Support Crozet Fireworks – They’re on 3 July 2021

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We are excited to report that we are going to host the Crozet Independence Day Celebration this year, on Saturday, July 3rd. We’re getting a late start because of the pandemic, but we’re working hard to make this a fantastic Independence Day Celebration in Crozet!We write to ask for your enthusiastic support of our small town tradition – our annual Crozet Independence Day parade and fireworks show!


Thanks to generous donations in past years, we continue some of the best traditions of Crozet – friends and neighbors coming together to enjoy good times, celebrate our nation’s independence and help out others.  It’s an event that brings our community together and is an important fundraiser for many local organizations like the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, Crozet Lions, and the Claudius Crozet Park.  

For the past several years, we donated over $7,000 to six to eight local organizations.


The fun starts on Saturday, July 3rd  with a parade down Crozet Avenue starting at 5 p.m. We’ll follow the parade to Crozet Park to enjoy good food, local beer and beverages and music by a local band, Jacabone. We finish with a grand fireworks show at 9:30.  Look for updates about the parade and celebration at http://bit.ly/cidc2021/   and our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Crozet.Independence.Day.Celebration


The event planning committee, composed of volunteers from Crozet’s civic groups, wants the event to be self-sustaining, meaning that each year’s celebration generates enough to ensure that next year’s celebration will happen, too. The single largest expense is the fireworks show (roughly $13,000 this year) and so far, despite ever-growing numbers at the park, the cost of the fireworks has been met by donations, as it traditionally has been.
Of course, we appreciate all donations, however, like past years, we continue our three donor levels and we hope that you will support us by being a patron this year. • For a gift of $500 or more, we will prominently display your company banner you supply at the entrance to the park during the event (where more than 5,000 people might see it!), 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.  

To be listed on the event handbill, we need to know you are donating by Friday, June 25, 2021.


July 3rd will be here before you know it.  Won’t you join us by donating online or sending a check today to help with these expenses?  Please make your tax-deductible charitable donation payable to the Crozet Board of Trade and mail it to: DCA   P.O. Box 261, Crozet, Virginia 22932 and note on the memo line “fireworks donation” and be sure to tell us how you’d like to be recognized.  Or if you’d rather donate with a credit card, go to: https://bit.ly/CIDC-donation    Either way, it’s a tax-deductible charitable donation. Please give as generously as you can, so that our entire community can continue to enjoy this patriotic tradition.   

Crozet Master Plan (2021 edition) is Complete

I’m sure it’s not perfect; no plan ever is. (bolding below is mine)

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The Draft Crozet Master Plan is Complete — Read the Plan and Share Your Feedback!
Since September 2019, Albemarle County has been exploring, alongside the Crozet community, how to best reflect the community’s vision for the future of Crozet in the latest update to the Crozet Master Plan.

The Crozet Master Plan includes 5 chapters: an Introduction, Transportation, Land Use, Conservation, and Implementation. 

Over the past month, community members shared their priorities for recommended projects in the Implementation Chapter through an online questionnaire, at the virtual Crozet Community Advisory Committee meeting, and in-person at community pop-ups. The ‘Cataylst Projects’ in the Implementation Chapter reflect these priorities, read the draft Master Plan to learn more! Meet us at one of our pop-ups or participate anytime at PublicInput.com/ImagineCrozet!  

Crozet Plaza Update – 14 June 2021

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Community Zoom Meeting on Monday: Crozet Plaza Update

We have been working behind the scenes with Albemarle County, VDOT, Milestone Partners (developer) and others to make progress on the future Crozet plaza. Please join us this Monday, June 14, via Zoom to view the most recent proposed plans for the plaza and hear a projected timeline for when the groundbreaking will commence! You also will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback, as community input is invaluable to the success of downtown. We hope to see everyone there!

When: Monday, June 14
Time: 7 PM

View the Zoom link and RSVP here.
 

June 2021 CCAC Meeting. Even More Master Planning

One day, the Crozet Master Plan will be implemented.

2021 is the perfect example of the dangers of taking decades to implement a plan.

2021 changed everything. More people want to, and can, work from home than they did in 2004 when the Crozet Master Plan was originally done. 2010 is a distant memory, as is that working environment.

