Crozet Community Advisory Council Meeting tonight

The monthly Crozet Community Advisory Council meeting is this Thursday, May 21, 2009 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at The Meadows Community Center

(Located on Meadows Drive/Route 240, Crozet)

Tentative Agenda
1. Agenda Review  (Mike Marshall – CCAC Chair)
2. Historic Resources Study Update (County Staff)
3. Crozet Community Questionnaire (Tim Tolson)
4. Master Plan Revision Tentative Schedule (Elaine Echols/Rebecca Ragsdale)
a. 5/27 Education Session Plan (Britton Miller)
b. Schedule through the Summer (Elaine/Rebecca)
5. Committee Updates (CCAC)
6. County Announcements/Development Updates (Rebecca Ragsdale)
7. Election of Officers for Next Year (CCAC)
8. Summary and other updates/agenda items for next meeting:
June 18
9. Adjourn

All are welcome and encourage to attend.

Brief Notes for 2009-05-17

  • @drewlawrence I find that flickr has a wider dispersion than FB, (and then they’ll show up on RealCrozetVA 🙂 ) in reply to drewlawrence #
  • @drewlawrence please tag ’em with “Crozet” if you happen to upload them to Flickr! in reply to drewlawrence #
  • Just went to Trailside Coffee in Old Trail. Good coffee. Can’t wait for them to open. #
  • RT @ancym: @realcrozetva my marker is Starr Hill beer…by which Great Valu also cheaper than Harris Teeter. #
  • Using Extra chewing gum as my marker, WalMart in Waynesboro is much cheaper than the new Harris Teeter #
  • Thinking about heading down to the Crozet Farmer’s market #
  • You have 90 minutes left to give blood at the bloodmobile at Blue Ridge Builder Supply. If you give, tell them you saw it on Twitter. #
  • @AndreaSarate @sajego – just a good, clean, small bar with beer is what Crozet *needs* #
  • RT @SuzySaidCville: RT @cwmag RT @brbs: Spread the word, Virginia Blood Services will be at Blue Ridge Builders Supply from 1 to 5 today … #
  • @santospopsicles Just back from the gym. I love how Anytime Fitness is open 24/7 in reply to santospopsicles #
  • RT @M2PT: It’s amazing that around 20 people keeping coming Boot Camp at 6am in Crozet Park! Today we lifted the 300lb picnic tables! #
  • RT @ACACFitness: Did you know:If you cut just 100 calories per day from your diet, you can lose 10 pounds in a year. -Can i not exercise? 🙂 #
  • Curious how many people attended the Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival this weekend. Saturday was slow, but Sunday was *gorgeous* #
  • A very heavy freight train is going by now. #

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Harris Teeter – Not So Green? – Note from a Reader

The Crozet Gazette touts the new Harris Teeter as being the “greenest grocery” – but my experience was anything but. We’d been looking forward trying it (rather than driving to Martin’s… ever since Fabulous Foods closed, Starbreeze stopped delivering, and Horse & Buggy adopted the bad pick up time). However, the selection of natural, organic, or even local foods was truly pathetic – and I had to leave there and drive to another store to finish shopping. There were six packages of natural beef hidden on a wall of meats. Six. The fish case was technicolor. Three types of organic crackers on an entire aisle of snacks.

Shouldn’t green also include the products that you sell and their impact on the environment… or does it really end with laying asphalt and hanging signs?

The real icing on the cake was when the grocery bagger took my reusable shopping bags and put them in a plastic bag… and started putting my groceries in plastic bags. He seemed a shocked when I asked him to please unbag my items and use the reusable shopping bags. It’s sad. Crozet Great Valu does a much better job – add some more organic meats and better wine selection and they have my biz.

It’s one thing to be a monument to suburban processed crap… it is another to pretend that you are green.

Thanks,
Jacqueline

Crozet Park Soccer Field to Close (for the Summer)

But just for a few months. In a sign of the severe lack of soccer (and other, but my passion is soccer) fields in the whole of Charlottesville/Albemarle, Crozet Park’s field is decimated annually by its overuse. For instance, last year when coaching, we had four teams practicing together – each with a quarter of the field – until Daylight Savings kicked in.

Tim Hughes with the County of Albemarle’s Parks and Rec division says:

Crozet Park is one of our “High Maintenance Level” multi use fields. It is a Bermuda grass field, which is a warm season grass. We generally close those type of fields ( Crozet Park, Henley, AHS, WAHS, etc.) around the first of June. We will then top dress and over seed those fields with Bermuda seed which will not geminate in the fall.

We chose this time of year for two reasons. First the type of grass which I mentioned above and second because the largest user group SOCA does not have league play scheduled during this time period. This allows us to re establish the turf during the hot summer months when Bermuda grass thrives and provides us with a better playing surface for the fall season.

If I can be of further assistance please let me know.

Mr. Hughes expects the field to re-open in August, but we really need two things (at least) –

1 – More fields in Crozet
2 – For Crozet Park field to be closed for long enough for the grass to really take root and establish itself. Traditionally, the field is already worn by the first couple months of the fall season. A few months isn’t sufficient. (and I say this from having played adult league soccer on every field in the County)

Update:

Will Yancey provides pictures of the potential fields.




Yancey Mills in Crozet

Originally uploaded by jimduncancville


What is your Vision for Crozet?

Start thinking about it, because the time to voice your opinion is around the corner.

From the Daily Progress:

Crozet residents will soon have a chance to weigh in on their concerns over growth in western Albemarle County.
One topic sure to emerge: the Crozet Master Plan’s estimate on the growth area’s long-term maximum population capacity.


Although the board has approved major zoning to benefit the downtown area, officials said the economy has kept more new businesses from coming in. They hope the zoning and the other projects will boost the downtown area.

