I hope you all are having a great November and you’re almost ready for the holidays to be in full swing! We’ve got some really great programs coming up – don’t miss Shenandoah National Park rangers talking about Dark Skies on Monday Nov 25 from 6-7pm. They’ll talk about animals and plants and how they need the darkness, and then about how we can limit light pollution to help our animal neighbors! If the skies are clear, we’ll also be heading outside to look at the stars.
November 12 – December 14 Help feed young minds at Crozet Library! Drop off a new, unwrapped children’s book and we’ll share your love of reading by donating it to CDI Head Start at Crozet Elementary.
Dark Skies: The Gateway to the Stars with Shenandoah National Park
Monday, November 25 from 6-7pm
Discover the immense beauty of dark skies at night in this talk by Shenandoah National Park rangers who will discuss stars, space, and the importance of limiting light pollution. The talk will be inside, with the opportunity to stargaze outside, weather permitting. Best for ages 10 and up. Register for reminders about this event here. *Bring binoculars to gaze at the night sky, if you have them!
Route 240 at Music City Today and Starr Hill Brewery | Pedestrian Crossing | Field investigation complete; Plans have been finalized, estimated cost approximately $153k — seriously, why has this taken so long? It’s not that hard.
Route 240 (Starr Hill Sidewalk Project): Pedestrian improvements to include four lengths of sidewalk along the frontage of Starr Hill and Music Today as well as across the street, plus one new crosswalk and the improvement of an existing crosswalk. Design work is complete and construction should be done within the year. This is a $200,000 project funded through VDOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).
Wait a minute. The project went *down* in cost?
I emailed Kevin McDermott with Albemarle County; he responded quickly and thoroughly.
The project includes two pedestrian crossings. One between the Music Today parking and Music Today offices and the second between the Starr Hill entrance and the Music Today Warehouse. They will both have those Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons similar to the one on 250 near the Harris Teeter.
The project has approved designs and funding and the only thing waiting is for it to be worked into the construction schedule but it is expected to be completed by the end of January.
The cost went down for the project because they reduced the scope of the project. Initially they had been including significant work on the Starr Hill side that would include sidewalk receiving areas and stormwater improvements. Ultimately they removed those because it wasn’t within the budget. I do not know for sure the final budget. This is a VDOT administered project so the County isn’t involved in the delivery of it. The VDOT website shows it as a $361k project.
A round up of things regarding this Wednesday’s CCAC meeting at Crozet Library at 7pm
My quick thoughts
We need housing, in Crozet, in Albemarle, in the US. We need infrastructure, too. This seems an opportunity to at least provide affordable housing for people who need it.
CCAC (and many other County boards, committees, and commissions) needs volunteers to serve. Find out more here.
David Benish, Albemarle County Community Development MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT: Whitehall TAX MAP/PARCEL(S): 05700-00-00-00800 LOCATION: 4783 Beaver Hill Lane PROPOSAL: Rezone 24 acres from Rural Area to R4 Residential with a special use permit to bring existing manufactured home park into compliance and to add 53 additional units.
PETITION: A request for a special use permit under section 18-15.2.2.14 for a manufactured home park on a 49.38-acre parcel. The property is currently a non-conforming manufactured home park with 47 units. The proposal seeks to bring the property into conformance and to add a leasing office and 53 additional units for a total of 100 manufactured homes at a gross density of 4.17 units/acre. Associated with the request are several special exceptions to the manufactured home park regulations outlined in Section 18-5.3. ZONING: RA Rural Areas – agricultural, forestall, and fishery uses; residential density 0.5 units/acre in development lots ENTRANCE CORRIDOR: Yes OVERLAY DISTRICT(S): None COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Rural Area – preserve and protect agricultural, forestal, open space, and natural, historic and scenic resources; residential (0.5 unit/ acre in development lots) in Rural Area 3 of the Comprehensive Plan.
4. 5. Board of Supervisors/Planning Commission Liaison Updates (15 minutes) – this is time reserved for liaisons to share community announcements and project/policy updates Supervisor Ann Mallek and Planning Commissioner Lonnie Murray Other Committee Business (10 minutes) a. All-CAC Review 6. Community Concerns (10 minutes)
Charlottesville Community Engagement
(always a must-read, and well worth the annual subscription)
Albemarle expects over 150,000 residents by the year 2050 and one of the biggest questions is where everyone will live. Another is how to preserve existing affordable housing and how to expand the number of subsidized units?
Those questions are answered application by application.
Shimp Engineering is leading the way on a rezoning for 24 acres from Rural Area to Residential-4 to allow for expansion of the Beaver Hill Manufactured Home Park to add 53 additional units to have a total of 100. The property is technically in the rural area.
The Crozet Community Advisory Committee will have a community meeting for these applications at the November meeting at 2020 Library Avenue in Crozet. This begins at 7 p.m. (meeting info)
Location of the Beaver Creek Mobile Home Park in Crozet (Credit: Shimp Engineering)
