Well, this sucks.
Surely, there are some WAHS kids, or kids home from college, who could use $15/hour. Here is where to apply for lifeguarding jobs. *
Mint Springs Closed Until they have Lifeguards
Crozet Elementary getting new principal
When we were at Crozet Elementary, we loved Ms. Crummie and make every day better for our daughter.
Katherine Knott at the Daily Progress:
After a dozen years leading Crozet Elementary, Gwedette Crummie is retiring, according to a recent announcement to the school community.
Crummie, the division’s longest-tenured principal, will step down this summer before the school welcomes 219 students from Brownsville Elementary following a redistricting approved earlier this year.
The $20.4 million, 28,000-square-foot expansion of Crozet will open this school year. (Jim’s note: if you’re buying a house in Crozet, make sure you know your school district; the MLS is driven by humans, and sometimes we make mistakes)
Crummie, who has worked in education for 36 years, wrote in her message to families that the decision to retire was difficult.
“However, the time is right for a new principal to join this remarkable school community with its beautiful new addition welcoming all students and families,” she wrote, adding that she’ll be starting a new career as a coach for young principals.
Quick Crozet News Roundup – June 2022
Digging into a few things Crozet-related. I’m writing this as much for you as to ensure that I read as much as possible about Crozet.
- Interesting discussion on Crozet Twitter about economic development, the 64 interchange, 250 Byway, density and infrastructure.
- County Tax Rates Rise and Fall
Overall, Albemarle county’s 2023 budget is $586 million, a whopping 25% increase over its 2022 budget of $467 million. Revenue growth is fueled by a $30 million increase in real estate tax receipts due to sharply higher assessed values this year, an expected gain of $11 million from the combined increases in the food and beverage and transient occupancy tax rates, and $26 million in higher state and federal funding due to Covid relief and federal infrastructure legislation allocations. Increased expenditures include $13 million more in county staff salaries, $26 million more to schools on the basis of the county’s 60/40 formula to share local tax revenues, and planned capital expenditures for projects such as new and expanded public schools and county courthouse building renovations.
The county is also absorbing huge cash inflows due to federal and state school relief funds. In the week before the April 27 Board of Supervisors meeting where the 2023 budget was approved, revenues jumped by $21 million, driven by an $18 million increase in schools funding derived largely from additional American Rescue Plan transfers. The county allocates almost 60% of its expenditures budget to the combination of school operations, the schools capital budget, and school-related debt service. See the nearby graphic for the budget breakdown, and the Albemarle County Finance and Budget website for more details.
- Interesting local business news, including Starr Hill’s design victory, the closing of the hot dog restaurant, and a baker and a candlemaker.
- Walk to the Park for the Fourth of July Celebration.
Although there will not be a fireworks show this year, the annual Crozet Independence Day Celebration after the parade will still bring a lot of traffic to Crozet Park. So many cars trying to leave at the same time takes a l-o-n-g time.
It can be difficult and dangerous to walk home from the park in the dark because there are no sidewalks from the park towards the neighborhoods to the east.
The Crozet Connector Trail can provide a safe, off-road route to neighborhood roads where there are sidewalks.
- “The Crozet Community Advisory Committee will get a lesson on water protection rules in Albemarle and capital projects for drinking water and sewer” on 6 June at 7pm.
Such committees can be a platform for community members to learn more about land use and development rules. That’s certainly the case in this month’s meeting which will take place virtually at 7 p.m. (meeting info)
First, the chief engineer of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority will give a presentation on various water and sewer projects for Crozet. The RWSA operates a separate urban water supply for Crozet and there are various upgrades underway at the moment.
Next, county engineer Frank Pohl will provide an update on the Albemarle Water Protection ordinance. That was first updated in 1998 to help reduce the amount of sediment that makes it way into the watershed. Learn more on the county’s website.
- Potentially interesting and relevant context to the discussion about redevelopment at the 64 interchange
- The Albemarle Architectural Review Board meets virtually at 1 p.m. (Monday, 6 June) On the agenda is a discussion about the Entrance Corridor Review Guidelines for 250 West from Afton to Ivy Road. According to the materials, Route 250 follows the alignment of a former Route 39. (meeting info)
- For those new here, some stories about the 64 interchange discussion
Cell Tower Coming to Greenwood?
Yes, please. More coverage is desperately needed.
Note that this is a different design and location than the cell tower that was proposed in 2021.
More information on the proposed Greenwood Cell Tower is here.
