Charlottesville Tomorrow Blog

Supervisors approve several new development projects

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors approved four development requests at their meeting on March 19, 2008.  The projects included two small residential developments, a church expansion, and a commercial building. 

New Housing and the Interconnection Conundrum

The neighbors in attendance at the two residential public hearings raised similar concerns about the expansion of the Fontana neighborhood in the Pantops area (34 homes) and the Patterson subdivision in Crozet (10 homes)--Namely traffic impacts resulting from new developments being interconnected to neighborhoods that were approved before the County’s Neighborhood Model standards were in place. 

New residential developments must comply with the County’s standards for, among other things, sidewalks and street trees.  Allowing cars from these new “walkable” neighborhoods to connect through the pedestrian unfriendly streets in existing neighborhoods has been a point of concern of County residents from Crozet, to Biscuit Run, to Glenmore. 

Supervisors that find these conflicts in their district often side with the existing constituents and oppose interconnection or only allow it for emergency vehicles.  Other Supervisors point out that it is an important principle of the County’s Neighborhood Model.  Even the General Assembly is starting to suggest they will be less likely to pay for maintenance of roads in cul-de-sac developments and will instead create funding incentives for interconnected neighborhoods that better mitigate traffic congestion.

First up was Fontana Phase 4C in the Pantops Development Area.  Two days after approving the Pantops Master Plan, the Supervisors unanimously approved the 34 home expansion of the Fontana neighborhood. 

Fontana resident Jeanne Anderson spoke during the public hearing sharing her concerns about Fontana’s road system.  She thanked the County for getting improved trails in the proffers, but noted “even with a fully functioning path system…it’s not a replacement for sidewalks [and] curb and gutter.  Keep that in mind…our roads are still sub-standard.”

Fontana resident Jeanne Anderson

Anderson also expressed concerns about the nearby Cascadia development which was approved in August 2006 for up to 330 homes.  There the developer limited his interconnection to Fontana to initially be for emergency and pedestrian use only.  Some Fontana residents are concerned that the roads envisioned in the Pantops Master Plan will eventually allow Cascadia residents, and their own expanding neighborhood, a quicker path cutting through their neighborhood to the stores at the top of Pantops along Route 250.

Supervisor Ken Boyd (Rivanna) shared his concerns about the additional traffic this project, and nearby projects, would bring to the Fontana neighborhood.

“It’s still a real concern of mine.  Those roads are what they are.  They are built very narrow.  They are built with no sidewalks.  I am just fearful we are going to create a tremendous amount of traffic through there when we interconnect that, when we open up Olympia Drive, which will take you all the way up to the light on [Route] 250, with the Giant [grocery store]...”

Supervisor Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett) observed the evolving perceptions of the County’s Neighborhood Model design principles expected in new development.

“I would point out that there were people on the Board [of Supervisors] who really didn’t support initially the imposition of the [Neighborhood Model] standards that we are now concerned are not in place there.  And a lot of the development community at one point said that we should not adopt these standards.  I think what we are seeing is that the community wants and demands these standards.  If you don’t put the standards in place, it creates problems when you start creating links.”

The Board unanimously approved the Fontana Phase 4C development.

On a smaller scale, similar resident concerns surfaced in the Board’s review of the Patterson subdivision in Crozet.  Cliff Fox came requesting approval of a 10 home development adjacent to Grayrock North.  Fox’s property is on the edge of the Crozet Growth Area along Lantetown Road.  However, VDOT recommend against allowing a new cul-de-sac to be connected to Lanetown Road.  Instead, they said it would be better to utilize Lanetown Way within the adjacent Grayrock development.

Not surprisingly, Grayrock North residents were looking for fewer homes and a different road alignment.  Mike Beno spoke during the public hearing.  “We do still fee that the project is a little more dense than is fitting for the parcel,” said Beno.  He also acknowledged that his neighborhood (like Fontana) was developed prior to the neighborhood model.  “What we are asking is that the applicant and the Board of Supervisors is to not compound the shortcomings of that by adding extra traffic onto Lanetown Way....It is where all the kids play, there are no sidewalks.”

Patterson developer Cliff Fox

Supervisor Ann Mallek (White Hall) was the lone vote against the new project.  She cited concerns about the density of housing and the connection to Grayrock North.  The other five members of the Board overruled the Planning Commission’s 4-2 vote from January 2008 recommending that the plan be denied.  Some Commission members took a strict interpretation of Crozet Master Plan’s map which showed a portion of this parcel as being lower density.  They argued the edge of the Crozet development area should be lower density throughout the Patterson parcel.

Supervisor David Slutzky (Rio) shared his perspective that the Patterson subdivision was consistent with the Crozet Master Plan.

