Attempting to notify Crozetians the day before any action is too late.From the Crozet Community Association – We urgently need a number of people who can come to the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting, 9 A.M., Wednesday morning, March 1, at the County Office Building, room 241, on McIntire Road downtown.  You will not have to speak; just be there to stand up and make the presence of Crozet felt….  Some of us will present the over 1100 signed petitions urging the BOS to respect the Master Plan and keep to the promised 12,000 buildout population.  We have found using the County’s own figures that the current population including all the developments that have already been approved is over 11,000!…  We have never agreed to the twenty year date; the 12,000 figure was the total build-out figure continuously quoted to us during the Master Planning period….  Or are they going to ignore the 12,000 figure and continue to make Crozet a population land-fill?…  We need Crozet citizens and other concerned people to be there on Wednesday to support our contention that the BOS has to take control of the uncontrolled building taking place and STOP it now….  At the most recent Crozet “Town Hall,” he made a few seemingly prepared remarks but did not take public questions.

From today’s DP article by David Hendrick – Fabienne Swanson, manager of the nearby Fabulous Foods, also expressed guarded optimism about impending change.”I do have to say I’m looking forward to growth and some of the changes,” Swanson said.  “I really hope they think about the roads before they allow all the growth.”If only they would listen to the people …

Albemarle County has updated their Crozet site.  Check out the agenda for tomorrow, the infrastructure update and more.  Based solely on the agenda, I think the County may be continuing the disconnect that currently exists.  Is the planned population for Crozet 12,000 or 24,000?  Without addressing this, I think that Crozetians are going to be less able/willing to move forward.  Who wants to work with someone they don’t trust?

An effort is being made to request the County to review its Master Plan for Crozet.  You can sign the petition here.The petition reads:Citizens of Crozet diligently worked thousands of hours over two years with Albemarle Count planners and and consultants to design a Master Plan that would create a Crozet of 12,000 residents.  In good faith, Crozetians negotiated with Albemarle County leaders for a Master Plan in which the maximum population of Crozet was publicly and repeatedly projected at 12,000 total residents.  This projection would quadruple the size of Crozet.  Now the County says we have it wrong!  The County says the plan calls for a population in the Crozet Growth Area as high as 24,000 residents!  The want Crozet to grow to half the size of the City of Charlottesville.The County currently has a credibility problem.  They certainly have some ‘splainin’ to do.

Albemarle County’s website has an updated notification system for Crozet’s Master plan.  Go here to sign up.  One thing that irks me is that they require registrants to state whether they are residents of Albemarle.  I would be interested to see an option for how many are natives of Albemarle.  Their A-Mail is one of many efficient features of their extensive website.

Lots to discuss!From the DP: The county’s Comprehensive Plan designates Crozet for growth.  The county’s Neighborhood Model illustrates what growth should look like.  The Crozet Master Plan, painstakingly developed with residents’ involvement, describes how growth should occur specifically in and around Crozet.  Individual rezonings and similar board decisions implement all those plans.Residents believe the Master Plan should be the ultimate guide.  But they are not sure the Board of Supervisors is following that vision.Adding to the confusion is the difficulty of measuring growth.  Master Plan figures predict a maximum population of about 12,000 in 20 years when the area is fully “built out.”  Supervisors and county staff suggest a population of 24,000.  And an analyst at the Piedmont Environmental Council says the number could go even higher – up to 33,000 people.And Charlottesville Tomorrow is following the story.

I heard a rumor or two today about a couple of chains that may be making their way to the Crozet area.  How would that change the Crozet area?  Currently we have been able to maintain a “small-town” feel, with local restaurants, dry cleaners, pharmacies, etc. What impact would large-scale national chains have on Crozet?  What, if anything, could be done to prevent or encourage these types of stores to come?  Would anybody care?