Even the language of Crozet has become strange. Efforts to rezone are never called “rezonings”. They are referred to as “community plans”, “master plans”, “new models” “input sessions”, or “making sure we have a plan the community can agree on”. I always smile when I see these gently-assuring phrases, knowing there is so much more behind them.

A downtown rezoning will be passed soon that will intensity what is happening in Crozet from even existing levels. It would not surprise me if very few have the courage to speak out against it, but many will complain about the effect it will create long after the fact.

Perhaps I would be classified as one of the “opposition”. I felt that there were far more environmentally-sensitive options to rezonings in Crozet never considered, debated, or aired — not for a lack of trying. I went to meetings and stated how I felt about the approaching changes, their impact, and their cost — environmentally and fiscally. I am glad I did, even if the outcome was far different than what I wanted.

As long as I can remember, we have had very passionate and motivated advocacy group in Crozet that has focused on rallying residents behind shifting the way Crozet looks and feels, increasing profitability for property owners downtown, and funding growth infrastructure. Also, the efforts of residents and environmental groups outside Crozet who desperately want to protect their rural areas by intensifying development in Western Albemarle has had an even great impact — well-funded external forces contributing to the change in Crozet.

Residents in Crozet have since said the plan was misrepresented to them by county officials — something I agree with. Now, these residents say they no longer support it. That said, who are these residents going to vote for. Both parties in Albemarle — Democrat and Republican — have felt strongly that sending more people to Crozet is a powerful environmental and economic tool. We don’t have one candidate — at least not yet — who could cite some environmental problems with sending commuters into Western Albemarle. There really has been no difference between the two parties.

One thing I would encourage Chrisanne to think about is that there is nothing wrong with any new resident choosing to be a voice to protect a small community. It has been inferred by some that it is hypocritical for any new resident to be against “community efforts”. After all, you moved here, so you need to think of yourself as “part of the problem” and get with the program.

But all residents, whether new or long-time, DO have a choice. If you don’t want a rezoning, super-road, or intense development, it is your right as a citizen, whether new or long-time, to say so. Residents do not have to spend money at businesses that support advocacy that they feel changes their community in a negative manner. If you value trees, clean air, and less development; then you have a right to say it. Even though I probably fought against the rezoning that created your house, there is no reason why new and long-time residents cannot see eye to eye on rezonings in the future and be good neighbors to boot.

Some things, however, never change — memories. I enjoyed the memories that were so passionately written by the poster above, so I will finish with one of my most pleasant memories of Crozet. I remember the Peachtree Little League. It was a league where girls were allowed to play and hit home runs, chewing tobacco was snuck in between innings, and parents of both teams socialized in the outfield. Occasionally, we cleared the benches for a scuffle over pitching philosophies. Kids picked up stones from the infield every game, but this still didn’t prevent ground balls from hopping erratically at the last moment, giving us infielders a wonderful excuse for missed grounders. The baseball diamond (at Crozet elementary) had an unique indentation that we called “home plate”. This indentation would fill with water after a short rain, making batting a rather muddy experience. I still recall closing my eyes and swinging like Reggie Jackson (or was I swingning like Evil Knievel), desperately hoping to get a piece of a Scott Abell fastball — never easy. Our coaches purchased free hotdogs and sodas for us, whether win or lose. And after each game, we went strolled out to the parking area with the friends we knew from the other team, chattering about the close call at second base, the new umpire with the funny voice and potbelly, or our plans for the afternoon.

Everyone knew everyone, and though Crozet may be soon engulfed by an approaching urban storm, those memories need not fade. Memories cannot be paved over, rezoned, or swept away by development of political advocacy. Developers, profits, and politics may destroy but so much. But, they cannot reach memories. Memories truly do last a lifetime.

Thank you for commenting. I think that there is great value on reflecting on the past – not necessarily lamenting, but seeing where we “used to be.” Those were simpler times, but it’s refreshing to see the comment in this month’s Crozet Gazette by the developer of the Gateway Gas location that he is open to any business that “won’t put a Crozet business out” of business.

We have a long way to go and so long as we communicate and work together we should be able to achieve a lot of those goals.

Thank you again for reading.

If you think about the vision that those people had back then, I’m willing to bet there was some opposition to them at first. Maybe if more people thought of the future happenings in Crozet as a restoration of that sort of community feeling, rather than focusing soley on the “changes”, they would be able to embrace it rather than resist it.