“[W]e have got a commitment we have made through the master planning process to the broader principle of interconnectivity, of concentrating our development activities inside the growth areas, and upgrading the infrastructure on those sites as they develop.  And we are going to bump up against situations constantly where things that got developed [in the past] don’t have the sidewalks, they don’t have the other infrastructure.  But if those become the reason why we stop honoring the whole point of the growth areas and the master planning, I think we are shooting ourselves in the foot in a very big way…I am genuinely sympathetic to the real situation that the folks in Grayrock are articulating, but there was an opportunity during the master planning process to decide the boundaries of the growth area, decide the densities.  The community as a whole came up with a vision, and I think this proposal is consistent with that vision in many ways…”

The Supervisors approved the Patterson subdivision by a vote of 5-1.

Church expansion and new Office get approval

In other business, the Board of Supervisors quickly approved the request of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church for improvements to their property in Greenwood.  Church leaders were commended for being good stewards of their property and for planning their additional parking areas around the old oak trees the surround the historic church.

Supervisors also unanimously approved Keith Woodard’s plan for construction of a two-story office building at the southwest corner of the intersection of Hydraulic and Georgetown. The 20,000 sq. ft. commercial building will have two stories visible from the road and a third story visible from the parking area at a basement level behind the building.

Brian Wheeler

Supervisors approve rural area ordinances... and more

PLUS: Crozet project moves ahead, a traffic signal for Glenmore, Advance Mills Bridge faces setback, sewers for Albemarle Place, and the rising water and sewer rates

Rural Areas Ordinances

At their meeting on February 6, 2008, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors approved three rural area ordinance changes related to holding periods on family sub-divisions, stream buffers, and driveways across steep slopes.  The approvals came in front of an audience of about 100 community members, thirty-four of whom spoke during the public hearing.  Identical 4-2 votes on each ordinance broke the stalemate in the Board’s work to support the goals in the rural areas portion of the County’s Comprehensive Plan.  Supervisors Ken Boyd (Rivanna) and Lindsay Dorrier (Scottsville) both voted against the ordinance changes.

Crozet Gateway

Adnan Yousef and his family lobby the Board to approve Crozet Gateway

In other business earlier in the day, the Board of Supervisors approved a site plan for a new development at a key intersection in Crozet.  The Crozet Gateway project will redevelop a 2 acre site at the corner of Route 240 and Route 250 near Brownsville Elementary School.  The existing convenience store will be replaced with two multi-story commercial buildings, a use allowed by-right on the property.  At issue was a request to lower the number of parking spaces provided in the development.  The developer was proposing 99 while the County was recommending 118.  County staff recommended that the Board uphold the prior decisions of the Planning Commission and the Zoning Administrator to keep the parking expectation at the higher figure.

Adnan Yousef shared his frustrations with the Board about how long it has taken him to get his development approved.  He first submitted his plans in July 2006.  Yousef said he was upset that the County's concerns about the parking matter were not raised earlier in the process when he could have made adjustments to his engineering plans.  He said the delays had resulted in potential tenants opting to locate in other new developments along Route 250 near Crozet which were able to be built more quickly.

Supervisors apologized for the delays that occurred and unanimously voted to approve the parking waiver and Yousef's final site plan.

Transportation Matters

In the Board's monthly transportation update, the Supervisors learned from VDOT’s Allan Sumpter that a traffic signal is moving forward for the Glenmore intersection on Route 250 East.  Sumpter said the “warrants” had been recently re-evaluated by VDOT and that this assessment indicated a signal was now justified.  Planning and engineering work will commence immediately.

The Board also heard a report on the Advance Mills Bridge situation.  The bridge in Northern Albemarle was closed for safety reasons in 2007 and the community had been working with VDOT to have a temporary bridge installed while a permanent bridge plan was completed.  Sumpter said a recent call from the Federal Highway Administration had put the brakes on the temporary bridge and that VDOT was going to have to focus only on the permanent solution, something that might not be complete until mid-2010 or early 2011. VDOT's Quintin Elliot said any other course of action could jeopardize Federal funding for the permanent bridge project.

Members of the Advance Mills Neighborhood Association and Supervisor Ann Mallek (White Hall) will be going to Richmond tomorrow to meet with Federal Highway officials to understand the reversal of their October 2007 endorsement of the two bridge plan just days before the temporary structure was supposed to go to bid.

Sewers for Albemarle Place

RWSA's Tom Frederick (Left) and ACSA's Gary Fern (Right) report to the Supervisors

The Supervisors also received updates from both the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) and the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA).  RWSA's Executive Director, Tom Frederick, started with some good news that the Sugar Hollow Reservoir had completely refilled and was spilling for the first time since the drought conditions worsened in late 2007.

ACSA Executive Director, Gary Fern, updated the Board on sewer capacity issues at the Albemarle Place development.  Fern said the new Albemarle Place developer, Edens & Avant, was meeting with his staff to plan for the site's sewer needs.  According to Fern, Albemarle Place will be connected to an upgraded Meadowcreek Interceptor by December 2009.