PROJECT LEAD REVIEWER: Bill Fritz [email protected]
PROJECT LEAD REVIEWER: Kevin McCollum [email protected]
PROJECT: SP202200011 Verizon – Scruby Property Tier III PWSF
& SE202200030 Verizon – Scruby Property Tier III PWSF
MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT: White Hall
TAX MAP/PARCEL(S): 05500-00-00-01400
LOCATION: The proposed facility is located adjacent to I-64 approximately 750 feet east of where Route 690 (Greenwood Station Road) crosses I-64.
PROPOSAL: The applicant proposes to construct a 140-foot-tall monopole tower to be used as a Personal Wireless Facility. The facility will include a lease area with ground equipment. The applicant has also requested a special exception to allow the antenna to be mounted 18 inches from the face of the tower instead of 12 inches.
PETITION: Tier III Personal Wireless Service facilities are permitted by special use permit in the RA, Rural Areas district in accord with Chapter 18, Section 10.2.2(48) of the Code of Albemarle. A special exception request may be made in accord with Chapter 18, Section 5.1 of the Code of Albemarle.
ZONING: RA, Rural Areas – agricultural, forestal, and fishery uses; residential density (0.5 unit/acre in development lots)
OVERLAY DISTRICT(S): EC- Entrance Corridor – – Overlay to protect properties of historic, architectural or cultural significance from visual impacts of development along routes of tourist access
PROFFERS: No
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Rural Areas – preserve and protect agricultural, forestal, open space, and natural, historic and scenic resources/residential density 0.5 unit/acre in development lots. Rural Areas 3 Comp Plan Area.
Keep in mind that this is a different site and design as the one that was proposed in 2021. This the the Daily Progress story from January 2021. (read the whole thing)
Community members are questioning the location of a proposed cell tower in western Albemarle County.
The tower is proposed for slightly south of Interstate 64 along Greenwood Station Road. Verizon wants to build a 94-foot-tall monopole with two antenna arrays on the site, and will need a special-use permit from the Board of Supervisors.
During a community meeting Monday, nearby property owners questioned the selection process of the site and why the tower was not being proposed for somewhere else.
(PDF of that story is here, for when the Daily Progress inevitably changes their URL structure)
And for some of the twitter conversation from 2021.
Roundabout at WAHS and Old Trail?
If you’re not reading the Charlottesville Community Engagement Week Ahead, you’re missing out. There’s a lot happening in Albemarle and Charlottesville that will affect our respective back yards.
At least read the weekly (shorter) summaries on Charlottesville Reddit.
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors will meet in person at Lane Auditorium for their first meeting of June. (agenda) (meeting info) …
* The first phase of Albemarle’s Comprehensive Plan review continues, and Supervisors will review the same material on the build-out analysis shown to the Planning Commission last week. Assuming that rezonings come in at the higher end of the densities designated in the Future Land Use Map, there’s enough land to support population growth. Supervisors may be the first to admit that those rezonings often don’t max out the land available. For instance, the Rio Point development could have had over 650 units but the project approved by Supervisors only came in at 328. This is a conversation to watch.
And then there’s transportation:
* Albemarle Supervisors will vote on the 12 Smart Scale applications to be submitted for areas in the county. The county itself is submitting four, including a potential roundabout at the intersection of Old Trail Drive and U.S. 250 West. The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and the Charlottesville Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization will submit the other eight. Those include a pair of projects on U.S. 250 in Pantops and the Rivanna River pedestrian bridge. Albemarle has had success with getting Smart Scale projects built whereas Charlottesville has languished.
* The TJPDC meets Thursday and will adopt a resolution to support a dozen projects that are being submitted on behalf of Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson counties. Several of them are indicators of areas preparing for more growth in the future.
From Albemarle’s site.
Good to see that they’re considering moving things other than cars.
- Old Trail Drive/US 250 West Intersection ImprovementsThis project would construct a roundabout at the Old Trail Drive/250 intersection with pedestrian accommodations, particularly for the pedestrian movement across 250.
A question to you
What matters to you in Crozet, and Albemarle County?
Independence Day Celebration – 2 July 2022
One of the most fun days of the year in Crozet is upon us, and once again, they need some community help to help pull off what is always an enormously well attended event.
As always, if you can walk or ride a bike to the fireworks, everyone would be happier with less traffic.
From the Crozet Community Association site
(click here to read the whole thing!)
