library were presented with contributions raised at the Valentine’s Swing Dance, last month.
• Jim Crosby & Tom Loach presented their ideas about a Crozet Safety Corp proposal. The idea is that your best resource in an emergency may be your immediate neighbors. The ideas are very similar to neighborhood watch in other communities. Care about your neighbors and we can be much more self-reliant, and once this Corp is seen as a positive by ACPD, we have an opportunity to been a pilot/model for other neighborhoods within the county. Using the master plan as a guide, Crozet is slated to be denser than Charlottesville proper, with much less police presence.
• Independence Day celebration will be July 6th, with the 7th as a backup date. It will be held in the Park as it has in years past, including a parade. Time for other new business was limited as Dave’s presentation took longer than expected, but there are several vacancies in Albemarle Co Boards and Commissions please apply and represent Crozet! More on these vacancies on ‘Real Crozet’ blog.
• Charlottesville Tree Stewards are currently offering a $25 voucher towards the purchase of a tree, per family, as long as you following the guidelines. There are 5 nurseries within the county that will accept this voucher, and the funding is being provided by Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band, and an anonymous donor.
I’m going to add links later today ….
Update 18 March 2013:
1 – I’ve storified the meeting ; click through for the story.
2 – Trevor Henry’s slides showing an update on what’s happening in Downtown Crozet, including the ongoing utility relocation.
3 – Link for the Charlottesville Tree Stewards.
4 – Regarding the Crozet Safety Corp proposal – I would highly encourage folks to follow RealCrozetVA on Twitter and “like” RealCrozetVA on Facebook – they have proven to be invaluable (to me at least) when seeking information from neighbors and fellow Crozetians when we’ve had large power outages (derecho, anyone?), when we’ve been looking for road conditions after the snow, etc.*
*For those who know me or have read RealCrozetVA for years, you know that while this could be perceived as self-serving advice, I’m suggesting participating in these social networks for the good of the community.
– Continue reading “Crozet Community Association Meeting Wrap up – 14 March”