Water & Sewer Rates

Supervisors asked if the water and sewer rates being discussed would cover the costs of the Community Water Supply Plan and a growing list of sewer infrastructure needs.  Fern indicated he was still preparing his capital budget for FY 2009 and carefully reviewing the rate information from RWSA.  The RWSA provides water and sewer services to the City of Charlottesville and the Albemarle County Service Authority. 

Frederick said the RWSA was trying to find the right balance in its rate structure to be sensitive to ratepayer concerns.  The sewer needs will be better understood after the completion of a major sewer interceptor study later this year.  With respect to water rates, in January, the RWSA projected increases of 1.3% in the City and 2.5% in the County for each of next five years to support the construction of the new Ragged Mountain Dam. 

County Executive Bob Tucker told the Supervisors that if the community wanted to expedite the pipeline phase of the water supply plan, rates would go up more steeply.The pipeline will connect the expanded Ragged Mountain Reservoir to the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir.  To support both the dam and the pipeline being built at the same time, water rates would increase  7% for the the City and 11.7% for County for each of next five years.

Brian Wheeler

Planning Commission summary for December 11, 2007

SPCA to get fences for walking trails

SPCA Executive Director Susanne Kogut

The Albemarle County Planning Commission Commission has approved two waiver requests from the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA that will allow the organization to build a fenced-in exercise area for dogs held at the facility. The County usually requires structures that hold animals to have solid fencing, as well as a 500-foot setback from the property line. Additionally, the County requires structures built along land zoned residential to be built at least 20 feet away from the property line.

SPCA Executive Director Susanne Kogut said the fenced areas would allow would-be adopters to visit with dogs before deciding to go ahead with the adoption. She said using solid-fencing would be prohibitively expensive, and would not allow volunteers to monitor the initial interactions. The SPCA has occupied the facility since 2005, but a donor came forward with the funding to make the improvements. The SPCA’s previous property was taken by the Virginia Department of Transportation as part of the right of way purchase for the proposed Western Bypass.

Staff found no factors against approval and set several conditions for granting the permit, including times when the new exercise areas could be used. 

“The proposed exercise areas will provide a safer and more comfortable environment for staff, volunteers and potential adopters to take care of and interact with the dogs,” said Senior Planner Judy Weigand.

Kogut said she felt the additional facilities would improve the overall noise situation at the SPCA because dogs that get the chance to exercise are less likely to bark for human attention.

Commissioner Eric Strucko (Samuel Miller) said he was concerned about the possibility of extra noise at the location, especially if surrounding properties are eventually developed as residential properties. Wiegand said she felt that commercial uses were more likely as the area develops and redevelops. Deputy County Attorney Greg Kamptner said that barking dogs are exempt from the County’s noise ordinance.

But Commissioner Jon Cannon (Rio) called the SPCA facility “a fact” and that anyone who chooses to develop surrounding lots would have to factor in its existence as they make their plans. With that, the Commission voted unanimously to grant the waivers. Chairman Marcia Joseph (At-Large) told Wiegand to make sure she can show examples of what fencing material will be used when the SPCA’s request goes before the Board of Supervisors on January 9, 2008.

Crozet Gateway Center plan denied

The location of the proposed Crozet Gateway Center is marked in red

The owner of the proposed Crozet Gateway Center has been told by the Planning Commission that when he builds a combination retail-office facility on his property, he'll have to build all of the parking spaces required by County ordinances.

Adnan Yousef plans to build two buildings in the northeast corner of the intersection of Route 240 and U.S. Route 250 (Brownsville Road and Rockfish Gap Turnpike), on two acres property zoned Highway Commercial and Entrance Corridor. The buildings will house a mixture of office and retail space at just under 30,000 square feet. An existing gas station will be torn down to make room.

In his site plan, Yousef had asked for a waiver to allow him to create fewer parking spaces than required by the County’s zoning ordinance, claiming that the combination of two uses would allow for shared parking. Staff had recommended denial of the waiver out of a concern that if the available spaces fill up, shoppers or office workers would “get creative” with parking, causing potential safety hazards.

During the Commission’s discussion, Chairman Marcia Joseph (At-Large) said she thought the idea of having few parking spaces would help promote a walkable Crozet. But staff pointed out that there are few other developments within walking distance of the proposed Center.

The Commission voted 5-2 to recommend denial of the site plan application. Yousef now has until December 21 to decide whether he will appeal the Commission’s decision to the Board of Supervisors.

Violin crafter gets tentative approval to use home to make instruments

The Albemarle County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a special use permit for a violin maker to craft the instruments at his home in rural Albemarle County near Covesville.  Colin Gallahue says he'll make about six instruments a year, and that sales will primarily be via mail order.

