December’s Crozet Gazette is online

Check it out here (big PDF)

Highlights include:

– Former BoS candidate and activist/involved citizen Tom Loach has been appointed by Ann Mallek to the Albemarle Planning Commisssion (this will have potentially significant impacts on Crozet and the entire County).

Update 12/20/2007: Tom Loach’s appointment is covered on Charlottesville-Right Now! (at 7:15) I’m surprised this hasn’t gotten more coverage – it’s huge news.

– Crozet Avenue design unveiled – check out all the images and files at the Crozet Master Plan Website

Cmp Crozet Streetscape Conceptual Plan

– Henley Goes Green
– A great message from the editor

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Pool coming to Old Trail

From an Old Trail release today:

As I have mentioned in previous updates, the location and design of the pool has been finalized and we are moving quickly to begin construction. I have attached an exhibit showing the pool location on Old Trail Drive and a detailed layout. The site plan has been submitted to the county and we are pushing for a quick approval so we can have this amenity open by Memorial Day 2008. A larger version of this exhibit is available for review in the sales center and the golf clubhouse.

I will keep you in the loop as we proceed through the approval process and move towards construction. If you have any questions or suggestions please do not hesitate to contact any member of the development team.

Old-Trail-Pool


View Larger Map

The full site plan can be found here.

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Spring may bring a different drought analysis

From CvilleTomorrow:

Supervisor David Wyant (White Hall) asked what provisions the RWSA has for utilizing Beaver Creek Reservoir if the region remains dry. Beaver Creek is the public water source for Crozet, and is a backup reservoir for  the rest of the urban water system maintained by the RWSA. Frederick said the safe yield for Beaver Creek is about 1.8 million gallons per day (MGD) but consumption varies between 400,000 and 700,000 gallons per day.

“We are not anticipating any near term problems in supplying Crozet,” Frederick said. “The one thing we do have to be careful about is that if we do get into a critical drought period and want to pass water from Beaver Creek to South Fork to augment the urban system, we must be extremely careful and watch our data very closely to make sure we don’t take too much.”

Yes, we are still in a drought. Recycled sewage, anyone?

Crozet Zoning update

I’m still working my way through this one, but Crozetians should take the time to read the whole thing. A few quotes jump out from some of Crozet’s respected leaders:

Sandy Wilcox of the Downtown Crozet Association said he was upset about the way the process was turning out. He said the idea of reducing the size of the downtown had never been discussed during meetings between property owners, staff and consultants. He also said he was confused by why the lumber yard was taken out.

“The idea that we had in there was for everything to be the same so there wouldn’t be a wild card out there that we don’t know what is going to happen,” Wilcox said. He added that he felt blind-sided by the staff’s report and that his trust in the process is broken.

The complaints kept coming.

Mack Lafferty, a member of the Crozet Community Advisory Committee, said he felt blind-sided. Another member, Mary Rice, encouraged the Commissioners to walk along Carter Street before following the recommendations.

Mike Marshall, publisher of the Crozet Gazette and chair of the CCAC, said he was shocked that staff issued a new recommendation before the work session.

If they’re concerned, so should we be.

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Crozet Streetscape – Phase 2

Republishing press releases from the County is but one way that this blog tries to inform and educate Crozetians. This meeting also presents an opportunity for somebody to write a first-hand account of the meeting.
Crozet Streetscape

Crozet residents are invited to a Community Meeting for the Downtown Crozet Streetscape Project Phase 2 to provide input on the conceptual design and the impacts related to implementing the vision for Crozet Avenue and New Main Street on Monday, December 3 at 7:00 PM at Western Albemarle High School.

This meeting will be sponsored by Albemarle County and project consultant Kimley-Horn and Associates and will be held in conjunction with the regularly scheduled Crozet Downtown Association Meeting.
For those unable to attend, there will be opportunities for you to contribute to the process by email. We will also have the informational materials from the meeting available for review on the County website.

Welcome, Co-Housing Neighbors

The Blue Ridge Cohousing project was approved by the Albemarle Board of Supervisors on Wednesday night.

What is Blue Ridge Cohousing? 

Blue Ridge Cohousing is a group of families working to establish cohousing in Crozet near Charlottesville in beautiful Central Virginia.

What is cohousing?     

Cohousing neighborhoods combine the advantages of private homes with the benefits of more sustainable living, including shared common facilities and ongoing connections with neighbors. These intentional neighborhoods, created and managed by residents, offer an innovative solution to today’s environmental and social challenges. 

I am curious to learn more about the project, and the “car-free” design of the neighborhood.

Their development goals are goals that would be good to be adopted by more than just co-housing projects:

– Environmentally sound construction
– Includes affordable housing
– Includes housing for disabled residents
– Houses are visitable to the disabled
– Homes should be $150K to $400K

Learn more at their website.

Hat tip: Cvillenews
Do any readers have first-hand knowledge of this development?

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