Tag: Growth

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Light Industrial Plans and a Walkable Crozet

It’s easy to get indifferent and bored with the Crozet Master Plan, because it’s always “someone else” doing it … that “someone else” could (and should) be you.

From Charlottesville Tomorrow:

Albemarle County officials gathered more input on potential changes to the twenty-year Crozet Master Plan at a forum held Thursday evening. The Crozet community continues to weigh in on modifications to the county’s first ever master plan, originally approved in 2004, which is now getting its first five-year review.

Mike Marshall, chair of the Crozet Community Advisory Council, welcomed an audience of about 40 residents to the third of five planned community forums on different aspects of the master plan. Marshall said he didn’t think there would be much controversy about the matters on the evening’s agenda, however he foreshadowed concerns about the Yancey Mills Business Park proposal.

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On transportation, residents said they wanted a reexamination of a frontage road proposed by staff to run parallel to Route 250 in front of Brownsville Elementary and Henley Middle School. The County’s Community Relations Manager, Lee Catlin, said she also heard residents express a high priority for trails and pedestrian connections that would allow people living in Western Ridge, Highlands to get into downtown Crozet.

Mike Marshall said a pedestrian connection was also needed between downtown Crozet and Old Trail Village.

“We now have two economic centers that really are within walking distance, that are trying to emerge and get stronger,” said Marshall. “We need to make it plain to people that you can walk there.”

After the fifth community forum is held in February, a summary of recommendations from staff and the public will be provided to the planning commission in March. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to start its review of the Crozet Master Plan revisions in June.

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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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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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Take the Crozet Master Plan Survey

At Albemarle.org. (Update 15 November 2016 – the link to Albemarle’s site is dead) Once again, this is a remarkable opportunity to contribute your opinion to the future of Crozet. If you’re pro-growth, anti-growth, indifferent-to-growth, please take the time to express yourself.

From the survey’s introduction:

Your neighbors on the Crozet Community Advisory Council, in collaboration with Albemarle County staff, are starting the process of revising the 2004 Crozet Master Plan. Your input and participation are essential. The Crozet Master Plan is part of the County’s Comprehensive Plan and establishes a blueprint for the County’s future decisions on land use and development, transportation systems, public facilities and utilities, resource protection, housing, human services and public services. Part of that plan’s original 2004 adoption includes a requirement to review the Plan after five years.

This questionnaire has been created to gather public input about Crozet and the Crozet Master Plan. It is not intended to be a scientific or statistically valid survey, but rather as a way to get feedback from as many people as possible. The results of this questionnaire cannot be used to draw any specific conclusions or assumptions about the general community’s perspective, but will be used in providing ideas and understanding the perspectives of those who complete the questionnaire.

This survey is one of several opportunities for your active participation in the decisions affecting our community in the next five years or so. This is an opportunity for all of us to take a careful look at Crozet’s development and consider new actions and solutions to problems that may emerge.

We urge you and anyone else in your household to each fill out and return the following survey so that your ideas and concerns will be heard. We hope everyone in your family will complete a survey.

It should only take you about 10 to 12 minutes to complete this survey. There are no right or wrong answers; what’s important is your opinion. All of your responses are anonymous and will be kept confidential.

Thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful input.

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Crozet Community Advisory Council Meeting tonight

The monthly Crozet Community Advisory Council meeting is this Thursday, May 21, 2009 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at The Meadows Community Center

(Located on Meadows Drive/Route 240, Crozet)

Tentative Agenda
1. Agenda Review  (Mike Marshall – CCAC Chair)
2. Historic Resources Study Update (County Staff)
3. Crozet Community Questionnaire (Tim Tolson)
4. Master Plan Revision Tentative Schedule (Elaine Echols/Rebecca Ragsdale)
a. 5/27 Education Session Plan (Britton Miller)
b. Schedule through the Summer (Elaine/Rebecca)
5. Committee Updates (CCAC)
6. County Announcements/Development Updates (Rebecca Ragsdale)
7. Election of Officers for Next Year (CCAC)
8. Summary and other updates/agenda items for next meeting:
June 18
9. Adjourn

All are welcome and encourage to attend.

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Crozet Community Advisory Council Meeting 16 April

A reminder that the Crozet Community Advisory Council’s (CCAC) monthly meeting is this Thursday, April 16, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Meadows Community Center (off Route 240, south of town on Meadows Drive).

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Tentative Agenda
1. Agenda Review (Mike Marshall – CCAC Chair)
2. Approval of Minutes (CCAC)
3. Crozet Community Questionnaire (Tim Tolson)
4. Master Plan Revision Process Update/Discussion (Lee Catlin/CCAC)
a. Preparation for 4/25 Education Session (CCAC/County Staff)
5. New Member Orientation Update (Britton Miller/New Members)
6. Train Service to Crozet: Update/Discussion (Ann Mallek)
7. Committee Membership (Mary Rice)
8. Committee Updates (CCAC)
9. Crozet Downtown Zoning Ordinance Update (Rebecca Ragsdale)
10. Development Review Update (Rebecca Ragsdale)
11. Summary and other updates/agenda items for next meeting: May 21.
12. Adjourn

The Council’s meeting agenda, minutes, membership, etc. are all posted on the Albemarle County web site.

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Crozet Library Meeting – 19 February

From Albemarle County –

Crozet Library Open House
Thursday, February 19, 2009
4:00-6:30 p.m.
Crozet United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall
1156 Crozet Ave, Crozet

Please join Crozet Library Steering Committee members and Albemarle County staff for an open house on the conceptual design of the new Crozet library and an update on the Destination Downtown project, including the streetscape and stormwater projects. The public is invited to drop in at any point during the Open House to view the conceptual design and other materials, talk with staff and committee members, and provide feedback. Additional details about the Open House will be available on the Crozet Library website at www.albemarle.org/newlibrary. For more information about the Open House, call the Albemarle County Community Relations Office at 434-296-5841 or email [email protected].

Update 11 February 2009: Is the Crozet library already too small?

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Crozet and Brownsville Redistricting Plan Approved

From today’s Daily Progress –

The Albemarle County School Board unanimously agreed Thursday to transfer 100 pupils from Crozet Elementary to Brownsville Elementary. The affected pupils live in the Grayrock area.

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The proposal is part of a long-term plan to handle the increase in students in Crozet. Crozet Elementary, which has a capacity for 380 students, has an enrollment of 428.

Because there is little room for expansion at Crozet Elementary, the county is building a $10.27 million expansion to Brownsville Elementary. The expansion, which includes a new wing of classrooms, more kitchen space and a new gymnasium, is slated to be finished in the spring.

There are 402 students at Brownsville Elementary, and the additions will allow for 716, according to a school official.

The transfer of the 100 pupils will take effect next school year, Wheeler said.

In May, it was noted that only 15 people had expressed opinions about the redistricting plans.

If you are thinking about buying (or selling, really) in Crozet – check the school district yourself – don’t necessarily trust the MLS (as much as it pains me, as a Realtor, to write that).

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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