CCAC Meeting – 21 September 2016 | Bus Service, Project Updates, Population

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8 responses to “CCAC Meeting – 21 September 2016 | Bus Service, Project Updates, Population”

1. 

   September 21, 2016

   Tom Loach

   When you say “Don’t be a NIMBY; come to meetings *before* something directly impacts your backyard”, isn’t this a bit of an oxymoron? So your saying don’t be a NIMBY, but make sure by come to the meeting because if there is something that effects your property you can then become a NIMBY.

   One of the reasons Crozet has a master plan and a Community Advisory Committee (CCAC) is to insure the charge of being a NIMBY can’t be leveled. Before the master plan what happened was a developer would propose a new development and all the neighbors would run down to the planning commission and board meeting to protest, while the unaffected neighborhoods would breath a sigh of relief. At the pc and bos meetings those who complained about the development would be accused of being NIMBY’s by the developer and practically each and every time the development would be approved. At least with the master plan and CCAC any new proposal is judged against a known standard by a diverse committee of residents and recommendations made. Bottom line it’s practically impossible to use the charge of being a NIMBY in Crozet. The fact is a number of developments have moved forward even when there was some concern by neighbors because the development had been reviewed by the CCAC and the proposal was found to be compliant with the master plan. This is not to mention that would be hard to call Crozet a bunch of NIMBY’s when the community agreed to go from a population of about 2,500 to slightly over 12,000

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2. 

   September 21, 2016

   Jim

   First – you’re not the audience I was targeting. 🙂

   Second – I wrote that hoping to elicit someone to actually attend the meeting who never has attended before

   Third – I think of NIMBY in two veins – (slight rant)

   a) the ones who don’t want any growth, or want to make it so difficult as to make growth impossible either logistically or economically, not realizing the effects of their incessant and unreasonable delays for the sake of keeping something the way it has always been.

   b(1) The NIMBY who is content/complacent to let things go until something looks to affect their literal backyard, then they show up making a fuss, selfishly caring about themselves rather than the community as a whole.

   b(2) the NIMBY who is content/complacent to let things go, and then complains after the fact.

   Being an involved citizen is hard work and takes time and sacrifice. My opinion is that those who fit either b(1) or b(2) have less credibility than those NIMBYs who are at the meetings, expressing themselves, being and becoming educated and aware and informed.

   Being at all of the meetings is a way to learn about the entanglements that are inherent in small community growth and politics – know who’s developing what, who tried to develop this, who’s on the board, who’s married to whom, who’s head of that … knowing that stuff comes only from being involved consistently, not only when something comes up that touches your (collective( border.

   Personally, while I may not agree with those who are there (whichever “there” is relevant), I tend to give more credence to those who choose to make time to be informed, educated, involved citizens. Even when they’re wrong. 🙂

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3. 

   September 22, 2016

   Edward Strauss

   More efforts to label people while maintaining a agenda. When
   did the “Community” agree to a build out of 12,000? Who was representing them? When are the elections?
   You cannot claim to represent anything by holding meetings and then saying what you want. You have the right to assemble and the rest have the right not to. In a real Community all voices have equal weight. Most people choose to spend their time where they feel it will do the most good.
   In an unincorporated community such as Crozet we can only
   claim to represent ourselves…

   Reply
4. 

   September 22, 2016

   Steve Walsworth

   Jim, I understand your reasoning on the NIMBY comment. But, since a certain developer has used “NIMBY” in such a derogatory and insulting way, to those that disagrees with him, people are not going to agree with your definition(s) of the term. Your comments about the different types of people in the community is well founded but don’t call them all NIMBYs. In the military, we use to call some of the folks you describe as “idea men.” They were the ones that came up to the guys who did all the hard planning and work and wanted to change things with their “ideas.” Best to find other than NIMBY as a label.

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   1. 

      September 22, 2016

      Jim

      Respectfully, you use the phrase, “people are not going to agree with you” pretty broadly.

      I chose NIMBY specifically to see if anyone would react and come to prove me wrong. As there were no specific projects on the agenda that touched specific neighborhoods, I was sadly proven to be right.

      Reply
5. 

   September 22, 2016

   Edward Strauss

   Not really. You choose to use as a gauge the attendance at meetings where support of the group involved is at best unknown. Your inability to know what goes on at the County
   level, e-mails, conversations, leave you at a disadvantage.
   The only real power a bedroom community has is votes. One thing I am quite sure of is that Crozet does not need any more
   Developers. Especially the ones that have infiltrated the so called Citizens groups. Are you trying to stimulate reaction or conversation? Attendance at group meetings does not change
   the fact that the only power over Crozet rests with the Albemarle County BOS…

   Reply
   1. 

      September 23, 2016

      Jim Duncan

      Butts in seats matter. It’s that simple. And I’ll readily admit that I don’t know what conversations are there.

      I’m trying to get reaction, conversation, involvement, awareness … something other than apathy.

      Now I’m tempted to FOIA the emails to the BoS …

      Reply
6. 

   September 23, 2016

   Edward Strauss

   If butts in seats really matter the church’s would run the county.
   I don’t think you realize what this area attracts.
   I don’t think you understand where the actual power is.

   Crozet has been treated badly over the years. Developers have bought up most of the business space and are waiting for public money to develop it. And, I think that is the only reason they bother talking to anyone. When you have the rights to a piece of property why cater to the crowd??
   The committees are just what they are, the most inefficient way of doing anything and are far from being widely supported. You parrot most of their meetings with little effect.
   Maybe you need to FOIA the BOS emails. It would perhaps
   let you understand how the silent majority feels instead of the
   needy new arrivals. An example is the proposed expanded JAUNT service. One of the thoughts behind it is to reduce the number of cars on the road by providing reliable transportation to people’s workplaces from bedroom communities rather than expanding the roads to handle more vehicles. I think that the buses will even have bike racks…

   Still, you do provide an honest space for people to express themselves and that should provide you with some satisfaction.

   Reply