Other areas in Crozet — including the Old Trail development and a segment of U.S. 250 where a new Harris Teeter grocery store is poised to open and other businesses already are in place — have seen a burst of retail activity. Some see that growth as a complement to downtown Crozet, while others fear it will siphon business from the village’s center.

Mallek said she hopes the revision process will help “take away a cloud that hangs over” the Master Plan. She said the questionnaire is just one of the first steps in deciding what changes need to be made.

“I think we’re going to get wonderful responses [from the questionnaire],” Mallek said. “The people in Crozet are very involved in how their community is going to be. We expect that to continue as we go through this process.”

In the next six weeks, residents will be able to fill out the questionnaire online or on paper. They can pick up questionnaires, which will have 30 to 40 questions, at the Crozet Library or at a town hall meeting county officials plan to host next month.

My vision is a work in progress –

1 – Downtown Crozet is the hub of Crozet.
2 – Old Trail gets built out and becomes a vibrant part of the Crozet Community (this is a two-way street that requires effort and acceptance of Old Trail for Crozet and Crozet for Old Trail).
3 – We become a bike able and walkable community.

Crozet and Brownsville Redistricting Plan Approved

From today’s Daily Progress

The Albemarle County School Board unanimously agreed Thursday to transfer 100 pupils from Crozet Elementary to Brownsville Elementary. The affected pupils live in the Grayrock area.

The proposal is part of a long-term plan to handle the increase in students in Crozet. Crozet Elementary, which has a capacity for 380 students, has an enrollment of 428.

Because there is little room for expansion at Crozet Elementary, the county is building a $10.27 million expansion to Brownsville Elementary. The expansion, which includes a new wing of classrooms, more kitchen space and a new gymnasium, is slated to be finished in the spring.

There are 402 students at Brownsville Elementary, and the additions will allow for 716, according to a school official.

The transfer of the 100 pupils will take effect next school year, Wheeler said.

In May, it was noted that only 15 people had expressed opinions about the redistricting plans.

If you are thinking about buying (or selling, really) in Crozet – check the school district yourself – don’t necessarily trust the MLS (as much as it pains me, as a Realtor, to write that).

2nd Annual Crozet Music Festival – October 4 and 5

The Second Annual Crozet Music Festival is on!

28+ Bands for $20 ($15 in advance)!!!

The First Annual Festival was well received; this year the Festival moves from Claudius Crozet Park to Misty Mountain Campground, and it should be even better than last year’s event (the alcohol problem should be fixed).

Crozet Music Festival, October 4 & 5, 2008

Local food, beverages (I hear Blue Mountain is coming, too!) and an impressive local music lineup in an atmosphere that is family friendly with a playground and more – what more could you ask for? If Crozetians will embrace this, it could turn out to be something mighty good.

Huge kudos to those putting this event together.

What else could you do that weekend, anyway? Will Goldsmith predicts UVA is going to blow out Maryland, C-Ville doesn’t show much going on that weekend, so why not come to Crozet?

Located at the Misty Mountain Campground on 250 West

Music Schedule: Noon – 8PM (schedule is coming soon!)

Acoustic Stage:

Saturday, October 4

Eli Cook
Devon Sproule
Paul Curreri
Helen Horal
Morwenna Lasko and Jay Pun
Greg Brown
Marianna Bell

Sunday October 5

Red Shoes
Jeebus

David Tewksbury

Martinez and Guthrie

Joia Wood

Joe Pollock

Main Stage bands:

Saturday Oct 4

The Wave
Jim Waive and the Young Divorcees
Hogwaller Ramblers
Travis Elliott
Six Chasing Seven
Tim Be Told
Kings of Belmont

Sunday Oct 5


Grey Matter
Chickenhead Blues Band
Trees on Fire
Ian Gilliam and the Firekings
South 29
Charlottesville Blues Allstars
Alligator

Tickets:

$20.00 At the gate
$15.00 Advance

Ticket Outlets: Mincer’s, Belair Market, Maupin’s Music and Video in Crozet and online at CrozetMusicFestival.com

Gates Open: 11:00

3 stages at a beautiful, full service campground. Rain or shine. Event to benefit The Western Albemarle Rescue Squad

Other activities include, over night camping, food, beverages, jam area, playground, game room, many cool vendors

*Disclosure: I am on the Board of Directors for the Festival.


Contacts:
Biff Rossberg
Chris Munson / 20 South Productions

Rail service from Crozet? It’s not impossible

This is a slightly different post in that I am asking for something from you, the reader. Please email this post to your neighbors, homeowners’ associations and friends.

First, a tip about possible bus service from Crozet courtesy of Jaunt –

We’d love to provide more (and faster) service to Crozet. Currently JAUNT leaves Crozet about every two hours on weekdays. The 8 AM morning bus to Charlottesville is well-utilized, so it takes a while to reach town (we go door-to-door). But the 10, 12 and 2 buses are quicker. We provide return trips at 9:15, 11:15, 1:30, 3 and 5, too. Fare is $3.00 each way. We did try an express commuter route from Crozet a few years ago, but we had very few takers.

If we want this service, we need to ask – 434-296-3184

On to rail –

Getting train service from Crozet to Charlottesville is not impossible; read today’s story at the HooK. Like anything, we need to ask – we just need to use our collective voices to make it known.

A lot of people have been meeting with a lot of different people discussing the possbility of bringing rail service back to Crozet. This post is an attempt to get some of those people on the same track so to speak about Crozetians’ desires for rail. What do you think? Nearly everyone to whom I have spoken has expressed interest, but turning that interest into cohesive action is a challenge in and of itself.

Think of this as part of a the community’s effort to help Crozet.