Violin maker Colin Gallahue

Gallahue requested a special use permit to allow him to make violins, as well as to sell the instruments on-site. Staff recommended approval because the building in which the violins will be made is already standing, and is not visible by surrounding properties, the violins will be made by hand rather than by machines, and because the requested use is consistent with the area's cultural tradition. Staff did not find any unfavorable factors associated with the request. Gallahue won't be able to hire anyone without going back for another special use permit.

Landscape architect and former Planning Commissioner Will Reilly spoke in favor of the approval, saying that Gallahue’s business is exactly the type of small business required in the rural areas.

The item goes before the Board of Supervisors on January 9, 2008.

Sean Tubbs

Commissioners act on community concerns for Crozet’s downtown rezoning

This draft map dated November 19, 2007 shows staff recommendations for the boundaries of the proposed Downtown Crozet zoning district. The two general areas outlined in red (by Charlottesville Tomorrow) were taken out of consideration, prompting concerns from Crozet leaders. The Commission later restored them.

When arriving in Lane Auditorium before another Albemarle County Planning Commission meeting on a preemptive rezoning for Downtown Crozet, members of the town’s business community and other citizen leaders were shocked to find a draft map that showed a smaller downtown zoning district.

During the fourth work session on the topic, Commissioners overturned staff recommendations to draw a tighter zoning district, to establish a minimum size requirement for mixed use, and also threw out a plan to encourage affordable housing by setting an average maximum square foot floor for residential units in multifamily developments.

Podcast produced by Charlottesville Tomorrow * Player by Odeo

Listen using player above or download the podcast: Download 20071127-CpC-Crozet.mp3

County Senior Planner Rebecca Ragsdale described the reasoning behind the staff recommendation for the boundaries for the rezoning, should the County proceed. Unlike the boundary maps created by the consultant, the staff map does not include transition areas, and does not recommend including the 14.74 acre J. Bruce Barnes Lumber Yard at this time.  Ragsdale said downtown under this scenario would be about 53 acres.

Commissioner Eric Strucko (Samuel Miller) asked why the lumber yard wasn’t being included as part of this rezoning. Ragsdale responded that based on current use, the lumberyard would be non-conforming with its heavy industrial zoning classification.

“The lumberyard is only allowed in the heavy industrial category, so we didn’t see where heavy industrial type uses would be appropriate,” Ragsdale said, pointing out that the Master Plan anticipates the lumberyard moving or redeveloping at some point in the future.  “This is a way to allow them the flexibility to continue their operations which does provide a number of employment opportunities.”

Commissioner Bill Edgerton (Jack Jouett) asked if the lumber yard could be included in the rezoning, and somehow allowed to continue operations. “It’s a key part of the future development of the downtown core of Crozet,” he said, adding that doing so might encourage the property owners to redevelop.

CROZET LEADERS EXPRESS FRUSTRATION

Many stakeholders from the Crozet business computer spoke to express their opposition to staff’s proposed changes.

White Hall resident Ross Stevens told the Commission he was concerned about the boundaries. He said that the point of creating a downtown Crozet was to help the community compete with other commercial areas in the County. As the owner of several properties in the area, he would like more consideration of the recommendations of the Crozet Community Advisory Committee and the Downtown Crozet Association.

“I didn’t anticipate Downtown Crozet getting smaller,” Stevens said. “We need more space in order to accomplish the flexibility of developing downtown in a larger space.”  He was specifically opposed to the western side of Carter Street being taken out of downtown. 

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.

“It’s not really too much of a surprise because this is sort of consistent with the Crozet experience,” Marshall said. He said he did not think using a 1,000 average maximum size for residential units was the appropriate way to deal with affordable housing, and that the issue of the lumber yard not conforming had never come up before.  Marshall said he thought the County was more interested in creating more opportunities for proffers, rather than protecting the heart of downtown Crozet.

“You’re not going to get those proffers on the areas currently zoned commercial, so you take those areas that aren’t currently zoned commercial, like West Carter Street, and the lumber yard, you pull them out. That means in the future they have to be rezoned, when the rezoning comes, you ask for your proffer.  So this is really about generating future income for the County.”

Marshall finished his comments by reminding the Commission that the town wants a single district with a unified set of rules.

COMMISSION DISCUSSION

After the public comment period ended, Commissioner Cal Morris (Rivanna) said he was surprised that members of the Committee felt blindsided.  When Commissioner Edgerton asked Ragsdale why areas had been removed, she responded that those particular areas lack appropriate infrastructure.

When Chairman Marcia Joseph (At-Large) asked what improvements would be needed, Ragsdale responded Main Street and Carter Street were substandard, so staff took a conservative approach when drawing the draft boundaries. 