Employees are choosing to quit rather than go to the office. More people than ever are riding bicycles, and not just for fun and exercise, but as a primary method of transportation. People with shorter commutes are happier.

Experts cite several factors for the surge. With gyms closed, people wanting to exercise went outside. People hesitant to ride buses or subways used bikes instead. Many cities took steps to make streets more bike-friendly.

If the CCAC and Albemarle County are serious about affordable housing and community sustainability, they’ll encourage local businesses to grow, and build the infrastructure so that people can walk or ride instead of drive.

~ me.

Related story: Experts discuss links between housing, transportation costs


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Agenda

  1. Call to Order & Agenda Review (3 minutes) Allie Pesch, CCAC Chair
  2. Approve Meeting Minutes (2 minutes) Allie Pesch, CCAC Chair
  1. Master Plan Discussion: Implementation Prioritization (45 minutes) Staff presentation: Rachel Falkenstein, Tori Kanellopoulos CCAC members discussion
  2. Master Plan Discussion: Full Draft Feedback and Q&A (30 minutes)

CCAC members discussion

5. Committee Business (10 minutes)

Allie Pesch, CCAC Chair


How to participate in this meeting online

Download Zoom. Use this link https://albemarle-org.zoom.us/j/94571782297 to join the webinar.

By phone/call-in

Dial (301) 715-8592. Type in the Webinar ID 945 7178 2297 followed by the pound (#) sign. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]


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The agenda and materials are posted on the Calendar page

For this month’s meeting we plan to spend the bulk of the time discussing implementation. The first several pages of the meeting materials include the information packet that summarizes the proposed implementation projects. Pages 32-33 are recommended priorities based on the feedback (these pages are also attached to this email for quick reference). This is what we would like to discuss with the CAC during tomorrow’s meeting.

We also have updated drafts chapters for Land Use, Transportation, and Conservation. Not many substantive changes were made to these chapters and we can plan to summarize what changes that were made at the meeting. We have a newly drafted Introduction Chapter. These drafts chapters are included in the “Additional Materials” tab on the calendar page. We won’t have a formal presentation on these chapters, but will be available to answer questions or hear feedback about the remaining content. Recognizing this is a lot of content to get through, we’ll plan to be available at other times for feedback on the full draft and will have it posted on the Imagine Crozet Public Input hub sometime next week.

– From Rachel Falkenstein with the County


The Draft Crozet Master Plan is Almost Complete — Help Prioritize the Recommended Projects!

A reason to participate in these surveys is simple – if you don’t express your opinion, be assured that someone else has, and you might not agree with that which they want.

Me? I want more sidewalks, bike lanes, density, and walkability.

Someone else probably wants zero growth, and wider roads only for cars.

Might as well spend a few minutes putting forth one’s opinion.

(as I’ve said many times; yes, I’m a Realtor. Yes, I earn a living representing people who buy and sell real estate in Crozet. No, I don’t benefit, either as a real estate agent or a resident of Crozet if we implement poor growth and transportation policies.)

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Since September 2019, Albemarle County has been exploring, alongside the Crozet community, how to best reflect the community’s vision for the future of Crozet in the latest update to the Crozet Master Plan. This month, we are focusing on content for the “Implementation” chapter of the Master Plan. 

This week, we will share information about recommended projects in the draft Crozet Master Plan at four pop-ups in Crozet, as well as a virtual information session that will be recorded and available online. 

Meet us at one of our pop-ups, attend the virtual information session, or participate anytime at PublicInput.com/ImagineCrozet

Online Questionnaire

Through Monday, June 7th 

Review the draft recommendations and share your priorities for the implementation of the plan via the online questionnaire.

Making 810 a Byway?

An interesting nugget in this week’s Charlottesville Community Engagement “Week Ahead” email (a weekly must-read):

There’s a request to set a future public hearing to designate Route 240 and Route 810 in western Albemarle as a Virginia By-Way (staff report)

From Albemarle County’s letter, in part:

This route was recommended by DCR’s 2013 Virginia Outdoors Plan as a potential Virginia Byway. The interest is to collaborate with Greene County to designate Rt 240/Rt 810 as a Virginia Byway from Crozet to Stanardsville in Greene County. This designation would connect other Virginia Byways in Albemarle County: Rt 250 Rockfish Gap Turnpike and Rt 676 Garth Rd. The US Bike Route 76 also travels on Rt 810 White Hall Rd from Garth Rd south to Buck Rd in Crozet.

