Our trails are part of what make Albemarle special … they are in the very early stages of this conversation, but community input would be quite valuable.
via email –
Albemarle County is in the process of considering designation as an Appalachian Trail Community, and as someone who is a critical stakeholder in Crozet and a supporter of our local trail system we wanted to bring you into the conversation on this issue. We are at the very early stages of exploring this process, and will be hearing a presentation from Angie Sheldon with the Appalachian Trail organization on Tuesday, January 15, at 4:00 pm in Room 435 of the County Office Building on McIntire Road.
I was showing property to clients this morning and we went through Batesville. We drove past the Plank Road Exchange, and I made a U-turn because I saw their “Open” sign. Conveniently, my clients’ baby needed food, so the stop was well-timed (and they’re great new clients moving to the Crozet area). I took a few photos, got a juice, and left. Later today, I met another client and was supposed to meet a contractor who was serendipitously late. While waiting, we looked at the menu and decided to make a quick run to the Plank Road Exchange, and I’m glad we did.
While there, the store was what I’d hoped it would be – a place to get a fantastic sandwich (try the MC-50!*), the sides looked great and it looks like their ABC license is in the works … but what really defined the store was the friendliness of the proprietors, Aris and Jessica, their exuberance and the community they are facilitating. My client ran into her friend while we were there, a group of people were eating lunch and having what seemed to be great conversation, kids were running around (without being brow-beaten to be quiet by their parents), the pie was “delectable” … the Plank Road Store, which opened this past Saturday, was perfect.
Their opening is exciting – Batesville (based on my clients’ words, not mine; I don’t live there) – needs this store, needs this hub, needs this gathering and meeting place. I’m glad they’re open.
QCV is pleased to announce it is partnering with Claudius Crozet Park in Crozet, VA to reintroduce tennis to the 50-year-old park and provide three permanent QuickStart Tennis courts for kids in western Albemarle County and two regulation courts for players of all ages. Both organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits with histories of productive collaborations, community outreach and tangible, goal-oriented results.
Lynda Harrill, QCV Founder, says, “Kids need kid-sized courts to play on. Permanent 36-foot courts make it possible for kids to jump on a court and play any time they want. Spontaneous play is a big part of the USTA’s Competency Progression for kids and an integral part of the “Tennis Pathway” we are building in our community. Last summer QCV found out the Crozet Park Board wanted to reinstate their tennis courts and persuaded them to include QuickStart Tennis in their plans. Continue reading “Quickstart Tennis at Crozet Park”
If you take time to read the letter provided by the Batesville Store to its clients, which is linked in the story, the reason for closing is clearly explained. They had been operating as a country store and were under the governance of the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. However, it was determined that the store did too much business to remain a country store. The only option available was for them to become a restaurant and to comply with all Virginia Health Department regulations. The owners state in their letter that the requiremetn (sic)to operate as a restaurant was not viable for many reasons.
Update 12 June: See the bottom of this post for new from the Batesville Store that they are closing. For good. Surely the State could find a way to make this work for the good of the Batesville community.
A store employee told CBS19 that the reason behind the shutdown wasn’t a health issue, but a safety issue. He says the store had exceeded their seating capacity.
A country store is allowed to have 15 total seats by law, but The Batesville Store has over 40. The employee was frustrated saying that the Health Department hadn’t given them a warning.
Surely someone in Batesville can shed some light on this. The Batesville Store is fantastic – the food, ambiance, smells, location, beer, music … it would be a tremendous shame if it were to be shut down by the State of Virginia.
Just received via email …
Dear Friends of The Batesville Store,
I have some sad news:
The Batesville Store is closed until further notice.
Earlier today two representatives from the state of Virginia showed up at the store without warning, informed us that we were not in compliance with certain state regulations, and basically gave us no choice except to close immediately. Continue reading “Batesville Store is Closed”
Albemarle County Police Chief Steve Sellers also plans to be a guest speaker at each of the meetings. Residents will be able to direct questions to both Mallek and Sellers about any topic.
“White Hall district residents are encouraged to join in discussions about our community issues and how to fund our future needs,” Mallek said in a prepared statement.
The meetings are scheduled as follows: 7 p.m. Monday at the White Hall Community Center; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Brownsville Elementary School cafeteria; and 7 p.m. March 16 at the Broadus Wood Elementary School cafeteria. The meetings require no advance registration.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a Work Session on the Crozet Master Plan Update at their September 1, 2010 meeting. The Master Plan Update has been recommended for approval by the Planning Commission. The Board will receive public comment at this meeting. A public hearing on the Plan will be held at a later date.