“Without proffers, which is a very important tool to the County, as part of the rezoning process, we didn’t  have [infrastructure improvements] in the CIP now, we felt it was important to be able to have that tool in the future,” Ragsdale said.

But Commissioner Strucko said he thought proffers would be a disincentive for businesses to locate in the areas that have been taken out of the boundaries. 

“And the intent of the Crozet Master Plan was for the Downtown to be the center of commercial activity, an employment center, cultural center, also a center of public exchange,” Strucko said. He recommended staff add Carter Street and the Lumber Yard back to the draft map for the zoning district. Commissioner Duane Zobrist (White Hall) agreed.

Strucko also called for making the mixed use requirement more flexible, and called for removing the 1,000 square foot average maximum, and Zobrist and Joseph agreed with that as well.

While agreeing with the citizen input on the size of the zoning district, Commissioner Edgerton  shared concerns about the composition of uses that would be required.

“On every rezoning, we require mixed use, so we’re going to take just the rules off of Crozet and hope that it works out later?” he asked.

Strucko said looking at the map, he saw an intense business center in the middle of an area that contains residential and commercial use.  Edgerton said he was scared that without mixed use requirements that mandated residential use, the area would lack vitality because no one would be there at night when the businesses close.

That led to a discussion of how many residential units were within a five-minute walking radius of Downtown. Zobrist said people would walk downtown as long as there was a Dairy Queen, and also added that the Commission recently approved of the Crozet Station development, which includes residential units  in downtown.

Strucko said he spends about 15 hours in Crozet each work in his capacity working with the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, and that the downtown needs flexibility so that it has an advantage over Old Trail and business along Route 250. Commission Jon Cannon (Rio) suggested finding a way to maximize incentives for commercial development in the core.

But Edgerton stuck to his principles, and asked his fellow Commissioners if they would be happy with downtown Crozet being redeveloped without any residential units at all, something he felt would happen unless it is required. Strucko said he would be comfortable with that because many residences would still be within a quarter mile walk.

Though the work session was not a public hearing, Chairman Joseph received public comment and even called citizens back allowing them to provide additional feedback. Sandy Wilcox went back to the podium, and said he was not against mixed use, just having it forced upon Crozet property owners.

“We are not an incorrigible child that has to be regulated into having mixed use,” Wilcox said. “I think the whole world looks at the downtown areas differently than they did before. We don’t want to roll up the sidewalks at 5:00 but we do need the flexibility.”

After the discussion, Joseph said she thought the project needed revision. Edgerton said he would like to see the larger boundaries be revisited.

“We need to make the downtown area as large as possible and the idea of holding back with the hope of getting some future income off of proffers to the County is really counter to what is needed here,” Edgerton said. 

Zobrist said he supported using the boundaries approved by the Crozet Downtown Association. Joseph said all Commissioners reached consensus on this point.

They then took up the issue of whether the floor for mixed use for single structures should be raised above the 7,500 square feet figure recommended by staff. To accommodate Edgerton’s wishes to include some requirement, Zobrist suggested increasing it to 10,000 square feet. Strucko said he thought numbers were arbitrary, and Canon wondered if there were ways to apply Neighborhood Model Principles without micromanaging. For example, he suggested using density bonuses for affordable housing.

Deputy County Attorney Greg Kamptner said mixed used did not only include mixing residential with retail shops. A combination of retail and office would also satisfy the regulations.

County Planner David Benish said he was unclear what the Commission’s directive was in terms of the mixed use requirement. Joseph clarified that the Commission wanted incentives rather than hard targets. The Commission also recommended throwing out the average minimum floor size.

The Commission will take up the matter again in early January, according to Ragsdale.

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST

• 00:51 - Review of the staff report from County Planner Rebecca Ragsdale
• 12:56 - Discussion of whether mixed-use should be required in each building
• 16:29 - Discussion of the 1,000 maximum square foot average for residential units
• 21:04 - Ragsdale continues staff report discussion and begins discussing recommended boundaries for Crozet
• 26:54 - Commissioner Strucko asks for more information on the zoning proposal discussed at the last work session
• 33:08 - Discussion of the fiscal impact analysis
• 35:21 - Public comment period begins with Crozet property owner Ross Stevens   
• 38:21 - Sandy Wilcox of the Downtown Crozet Association outlines his concerns with the new boundaries
• 42:55 - Mack Lafferty, member of the Crozet Community Advisory Committee
• 45:18 - Mike Marshall, chair of the Crozet Community Advisory Committee, briefs Commissioners on his concerns, followed by the Commission questioning Marshall about his opposition to the boundary change
• 52:41 - Cliff Fox outlines his opposition to using 1,000 maximum average square foot as a tool to encourage affordable housing
• 55:03 - Mary Rice urged Commissioners and staff to reconsider eliminating west side of Carter Street from downtown   
• 57:03 - Commission begins deliberation   
• 1:13:02 - Sandy Wilcox returns to the podium to say that the Downtown Crozet Association is not opposed to mixed use      
• 1:17:39 - Chairman Joseph says she can't support the project moving forward without revision to staff's draft
• 1:20:49 - Mac Lafferty returns to the podium to
• 1:22:08 - Mike Marshall explains why DCA opposes transition zones
• 1:25:21 - Commission reaches consensus that boundaries need to be expanded
• 1:27:28 - Commission discusses whether floor for mixed use requirement should be increased or dropped 
• 1:33:15 - Deputy County Attorney Greg Kamptner says mixed use does not necessarily include residential
• 1:36:54 - County Planner Elaine Echols asks for clarification