The proposed segment of Rt 240 (Crozet Ave) passes through the downtown Crozet Historic District, changes to Rt 810 (White Hall Rd) passing scenic farmlands, vineyards, and orchards while it becomes Brown’s Gap Turnpike passing bed and breakfasts, artisan studios and artisanal farms where it changes names once more at Dolye’s River bridge to become Blackwells Hollow Rd heading northwest along the mountain foothills into Greene County. The entire proposed corridor is approximately 30 miles between Rt 250 in Western Albemarle and Rt 33 in Greene County.

Sounds like a nice place to live. And ride a bicycle.

Spring 2021 Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival

This should be a great weekend; 68º – 78º.

The new logo is nice, too.

For goodness sake, please walk or ride a bicycle to the Festival.

CROZET, VA Over 115 Artists and Exhibitors are coming back to Crozet Park for the 41st Annual Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival! Recognized as one of the region’s leading fine arts and craft shows, the Crozet Arts & Craft Festival will be held rain or shine Saturday and Sunday, May 8th and 9th from 10 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 5:00 pm on Sunday. 

Safety is a priority for this socially-distanced, outdoor event. The Festival will implement COVID safety protocols, such as social distancing markers and a mask requirement for all attending. The outdoor festival grounds and parking areas at Crozet Park allow for artists and patrons plenty of room for social distancing. 

Artists: Top artists from across the country vied to be a part of the 41st bi-annual Crozet Art & Craft Festival on Mother’s Day weekend. From a large pool of creative candidates, a panel of talented and professional artist jurors chose the best in each arts category. Many new artists will join the seasoned and returning favorites of the past.

This year’s exhibitors will bring to Crozet an array of stunning jewelry, trendsetting apparel and leather, magnificent artwork, photography and exceptionally crafted glass, ceramics, sculpture, and more. Festival guests will find something for almost every taste and pocketbook, ranging from affordable gift giving to heirloom investments.

Music: The festival’s fine arts and crafts will be complemented by a variety of types and styles of popular local musicians playing throughout the days. Jim Gagnon and Kai Crowe-Getty are performing on Saturday and The Sweet Potatoes and Koda and Marie from Chamomile and Whiskey are performing on Sunday.  

Food & Beer: An appetizing selection of Food Trucks will be complemented by beer from Starr-Hill Brewery and Three Roads Brewing Company and wine from Stinson Vineyards and Kings Family Vineyards.  

Kids’ Area:The children’s area includes beloved musical guests Kim and Jimbo Cary, The Creative Wagon, Ninos and Nature, and more!  

Raffle: Win amazing prizes from Cville Picnic, The Looking Glass, and many Artists who will be at the event.  #CrozetLOVE: A new LOVE sign has been installed at Crozet Park just in time for the festival. Designed by local artist Chicho Lorenzo. #CrozetLOVE is part of the LOVEworks campaign and is made possible by a grant from Virginia is for Lovers and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

Crozet Park treats exhibitors and guests to a most relaxing, accessible setting. Located just off the Route 64 bypass, take exit #107 west of Charlottesville by 20 minutes, Crozet Park is a beautiful, community-owned non-profit park that is the beneficiary of these Art Festival Events.

Volunteering for Crozet Park Art & Craft Festival is easy and fun with sign ups (here):

 Tickets are $7 and children under 12 are free. Everyone is encouraged to purchase their ticket online this year ahead of time to help with Covid safety. Tickets are available (here).
Parking is free. 

For more information please visit

Ewa Harr is the current director of the event.

Petition to Create Bike Lane Through Albemarle County

This would be fantastic.

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Many of you know that I’ve been working towards a trail here in Albemarle that is similar to the Virginia Capital Trail. 

We’re calling it the Three Notched Trail and it would be a 25 mile long, car-free path from Charlottesville to the Blue Ridge Tunnel.  


There is currently funding available from VDOT for a feasibility study and we need to convince the Board of Supervisors to accept this offer.  Please consider signing the petition to show your support. 


Petition link and more details are here.

Text of the petition is below.


Continue reading “Petition to Create Bike Lane Through Albemarle County”