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The Wrong Move for Crozet?

This seems to be exactly what Downtown Crozet does not need:

Asked to share five percent of the proceeds, Wilson decided instead to move the food pick-up point to nearby Old Trail Village which— while it may not be able to offer giant shade trees— won’t charge the Community-Supported Agriculture entity a fee.

Downtown Crozet needs to encourage more community activities in the Downtown area rather than encourage them to look elsewhere. Surely there’s more to this?

More at the Old Trail Village blog:

Beginning this Saturday, June 13th, Horse and Buggy Produce will offer farm-stand produce to subscribers and area residents from 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. every Saturday at the Old Trail Village Center. Horse and Buggy Produce, a provider of local produce and other farm goods, has long offered subscription-based shares to Albemarle residents. They are expanding their operation to include farm stand options, allowing all area residents and visitors to purchase fresh items from Mennonite farms in the Valley of Virginia from pick-up locations such as this.

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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


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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).

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24 Hour Fitness is a Toy Lift Drop Off Location

I received in an email from Melody at 24 Hour Fitness –

“Just wanted to let you know that the Kids Lift Foundation is beginning to accept donations. I can imagine there is a great need this year. We are a drop off location for toys. We are actually offering people $50 off enrollment for any donations. I think right now we are the only drop off location in Crozet.”

The Toy Lift if near and dear to me, in no small part because my wife is on the Board for the Toy Lift. Please consider donating time/money/toys. More information to follow.

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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.