Sean Tubbs & Brian Wheeler

Crozet residents host the White Hall Supervisor candidates

(left to right) Ann Mallek (D), David Wyant (R), and David Wayland

On September 13, 2007, the Crozet Community Association hosted a candidate forum for the two candidates seeking the White Hall seat on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.  About 60 residents gathered in the Crozet Fire Station to hear David Wyant (R) and Ann Mallek (D) present their campaign platforms.  The forum was moderated by David Wayland, President of the Crozet Community Association.

The format of the forum was such that each candidate had fifteen minutes to make a presentation followed by a five minute rebuttal by the first candidate.  Wayland flipped a coin and Mallek, winning the toss, gave her opening statement first.  Afterwards, Wayland entertained questions from the audience.  The evening was dominated by growth and development issues in Crozet.  Each candidate had two minutes for closing remarks.

Podcast produced by Charlottesville Tomorrow * Player by Odeo

Listen using player above or download the podcast:  Download 20070913-White-Hall-Forum.mp3

Download the transcript

Watch a video of the program:

Highlights of the audio:

• 00:51 - Introduction by David Wayland
• 03:31 - Opening statement by Ann Mallek (D)
• 13:13 - Opening statement by David Wyant (R)
• 28:20 - Rebuttal by Ann Mallek (D)
• 33:30 Questions from the audience begin
• 34:41 - Question about the candidates' views on the Crozet Master Plan approved in 2004.
• 41:38 - Question about how much control the Supervisors have on the timing of transportation infrastructure like the proposed Eastern Avenue and improvements to Jarmans Gap Road.  If they do not have enough control, can new developments be denied instead?
• 48:00 - Did the County forget obligations to Crozet when it was designated long ago as a growth area?  How do you view those commitments, financial or otherwise, today?
• 51:49 - Candidates asked about Old Trail Village rezoning and Crozet's population estimates.  How do you explain the increase in estimated population documented in the Master Plan from 12,000 to 24,000?
• 1:00:28 - Why does the Board of Supervisors approve new commercial development along Route 250 when that competes with Downtown Crozet?
• 1:04:57 - What should the County do when the growth areas are fully developed?  In their answers, candidates addressed the question of whether Albemarle's growth areas should be expanded.
• 1:15:35 - Closing remarks by David Wyant (R)
• 1:17:09 - Closing remarks by Ann Mallek (D)

Brian Wheeler

Beaver Creek adequate for Crozet until 2035

As Crozet’s water supply, the Beaver Creek Reservoir was thought in 2005 to have an adequate supply for at least the next 50 years.  This week, the Board of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) learned that a safe yield study and revised population projections had shortened that window of sufficiency to approximately 30 years.  As part of a $20,000 water supply planning grant, RWSA’s consultant Gannet Fleming determined the reservoir’s safe yield, or the amount of water the Beaver Creek Reservoir can provide Crozet at the time of our worst drought on record, to be 1.8 million gallons per day (MGD). [Gannet Fleming report]

In June and July 2007, Crozet’s almost 5,000 residents were using on average about 0.48 MGD of treated water from Beaver Creek.  In other words, with a safe yield of 1.8 MGD, there is plenty of water in Crozet for today’s population.  As a result of the excess capacity, and until the Ragged Mountain Reservoir is expanded, Beaver Creek is also looked to as a backup water source for the urban water supply (i.e. Charlottesville, UVA, and Albemarle’s urban ring) should the community enter a drought emergency.

When will Crozet’s growing population require more than 1.8 million gallons of water per day?  The new answer: Sometime after 2035.

Gannet Fleming, first in 2004 while developing a 50-year urban water supply plan, and now in 2007 as part of the Beaver Creek safe yield analysis , has asked Albemarle for population estimates .  In 2004 Gannet Fleming was told that Crozet’s projected build-out population in twenty years would be 12,000 people, a number they extrapolated to also be Crozet’s maximum population in 50 years.  Since then, County staff have determined that the "theoretical ultimate build-out" population for Crozet could reach closer to 24,000 sometime beyond 2024.

