Sk8Crozet Skate Park Coming to Fruition

Very cool. #lovecrozet #crozet

A post shared by RealCrozetVa (Jim Duncan) (@realcrozetva) on

 

via the Daily Progress (read the whole thing)

A bored teenager will always find something to do — either constructive or destructive. But with a newly planned skate park in Crozet, young skaters soon could have a place of their own creation.

When a group of young teens was caught setting small fires and painting graffiti at the former location of Barnes Lumber a few months ago, police and fire investigators didn’t see malicious future criminals. Instead, they saw a need to help young people develop a sense of community.

Not wanting the teenagers to go through the court system, Albemarle County police Officer Andy Gluba instead sought a way to help the young skaters build their own skate park in Crozet. Little did he know, Sk8Crozet — a group dedicated to making Crozet a more skater-friendly place — also was interested in creating a park.

The future skate park — which will be a non-permanent pilot park at first — will be located in a small square of the parking lot by the back basketball court in Crozet Park. Along with Sk8Crozet, Gluba also reached out to the park’s board to see if the skate park could be put there because of its central location.

For the time being, the park will consist of small, easily moved components — such as rails and other small obstacles. By gathering data about who uses the park and how they use it, the park’s board can determine whether a permanent park would be appropriate, according to the board’s president, Kim Guenther.

“By permanent, it doesn’t mean it would be at Crozet Park,” Guenther said. “I don’t know if we have room. It could be somewhere else in Crozet. But this pilot will allow us to just do a little data gathering.”

Creekside Neighbors Unite for Neighborhood Traffic and Child Safety

Last week, I noted the 12 new homes coming near the Creekside section of Old Trail. It seems many of the folks who currently live in Creekside are working to change the plans.

Chris and Meghan Little, who bought their lot for its privacy for their young children 4 years ago, sent this

 

Overwhelming popular opinion and fear is that: Traffic from Greyrock will be redirected to the town-center and to the public schools via this new street, which is VERY dangerous.  We have a very tight community of neighbors and CHILDREN in the Private Road area, and they all run, ride, and play in this Private Road Area every day.  We aim to improve property and community value, enhance bike and sidewalk activity, and we wonder who will maintain the ‘Green Spaces’ and what will reside there?

Also why does the developer not adhere to the 15’ home setback lines?  These homes will be out of place in the current configuration.

If anyone wants to be added to the Birchwood Hill Rd./Welbourne Ln. Opposition Email Thread, please email us.

 

 

Crozet Trails Etiquette

Crozet Trails are amazing, connect Crozet and Crozet neighborhoods in a remarkable way, and as they grow, and their usage grows, this is a new area for many of us to learn to live together and get along. 

Friend & neighbor Mark McCardell wrote the following on Nextdoor, and said I could re-publish it here.

I write this as a jogger, hiker, mountain biker, dog owner, and Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club (CAMBC) member (which maintains most of the multi-use trails in the county and city).

On multi-use trails there is a general etiquette that users should observe

1) Mountain bikers yield to all foot traffic. When approaching pedestrians from behind, MTB’ers should use their bell and announce they are passing on the left if space is permissible. If space is not permissible, you (the biker) must yield until there is space.

2) Runners approaching pedestrians from behind should announce they are passing on the left.

3) Dog owners should keep their pets leashed at all times. Because I use the trails for just about everything I have experienced just about everything. In one case an unleashed dog caused me to wreck on my mountain bike. In another case an MTB’er did not announce their passing and I could not short leash my dog in time, and she caused him to wreck.

Even when I have had my dog short leashed, it still wasn’t courteous for a runner or MTB’er to pass close by without announcing. Our previous dog was not dog friendly and unleashed dogs on the trails always led to negative encounters. Observing multi-use trail etiquette allows everyone to enjoy the amazing multi-use trails we have in our area.

 

Jim’s final note: when sharing trails and spaces, I advocate the “don’t be a butthead” rule, which is sort of like the Golden Rule, but more direct. When I’m riding my mountain bike on the Crozet Trails (or anywhere, on road or trails), I do everything I can to be nice to those with whom I’m sharing that space or road. Being nice is usually easier. 

Trails, Trails, Trails

I received this email yesterday from Allie Hill, and she said I could post it. (want to learn more or get involved? email her)

Trails increase property values, community engagement and familiarity, and connection with the community.


“Thanks for your interest in developing the Three Notched Trail (TNT). Below are relevant meetings, events and articles for your reading pleasure. Feel free to share this email with interested friends and do let me know if you’d like to be removed from the list.

More on the proposed Three Notch’d Trail


Events and Meetings

Continue reading “Trails, Trails, Trails”

Four Projects Coming to Crozet

One near Crozet Park, and one seemingly a small extension of Old Trail on Jarmans Gap, across from Grayrock. Update: and new Adelaide, and Glenbrook

Site Review meetings for both are on 18 July.

Investigate more for yourself – see plats and such –  at Albemarle County’s County View.

Departing Fireworks Traffic will be One Way (2017)

Reminder from the CCA: (seriously, if you can, walk to/from the fireworks)*

On Saturday, July 1, from about 10 to 10:30 pm (after the fireworks show) BOTH LANES of Park Road, High Street, and Tabor Street will be one?way from Claudius Crozet Park to Crozet Avenue. Albemarle County Police officers will be directing traffic at the Crozet Avenue/Tabor Street intersection.

Allie wrote in a Crozet FB group (and I’m posting with her permission)

Best Crozet day of the year! Bring chairs and/or blankets down to the route and bags for candy collection. It starts at Crozet Elementary and goes to Crozet Park.

If you need to drive down, I can give parking suggestions depending on what side of town you are coming from. People set up at least 15 minutes before the parade starts at 5.

There are usually some people handing out freezie pops before the parade starts, I know Crozet Running has in the past. It is fairly crowded from Green House Coffee to Tabor Street, and gets a little crowded again up near the park.

We live close enough to walk, so we usually walk home after the parade ends, load up …  chairs and blankets and drive to the park. It’s a suggested donation of $4 to get in (kids are free).

Everyone sets up chairs and blankets in the grass, there are some kid activities, music, and lots of food trucks, beer, proceeds go to the Park or the Rescue Squad, I forget what charity it is this year. Finally it gets dark, families break out the glow sticks, and at 9:30 the fireworks begin! I think it’s a 20 minute show.

After that, the traffic flows one way out of Park Rd and Tabor Street which helps a lot with getting out. We have always had a great time.

 

Continue reading “Departing Fireworks Traffic will be One Way (2017)”