Foothill Crossing Rezoning Approved by Planning Commission

Note that it still needs to go to the Board of Supervisors.

Sean Tubbs at Charlottesville Tomorrow reports: (read the whole thing) ((bolding mine))

The Albemarle County Planning Commission has recommended adoption of a proposal to rezone land within the boundaries of the Crozet Master Plan. The development also would add to the area’s transportation network.

Only one person spoke during the public hearing and he said he was uncertain about the future roadways.

“Most of the roads that were described as being built were described as ‘hopefully, they will be completed one day,’” said Parkside Village resident Phil Kirby. “They really don’t mean much to the residents if they’re not done.”

“I think it’s going to be important for us to reach agreement on what extent of completion there needs to be done in the concept plan before we review it,” Keller said. “It puts us in a difficult position if they are not complete.”

Firehock compared the development to nearby Adelaide, which was recommended by the commission only after details about unit types were locked down.

“I do not feel comfortable moving forward with the level of information we have,” Firehock said.

However, Commissioner Jennie More said she felt she could support this rezoning because Riverbend is developing several of the adjacent properties.


Update: a few additional thoughts/quote pulls:

From the Adelaide conversation the other day (bolding mine)

Our land-use plans are not matching up to our zoning expectations,” he said “I think that creates a lot of dysfunction in how we go about doing our planning. It sets poor expectations for what is to come.”

Sheffield said he would be in support of Crozet rewriting its Master Plan for lower density and proactively changing the zoning accordingly.

Another supervisor whose district contains large portions of U.S. 250 dealt the final blow to the evening’s review of the proposal.

“I think this project is a beautiful project,” said Liz Palmer. “I’m not worried about the schools. What I’m worried about is safety on that road. I can’t support a development with this kind of density in that spot.”

But in Foothills

At least half of the homes would be single-family homes and at least 10 percent would be townhouses. However, the exact mix of units is not yet known.

Maybe I’m missing something, but this seems inconsistent.


Good comments on the Facebook post.

 

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7 Replies to “Foothill Crossing Rezoning Approved by Planning Commission”

  1. Seems pretty clear that the only way new roads and other transportation improvements get done is if the Developers do them. So, give them their zoning and lets get going.

  2. It is very seriously needed to provide better access to the new and even older areas like all the area that has to flow out past Tabor Church.

  3. There is nothing inconsistent with the two decisions made by the board. Foothill Crossing was consistent with the Crozet Master Plan and Adelaide wasn’t. Since the original Crozet Community Plan in 1993, the principle of protecting Rt 250 West from development has been in place.

    That said the community was willing to compromise with Adelaide and accept the lower end of the allowable density range allowed. This is not to mention the safety factor. For the past 5 years there has been an average of 1 accident per month in the area between Harris Teeter and Western Albemarle. A letter from the chief of police stated that while this section of the road while not in the county’s top ten of dangerous roads he did have safety concerns about the area of the development and felt the situation would only get worse in the future.

    Foothill Crossing will be part of an interior road network, which will have low speed roads, which poses much less danger. Next there’s the issue of connectivity, which Adelaide has none and Foot hill crossing does and will add to the interconnectivity of the whole eastern area of Crozet leading to a connection to downtown.

    The issue raised by Ms. Palmer is an interesting one. The theory has been that all you have to do is to dump as much development in the growth area as possible and all will be well. Apparently the increase in traffic has lead to increased complaints to Ms. Palmer, whose district also covers Rt 250.

    Unfortunately, what happens in Crozet doesn’t stay in Crozet. So what happens when development in the growth area, which is supposed to save the rural character starts to have a negative effect on that same rural character?

    (editor’s note: comment edited w/ Tom’s permission. I added line-breaks)

  4. I actually read through all these comments and while most deal
    with a persons opinion some display the word “community”. Well.who represents this community and what does it include?
    It would be logical to assume that it ends at Route 250 since the south side is in another district. There are other hard boundaries as well that are often ignored to suit ones purpose. One accident a month average is an example of self serving language. Was the accident minor? Someone run off the road and hit a mail box? Or, A head on with injuries? What is the time period observed? For a major highway Route 250 is safe.
    The question is if the people that live here want to continue to have a rural area or change to an urban one. The steady build
    out of tract housing does not have to continue. Everything else
    is tied to that assumption. Hopefully people will start realizing
    that the dismantling of the area needs to stop… What benefits
    come from a constantly expanding bedroom community???

  5. I think this is important for people to recognize (bolding mine):

    However, one woman reminded Cory Farm residents that where they live was once agricultural land. In 1995, the Board of Supervisors rezoned 82 acres there from single-family residential to four units per acre.

    “Cory Farm was my great-grandparents’ farm,” said Chastity Morgan, of Afton. “I played in chicken coops and pig houses and dug potatoes and spent many Saturdays there on a porch swing.”

    Morgan said her great-uncle was one of the pedestrians killed in recent years on the road. Carroll Herring died in 2013. Morgan urged supervisors to support the rezoning.

    “I remember when Cory Farm was a farm,” said Supervisor Norman Dill. “I had friends that lived nearby and they were bitterly disappointed with Cory Farm.”

  6. Jim,
    I have no problem with you editing my comments. With regard to Cory Farms as you stated the year of rezoning was 1995, which is before the first Crozet Master Plan. That said, the community even at that time did not support development along Rt 250. The Harris Teeter development was objected to and was only settled by a court case against the county.
    It should be recognized that Cory Farms came in at about 3 homes per acre, which is the same density the community suggested for Adelaide, so I’m not clear what your point is.

Something to say?