Year	Crozet Population Estimate*	Growth Rate
2000	3849
2006	4798	5%
2010	5832	5%
2015	7443	5%
2020	9500	5%
2025	12124	5%
2030	14751	4%
2035	17101	3%
2040	18880	2%

Albemarle County's 30-year population projection for Crozet (2005-2035) is 17,101 [see table].  Mark Graham, Albemarle’s Director of Community Development, told Charlottesville Tomorrow that, “This is a population number for RWSA’s planning purposes, but it is in no way a number the County has adopted for Crozet.”  Graham emphasized that the Board of Supervisors has not taken any action on these estimates and that they are for a point in time beyond the current master plan.

In their June 2007 report, Gannet Fleming determined that, by 2035, a potential Crozet population of 17,101 will demand 1.59 MGD.  In light of the safe yield data, Gannet Fleming projects current water demand needs in Crozet could be met for next 30 years.  RWSA staff suggests, however, that beyond 30 years, "future forecasts should reassess capacity for Crozet." By contrast, before this 2007 study was completed, Gannet Fleming had predicted Crozet (at a population of 12,000) would require approximately 1.1 MGD in 2055.

Having a good water supply is but aspect of producing a safe and sufficient water and sewer system for growth area residents.  As it stands now, Crozet’s water treatment plant has a capacity of only 1.0 MGD; furthermore the plants pipes reach maximum capacity at 1.3 MGD.  Thus RWSA has other infrastructure upgrades to plan during the next 30 years to satisfy Crozet’s growing population.  The capital project to design the water treatment expansion is currently scheduled to begin in 2010.

Here you can view all of Charlottesville Tomorrow's past posts on Crozet, including items related to the 2006 discussion by the Board of Supervisors of Crozet's population estimates.

Brian Wheeler

* Crozet population estimates provided by Albemarle County to Gannet Fleming as part of water supply planning study completed in June 2007.

Top-10 Growth & Development Stories of 2006

In my weekly appearance on WINA AM 1070 with Coy Barefoot on the Charlottesville Right Now program, Coy and I will count down the top-10 growth and development stories of 2006. Call 977-1070 to get on the air and share your insights.

Charlottesville Tomorrow's Top-10 Growth and Development Stories of 2006

1. County Supervisors reach a stalemate on rural area protection strategies after agreeing unanimously in 2005 to aggressively pursue new policies as part of the Rural Area Comprehensive Plan update.
2. City/County agree on 50-year urban water supply plan which features a pipeline connecting our two major reservoirs.
3. County approves North Pointe rezoning.
4. County Supervisors unanimously endorse a potential population for Crozet of 24,000 people (current population: About 4,800).
5. The local housing pipeline grows.  Since 2000 over 8,100 homes have been approved in the County alone.  Most have not been built yet.
6. City’s vertical growth looms large—Officials question zoning allowing 9-story development.
7. County advances economic development initiatives.
8. City/County support development of Regional Transit Authority.  UVA observes from the sidelines.
9. The Slutzky factor – Supervisor David Slutzky brings new ideas and a powerful swing vote on a number of growth and development issues.
10. City/County advance major new e-Government communication initiatives [not really growth and development specific, but hugely helpful initiatives to those in the public interested in tracking these issues].

Honorable mention stories for 2006:

• Meadowcreek Parkway Interchange receives Federal earmark for almost $27 million.
• May 2006 City Council Elections

Think I left something off this list?  There were so many possibilities and I culled the list from past blog postings and the piles of files in my office. If you think something else deserves attention, please add a comment below and/or call in to WINA between 5:00 and 6:00 PM today. 

Brian Wheeler

Albemarle receives grant to assess Crozet's historic resources

Albemarle County Media Release
DATE: December 4, 2006
CONTACT: Lee Catlin, Community Relations Manager, Phone (434) 296-5841, fax (434)296-5800, lcatlin@albemarle.org

CROZET HISTORIC RESOURCES TO BE SURVEYED BY NEW GRANT PROGRAM

Albemarle County has received a grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to locate, identify, survey and document between 270 and 300 properties within the Village of Crozet to educate the public about Crozet’s architectural and social history and to create a reliable information base to coordinate downtown development with historic preservation goals. County officials hope the historic resources project will stimulate increased private investment in the revitalization of historic buildings in the district and will support local preservation planning efforts. 

The community of Crozet has long been recognized for its colorful history, including its role as a railroad stop constructed as part of the railroad infrastructure built by the famous French engineer, Colonel Claudius Crozet, in the 1850’s.  The early 1900s saw a period of great prosperity and physical development in the village when many businesses were founded directly related to the booming apple and peach orchard industry. 

The Crozet Master Plan does not include specific guidance for proceeding with new development while preserving Crozet’s significant historic resources.  The survey would provide up-to-date documentation to help in developing effective strategies for the coexistence of new development with resources that define the special character of the Village of Crozet and its place in Albemarle County history.

