Comments on: What will become of Charlottesville? http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/ Tracking Charlottesville's Real Estate Market since 2005 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:12:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Seattle’s Rain City Real Estate Guide » Interview with Jim Duncan of Central Virginia Real Estate http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/comment-page-1/#comment-567 Seattle’s Rain City Real Estate Guide » Interview with Jim Duncan of Central Virginia Real Estate Tue, 14 Mar 2006 17:10:28 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/#comment-567 [...] What will become of Charlottesville? [...] [...] What will become of Charlottesville? [...]

]]> By: Jim http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/comment-page-1/#comment-541 Jim Mon, 06 Mar 2006 03:49:55 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/#comment-541 Jim - I agree with most of what you say, the more that we market our countrysides, the less there is ... Albemarle's regulations have forced development to take the least restrictive paths - the rural areas. Only 5% of the County is in the designated growth area, I believe. Unfortunately, the way we are growing is simply not an efficient use of land. What are the examples in the area that epitomize smarter growth? Jim – I agree with most of what you say, the more that we market our countrysides, the less there is …

Albemarle’s regulations have forced development to take the least restrictive paths – the rural areas. Only 5% of the County is in the designated growth area, I believe. Unfortunately, the way we are growing is simply not an efficient use of land.

What are the examples in the area that epitomize smarter growth?

]]> By: Jim http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/comment-page-1/#comment-538 Jim Sun, 05 Mar 2006 02:59:35 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/#comment-538 You hit the nail on the head. The problem is not just growth ( I think you're right to some degree, it is inevitable..), but HOW we're growing. Every time I see an ad for some new development, or CAAR touting the region, or economic development groups (Chamber, TJ Partnership)praising Jefferson Country, they ALWAYS show pictures of the beautiful countryside & open spaces which they claim makes this area so appealing. Are they not aware that most of the positions thay take on growth issues are directly responsible for chewing up what's left of this area's rural counrtyside? It's time that these groups bagan demonstrating public support for the County's efforts to protect the rural area. There are plenty of good examples of smarter growth in the city and in the county's growth area....it can be done. You hit the nail on the head. The problem is not just growth ( I think you’re right to some degree, it is inevitable..), but HOW we’re growing. Every time I see an ad for some new development, or CAAR touting the region, or economic development groups (Chamber, TJ Partnership)praising Jefferson Country, they ALWAYS show pictures of the beautiful countryside & open spaces which they claim makes this area so appealing. Are they not aware that most of the positions thay take on growth issues are directly responsible for chewing up what’s left of this area’s rural counrtyside? It’s time that these groups bagan demonstrating public support for the County’s efforts to protect the rural area. There are plenty of good examples of smarter growth in the city and in the county’s growth area….it can be done.

]]> By: cvillenews.com » Blog Archive » Blogging Round-Up http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/comment-page-1/#comment-525 cvillenews.com » Blog Archive » Blogging Round-Up Thu, 02 Mar 2006 16:11:28 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/#comment-525 [...] The Cool Honey has ruled Mayor David Brown “UNBELIEVABLY dope.” The Food Geek reports on the huge crop yield increases that come of organic farming. Bill Emory talked all night into the guts of the machine. Jim Duncan is torn on what to do about growth. Joe has ten quotes that make his life better when he applies them. David Muray promotes the kitten apocalypse. Jennifer went to the Paramount for the first time, saw Yo Yo Ma, and loved every minute of it. Brian Wheeler is blown away by developers’ proffers in Northern Virginia. Michael reminds himself that only the penitent man shall pass. Rich Sincere points out that nobody minded funerals being protested until the targets turned from homosexuals to veterans. Lincoln Michael came in second in The Hook’s fiction contest.. And, finally, C.R. is celebrating his first anniversary of blogging. [...] [...] The Cool Honey has ruled Mayor David Brown “UNBELIEVABLY dope.” The Food Geek reports on the huge crop yield increases that come of organic farming. Bill Emory talked all night into the guts of the machine. Jim Duncan is torn on what to do about growth. Joe has ten quotes that make his life better when he applies them. David Muray promotes the kitten apocalypse. Jennifer went to the Paramount for the first time, saw Yo Yo Ma, and loved every minute of it. Brian Wheeler is blown away by developers’ proffers in Northern Virginia. Michael reminds himself that only the penitent man shall pass. Rich Sincere points out that nobody minded funerals being protested until the targets turned from homosexuals to veterans. Lincoln Michael came in second in The Hook’s fiction contest.. And, finally, C.R. is celebrating his first anniversary of blogging. [...]