It all starts with the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) parade at 5:00 PM at Crozet Elementary School and goes down Crozet Avenue through downtown Crozet to Claudius Crozet Park. The Parade Grand Marshal is TBA. .
If you would like to be a part of the 2022 Crozet Firemen’s parade, please submit your entry to be in the parade to ensure you are included in the lineup. Lineup will be based on a first come basis. Horses/livestock will be placed near or at the end of the parade. Lineup will begin at 4:00 P.M. at Crozet Elementary School and the parade ends at Claudius Crozet Park.
The celebration begins at Claudius Crozet Park after the parade. Bring a lawn chair if you want to be comfortable as you listen to the local band, Jacabone. Traditional American Fourth of July fare will be available, including hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, kettle korn, funnel cake, BBQ, and sno-cones, as well as vegetarian and vegan choices, tacos, and other favorites! Local beer and Bold Rock Cider will also be available for a separate cost. Event culminates at 9:30 PM with a stupendous fireworks show. (We have it at 9:30 PM so it’s late enough to be dark, but not too late to for the youngsters to view the show.)
There are no pets allowed in the event
Designated smoking areas are provided and we ask that you only smoke in those areas. If you live nearby Crozet Park, we encourage you to walk!
How much would you pay for such good times? All that’s asked is a donation of $5 per person (and children 9 years and under are free) as you enter the festivities (parking is free). The non-profit civic groups in Crozet are the ones that benefit from any money raised above the cost of the event, so please be generous. Most years, we’ve donated over $7,000 to CVFD, WARS, Crozet Park, and other civic groups.
Check out our Facebook page at: http://facebook.com/Crozet.Independence.Day.Celebration
…
The event is sponsored by the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, Crozet Community Association, Claudius Crozet Park, Crozet Lions Club, Life Journey Church, Crozet Board of Trade, and several other area churches, and citizen volunteers.
Making a Contribution
These events involve a lot of donated time from a lot of individuals, but they can’t happen without financial contributions, too. We want everyone to enjoy our small-town event, so we only ask for donations at the entrance – A donation of $5 per person (and children 9 and under are free) as you enter the festivities (parking is free). Of course, we appreciate all donations, but to boost our efforts to cover expenses, we have three leadership donor levels and we are hoping that you will show your support by becoming a lead patron this year.
- For a gift of $500 or more, we will prominently display your company banner you provide at the entrance to the park during the event, identify your patron status in the Crozet Gazette and event handbill and provide you with ten passes to the celebration in the park.
- For a gift of $250 to $499, you will receive acknowledgment in the Crozet Gazette and event handbill and four passes to the celebration in the park.
- And, for a gift of $100 to $249 you will receive two passes to the celebration in the park, published thanks in the Crozet Gazette and the event handbill.
July 2nd will be here before you know it. Won’t you join us by contributing whatever you can afford? If being a lead patron is too much this year, please send whatever you can afford. Your contribution is tax-deductible charitable donation. Last year, thanks to generous donations, we donated over $7,000 to multiple local charities- including the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, Crozet Trails Crew, and Claudius Crozet Park. Thank you!
Please make your donation by Monday, June 27 in order to be listed on the event handbill.
- You can mail a check payable to: Crozet Board of Trade and send it to: CBT, P.O. Box 261, Crozet, VA 22932. Please put “CIDC donation” on the memo line.
- You can contribute right now, online, by clicking on this link:
- Please put “CIDC donation” in the Designation box.
- Thank you for your generous support!
It takes a village – won’t you help out on Saturday, July 3 for an hour?
We need your help for just an hour or two on Saturday, July 2. Below is the website to sign-up to help with the Crozet Independence Day Celebration (CIDC) Saturday, July 2, between 5PM to 10PM (or Sunday morning to pick up the park). There are a variety of tasks and time slots. Most of the time slots are only an hour – so there’s lots of ways to help and still enjoy the event.
To volunteer for an hour, please click here.
CCAC, Climate, and Infrastructure
CCAC meeting on 11 May 2022 was focused Albemarle County’s Climate Change initiative, and yielded an interesting discussion.
If you’re interested, I would encourage you to either read all of the tweets (click here, scroll to the bottom and make your way up), or watch the video of the meeting.
A few tweets from the meeting
Maybe Progress on Barnes Lumber project?
via the excellent Charlottesville Community Engagement.
