Crozet's community blog
From the DP’s commuter page –
I-64 westbound at mile marker 108: Left lane closed. About 11 miles west of Charlottesville, the lane will be closed 24 hours, seven days a week until June 2008. Backing up about two miles for slow-and-go and a 45-minute delay.
That is the question in today’s Daily Progress.
In addition to overhauling the block where the pizza shop sits, the redevelopment project, called Crozet Station, would add a façade to the adjacent strip shopping center anchored by the Crozet Great Valu grocery store. Condos will be built above all of the new and revamped properties.
No tenants would be displaced by the work — new buildings would be constructed around the old and the businesses could still function despite the dust. The same is true for the adjacent block of buildings that are being retained.
Architect Bill Atwood hopes to start construction on the redevelopment this summer and said work could last for three years, done in three phases.
The plans have been approved by Albemarle officials, though they still need to be approved by the county Architectural Review Board.
Atwood said the new downtown would feature 56,000 square feet of commercial space with about 70 condos selling for $300,000 and less.
Backstory:
31 May 2006 – Goodbye Crozet Pizza?
11 October 2006 – Readers’ Forum
Update 18 May 2008 – a Letter to the Editor in today’s Daily Progress.
I have lived in Crozet for one and a half years now and as a former resident of New Jersey I must say let’s stop feeling sorry for the businesses of Crozet. For years they have been the only game in town. They fail to recognize the influx of additional population, thus resulting in additional potential businesses. I welcome change and competition to Crozet Pizza and all other local establishments who fail to adapt to change. We all like to keep small town America, but failure to adapt and change will lead to failure to succeed.
One of the best parts of writing RealCrozetVa is the interaction from readers off-line.
This is part of an email I received last week from someone who is moving to Crozet: (comments/advice are welcome from readers)
Where do empty nesters go to meet people (late forties, early fifties?)
Where is a good place to have lunch? Cocina del Sol, Greenwood Country Store,
Is there any night life? Uncle Charlie’s has bands.
Do people shop mostly in Waynesboro? Quite a few do.
Does Crozet have any town events/celebrations? Parade, Fireworks (probably need money again this year), Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival – May 11/12 and October 11/12 this year.
What is current population and what is the size of Crozet (square mileage) – 5,229 people.
What kind of volunteer opportunities are there in Crozet?
Let’s see –
Crozet Pizza – no delivery
Sal’s Pizza – no delivery
Domino’s Pizza – delivery
and now Anna’s Pizza in Old Trail– delivery as well!
Anna’s Ristorante Italiano and Pizza, has signed the first lease in the new commercial center at Old Trail Village in Crozet. Anna’s Pizza at Old Trail will be providing delivery to Old Trail residents and others in the nearby Crozet area.
Maybe we could have a bake-off charity event to benefit the Crozet Fireworks Fund.
(Thanks to a reader for prompting this post)
The Crozet Glen, a mixed income development near the corner of Jarman Gap Road and Blue Ridge Ave. will contain from 40 to 70 units, is in the design phase. The first public workshop will take place on Saturday, May 3 from 4-7 pm at the Crozet United Methodist Church fellowship hall. The impact on Crozet traffic should be an additional 400 to 700 trips per day. You are encouraged to attend.
The format of the interactive workshop event for May 3 with an introductory presentation followed by the opportunity to visit stations around the room that focus on the different project values (mixed-income housing, green building & site design, aging in place, community context, access/mobility, etc.). Each station will have a PHA or CCDC staff person plus one steering committee member to facilitate discussion and document comments about specific issues. We will adjourn the workshop at 6:00 and share an informal meal & social hour (outside if it’s nice) from 6-7. We will then plan to schedule a more workshops for later in June.
Download a flier for the Crozet Glen workshop here.
*Editor’s Note – the above was sent in by a reader. If you have story for RealCrozetVA, please let me know.
Thanks to everyone who entered! The two winners have each won one month memberships to the new 24-hour fitness in Crozet. Should they choose to post their names here, they are more than welcome to do so. Even better, I’d gladly welcome their comments on their experiences with the gym.
As noted in December, Starr Hill is going national. Congratulations to them, although seeing a Budweiser truck in front of Starr Hill’s Crozet operation was a bit odd.
Albemarle County are looking for applicants for the Crozet Community Advisory Council. Selfishly, I would love for a representative of the CCAC to write a story on RealCrozetVA after the meetings to keep readers updated on the direction that Crozet may go.
For better or worse, our daily lives are significantly impacted by the conclusions reached and decisions made in mundane, monotonous often boring yet crucially important meetings.
Are you interested in being an active and engaged part in critical issues that will help shape Crozet’s future? If so, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is strongly encouraging you to apply for one of several open positions on the Crozet Community Advisory Council (CCAC).
The CCAC was created by the Board two years ago as an advisory committee to assist County staff and the Board of Supervisors with civic/community issues related to implementation of the Crozet Master Plan. The membership is broad-based to incorporate a variety of perspectives and ideas and to provide citizens, businesspersons and representatives of active community groups a chance to be engaged and be heard in a constructive and meaningful way.
The 15-member group meets monthly and is active in partnering with the County on a variety of critical projects including the streetscape project, the Crozet Library, the Western Park master plan, and the downtown zoning project. Members serve a two-year term and are eligible for reappointment for a total of two terms.
The CCAC needs the continued energy and commitment of Crozet residents to continue the good work started in the group’s first two years and to keep momentum going on major infrastructure projects underway like the downtown revitalization and the library. Anyone interested in learning more about the Council or in getting an application can contact the County Community Relations Office at (434)296-5841 or can visit the Albemarle County website.
To help people learn more about the new 24 Hour Fitness facility in the Clover Lawn Shoppes on 250, the owners are generously offering two one-month memberships to readers of RealCrozetVA. If you’re interested, email me and I will select the winners on 21 April.
Crozet is moving forward … a gym, a new Harris Teeter under construction across the street, the Old Trail Towncenter on its way … the Waynesboro Town Center fifteen minutes to the west …
April’s Crozet Gazette is on news stands now. Pick it up anywhere in Crozet.