]]> By: Jim http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/comment-page-1/#comment-508 Jim Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:24:15 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/#comment-508 I think that the point of my post was to reflect on the changes but also as a plea for those developers (and those who encourage them) to do what they do with more thought, more planning, more class. Locals are not creating the demand, but our area would not be what it is <em>without</em> those moving here. Again, there exists a balance ... somewhere. I think that the point of my post was to reflect on the changes but also as a plea for those developers (and those who encourage them) to do what they do with more thought, more planning, more class.

Locals are not creating the demand, but our area would not be what it is without those moving here. Again, there exists a balance … somewhere.

]]> By: TrvlnMn http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/comment-page-1/#comment-505 TrvlnMn Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:12:47 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2006/02/26/what-will-become-of-charlottesville/#comment-505 Charlottesville is a victim of it's own success. The time to think about "How we grow" was about Six plus years ago. Instead the area reveled in the economic benefits the growth brought to the area and kept asking for more without looking to the future as it should have done. Lets reflect for a moment on the incredible irony of the situation. Your clients want to move here yet are daunted by the prospect of more development - it's not locals that are creating the demands of growth. The <i>"underwhelming, denuding the landscape"</i> type of developments seems to me to include pretty much all developments. Contractors got into the "homebuilder business" and using their limited experience and the same basic design plan (the only one they know how to build) throw up variations of that same house again and again with no thought at all to design. A fair chunk of the houses in the Four Seasons neighborhood has as it's exterior the same type of decorative plywood that I used on my back yard shed. The current batch of contractor/developers are lazy and beyond the catchy tagline that will be used to name the development and double as the sales pitch, minimal effort goes into concept and design. I've seen some great use of space, houses built much closer to one another on smaller plots of land than currently seen in Charlottesville, and still managing to maintain a sense of privacy and space. More with Less. But that was when I lived in L.A. and houses and developments like that require the contractor/contractor to actually make an effort to include "design" as an element. Having seen truely well designed well thought out houses in L.A. it makes what I've seen on my return to Virginia seem all the more offensive to the eye. I'm a pessimist, I think until all the space is gone, there won't be any real thoughts as to how to more efficiently use space. Charlottesville is a victim of it’s own success. The time to think about “How we grow” was about Six plus years ago. Instead the area reveled in the economic benefits the growth brought to the area and kept asking for more without looking to the future as it should have done.

Lets reflect for a moment on the incredible irony of the situation. Your clients want to move here yet are daunted by the prospect of more development – it’s not locals that are creating the demands of growth.

The “underwhelming, denuding the landscape” type of developments seems to me to include pretty much all developments. Contractors got into the “homebuilder business” and using their limited experience and the same basic design plan (the only one they know how to build) throw up variations of that same house again and again with no thought at all to design. A fair chunk of the houses in the Four Seasons neighborhood has as it’s exterior the same type of decorative plywood that I used on my back yard shed.

The current batch of contractor/developers are lazy and beyond the catchy tagline that will be used to name the development and double as the sales pitch, minimal effort goes into concept and design. I’ve seen some great use of space, houses built much closer to one another on smaller plots of land than currently seen in Charlottesville, and still managing to maintain a sense of privacy and space. More with Less. But that was when I lived in L.A. and houses and developments like that require the contractor/contractor to actually make an effort to include “design” as an element.

Having seen truely well designed well thought out houses in L.A. it makes what I’ve seen on my return to Virginia seem all the more offensive to the eye.

I’m a pessimist, I think until all the space is gone, there won’t be any real thoughts as to how to more efficiently use space.

]]>