Albemarle Supervisors talk $2.5 million in funding for Crozet project, $4.4M in affordable housing projects
The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors meets at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium but there is also a hybrid option. (agenda)
The first item deals with a key component for the future of Crozet. Albemarle County entered into a public-private partnership with an entity known as Crozet New Town Associates to inject new life into a plan to redevelop the former Barnes Lumber site. Part of the plan is to create a road network and public space on which to build new town space. The cost of doing so has increased and now $2.5 million more in public money is suggested.
“The proposed addendum enables the County to complete the road network, whereas the developer will provide additional contributions to include paying for water and sewer utility installation, building a public restroom in a development adjacent to the public plaza, providing seed money to fund an Executive Director for the Downtown Crozet Initiative (a community development organization supporting the project), donating Right of Way (land) in the amount of approximately $300,000, and covering expenses exceeding the new project budget,” reads the staff report.
One million of the funding would come from the American Rescue Plan Act and $1.5 million would come from the county’s Economic Development Investment Pool.
As fun history, these are a few photos from June 2012 when the lumberyard was sold at auction.
Three Notch’d Trail at the BoS
This would be such a remarkable asset for Crozet, Charlottesville, the Climate, people’s health and well being, community, and the community.
Learn more about the Three Notch’d Trail idea.
From Sean Tubbs’ excellent Week Ahead.
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors will hold their first in-person meeting in nearly two years beginning at noon with a budget work session before their regular meeting. The meeting can be viewed by the public on the Board’s website. (agenda) (meeting info)
Regular business starts at 1 p.m. Two walkability proposals are on the agenda. First, Supervisors will be asked to grant final approval for a sidewalk on Commonwealth Drive and Dominion Drive in the Jack Jouett District. Albemarle is seeking revenue-sharing funds from the Virginia Department of Transportation. (staff report)
Next, the county is seeking a federal grant to plan for a trail between the Blue Ridge Tunnel to Crozet and then on to Charlottesville along the route of the Three Notch’d Trail. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act approved by the U.S. Congress last year set aside $1.5 billion under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program.
“There has long been local and regional interest in the development of a shared use path along the historic Three Notched Road,” reads the staff report. “A shared use path along Three Notched Road is highlighted in the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan, the Crozet Master Plan, the Jefferson Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, and the most recent Virginia Outdoors Plan. Segments of the shared use path were prioritized in the 2019 update of the Albemarle County Transportation Priorities list.”
Albemarle will seek up to $1 million to pay for a feasibility study, conduct public outreach on an alignment, and to bring the design to a certain level of engineering.
Add protected bike lanes and e-bikes, and we’d have something super-awesome and functional.
Albemarle Budget Town Hall 28 March 2022
From the Daily Progress:
According to county officials, the following meetings are scheduled:
Monday, March 28 at 7 p.m.. Hosted by Supervisor Ann Mallek, White Hall District and held at Brownsville Elementary School Cafeteria.
Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m.. Hosted by Supervisor Ann Mallek, White Hall District and held at Broadus Wood Elementary School Cafeteria.
Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m.. Hosted by Supervisor Donna Price, Scottsville District, it will be held at location yet to be announced.
Saturday, April 16 at 10 a.m.. Hosted by Supervisor Ann Mallek, White Hall District, and held at the White Hall Community Building.
And I just got this email — the () indicate where I removed personal/HOA information
We will be asking for the BOS to vote NO to new re-zoning requests in Crozet that threaten the environment, covering up important streams, overcrowd our small roads, and adversely impact our community.
WE NEED (NUMBERS) at the meeting TONIGHT!!!!
_____
Hello Neighbors!
I am sending the following notice on behalf of (), the president of our () Homeowners Association. She is urging all to attend a Town Hall meeting THIS EVENING at Brownsville Elementary School. Here’s what she says:
“We received a letter yesterday from Ann Mallek, our representative on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, inviting our neighbors to attend Mallek’s Town Hall meeting tonight in the Cafeteria at Brownsville Elementary School, beginning at 7:00pm.
It is absolutely critical that we show up, in person, to ask the Board of Supervisors to VOTE “NO” for the rezoning of the GREEN SPACE around Crozet. The proposed high-density Montclair development will adversely impact the Western Ridge neighborhood and surrounding communities. Please see details below.
I am asking our neighbors to meet at 6:30pm tonight at the (), where we can answer your questions about the Montclair neighborhood proposed ()We will go from there to Brownsville to attend the TOWN HALL meeting.
Related reading …
- Montclair development
- I’m going to do a followup post on affordable housing and the fact that we desperately need it.
- Tangentially related reading.