The grant will be administered by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in coordination with Albemarle County.  DHR will provide $12,500 in funding for the project, and Albemarle County and the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) will combine to provide the matching $12,500.

Crozet water supply to be studied

The Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority (RWSA) announced today that it has received a $20,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to develop detailed water supply plans for Crozet and Scottsville.  The RWSA's previous work to approve an urban community water supply plan, which includes a new dam at Ragged Mountain Reservoir and its connection by a new pipeline to the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, already meets the Virginia requirements that all localities have long-range water supply plans by the year 2011.  Thus, RWSA will focus its work under this grant between now and June 2007 on Crozet and Scottsville's water supplies.

“We are very pleased to be recognized by DEQ as worthy of this grant through a competitive application process,” stated Mr. Tom Frederick, Executive Director of the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority. “We look forward to extending the expertise we have developed in water supply planning for the greater Charlottesville area to prepare plans for Scottsville and Crozet, and we look forward to a constructive dialogue with the leaders and citizens of these communities.”

Since RWSA's 2004 assessment of the Crozet water supply, the County of Albemarle has doubled the theoretical long-range population estimate from 12,000 to 24,000 people for this designated growth area.  Prior to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors' acceptance of those population estimates in January 2006, RWSA had been operating under the assumption that Crozet's build-out population would be 12,000 people by 2024, and that it would remain at the population through 2055. 

RWSA has not previously made water supply demand projections based on a population of 24,000 people and it would be very helpful if this grant resulted in a long-range plan for Crozet that identified the safe yield for the Beaver Creek Reservoir under this scenario.

Brian Wheeler

Crozet rezonings move forward

On September 13, 2006, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors approved two new Crozet developments erasing a "line in the sand" that was drawn in early August when the Board indicated they were unlikely to authorize new rezonings until developer proffers were substantially increased and the funding of infrastructure was more adequately addressed. Westhall Phase V (30 units) and Wickham Pond Phase II (106 units) were both approved by 4-2 votes with Dennis Rooker (Jack Jouett) and David Wyant (White Hall) voting against the rezonings.

Charlottesville Tomorrow has produced a podcast of just the Westhall discussion.  The full audio of the Wickham Pond discussion will eventually be available on the County's website here.

Podcast produced by Charlottesville Tomorrow * Player by Odeo

Listen using player above or download the podcast: Download 20060913-BOS-Westhall.mp3

Highlights of the Westhall Discussion

Supervisor Ken Boyd (Rivanna) made a notable shift in his position since the August 2nd meeting at which Westhall was initially deferred.  Then, Mr. Boyd indicated he could not support the project and he said the issue had to be settled for Crozet with a "line in the sand" and a different message sent to the development community about the County's expectations.  At this evening's meeting, Mr. Boyd said, upon further reflection, he felt it was really unfair to change the rules for the development community in the middle of the game for a "good developer playing by the rules."  He indicated he would be working with the Fiscal Impact Advisory Committee to bring recommendations to the Board on a new proffer policy as soon as possible.  In the case of Westhall, the proffers did not get larger following the Board's deferral, but the timing changed so more cash would be paid up front.

David Slutzky (Rio), the sole Supervisor who did not want to defer Westhall in August, indicated he was still supportive of the project. He took issue with Mr. Rooker's concerns about the inadequacy of public facilities, the large supply of approved housing in Albemarle, and concerns about the future population of Crozet as combined reasons to deny the project.  He argued that Westhall is consistent with the Crozet growth area and master plan intentions. 

He encouraged the Board to support thoughtful projects in compliance with the master plan and "have confidence that that doesn't mean that there are going to be more than 12,000 people in Crozet in less than twenty years..."  Mr. Slutzky continued, "If we are concerned about limiting the population in Crozet to a certain number by a certain date... then what we ought to do is go back and do a whole new master plan that is designed to have a carrying capacity of 12,000 people."

Dennis Rooker said that his concern was that Westhall did not make an adequate contribution to Crozet's overall infrastructure, in the form of proffers, that is adequate for its impacts.  He reminded the Board of his view that rezonings are the only tool they have to control rate of development in Crozet and that they promised the public that they were "not going to let this get out of hand."

Supervisor Sally Thomas (Samuel Miller) outlined a number of pros and cons about the development.  In favor of the rezoning, she argued, was the fact that the County would get proffers that they would not get if the development went by-right and either way the County is going to get additional traffic on the roads.

Supervisor Lindsay Dorrier (Scottsville) said he would support Westhall because the applicant did everything they had been asked to do by the County.

Supervisor David Wyant joined Dennis Rooker and voted against Westhall because he felt the timing was wrong for the Crozet community.

Brian Wheeler