Category Archives: Growth
Charlottesville’s and Albemarle’s Comprehensive Plans
Land use (for many) is boring and is the task of other people. But … if you live in (or are thinking about living in) the Charlottesville or Albemarle areas, you should be paying at least some attention to the Comprehensive Planning Processes of the County of Albemarle and City of Charlottesville. This stuff matters.
I haven’t reviewed the respective Comprehensive Plans, but the one thing that I think would be a crucial component would be how each locality plans to cooperate and collaborate with the other – particularly on infrastructure. Our locality’s inability to plan effectively and more importantly – implement and execute (at all) – are damaging to the community, real estate values and quality of life. 40 years ago, the Meadowcreek Parkway was a logical road (from what I’ve been told); today, notsomuch. But it’s the best that could be done apparently.
Naturally, Charlottesville Tomorrow reports on both.
The City of Charlottesville’s Comp Plan:
After two years of review and more than 60 meetings, the Charlottesville Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday on the document that will help shape land use decisions through 2018 and beyond.
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The plan also includes an analysis of the city’s ability for future growth. There are currently around 10,000 potential residential units that could be built by-right, though only 800 of those would be in the city’s lower-density neighborhoods.
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Haluska also said that the city is running out of vacant land for new residential development, so new homes will likely be built on sites that will have to be redeveloped.
And the County of Albemarle’s Comp Plan:
“[In the 2007 version] we had five sections in the Comprehensive Plan and they were kind of unbalanced,” county principal planner Elaine Echols said. “Those sections were created at different times and they each start with the growth management policy.”
“[In the current draft] we’ve pulled these sections together into one single document and moved the growth management policy [to the beginning of the plan],” Echols added, noting that these changes should decrease repetition and increase ease of use.
Talking about Population Growth in Charlottesville – Costs, Benefits and Challenges
This should be fun. For those who read last month’s note, you know that I was contemplating accepting the invitation to be on this panel put on by ASAP – Advocates for a Sustainable Population. Anyone who has read RealCentralVA for a while knows that I’m extremely skeptical of forced (and arbitrary) population limits. You also know that I struggle with growth, its implications and the inherent conflict between being a real estate agent who ostensibly benefits from growth – while at the same time recognizing that unbridled, unmitigated growth is, for lack of a better word – bad.
I’m looking forward to an interesting conversation tomorrow night at ASAP’s annual meeting.
Click through to read ASAP’s email about the event.
Crozet’s Getting a Hotel
Looks like Crozet will be getting a hotel … in Old Trail.
If you’re curious, check out the state of the “Major Site Plan Amendment” at Albemarle County’s outstanding County View – Planning Application number is SDP201300011
This is an interesting development … Old Trail has been in a bit of flux for the past several months after new management took over, and it’s been quite challenging to advise buyer clients as to what the future of Old Trail is going to be … other than “it’s going to be a lot more dense, a lot busier, and they’ve no plans to address traffic (to be fair, the County doesn’t have any plans for traffic – here or anywhere)”. I don’t mean that to be a negative, but an honest statement … Old Trail is an outstanding neighborhood – one of the most walkable and popular neighborhoods in the region, but having a clear, defined plan would be helpful – both to new residents and existing ones.
It seems that their plans are taking shape.
Charlottesville (and the urban ring in Albemarle County) is poised to have a lot more hotels … but this is the first one in Crozet, and is a much-needed hotel. With the number of vineyards hosting weddings, tourists coming to town to hike and visit the many breweries in Crozet and Nelson County, I’m betting a 43 room hotel, assuming it’s a nice boutiquey thing, will do extremely well.
A boutique hotel had been planned/discussed for the Barnes Lumberyard, but after the bank bought the lumberyard back at foreclosure, I’m betting the only hotel Crozet sees is the one in Old Trail.
I’m working on figuring out a timeline for the site plan review, who’s building it and other details. But for now, I’m off to see a client about a house.
PROJECT: SDP2013-011 Old Trail Village Block 2B – Major Site Plan Amendment
PROPOSED: Request for major site plan amendment approval for a four story, 43 room hotel with a 1,000 square foot restaurant and associated parking.
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LOCATION: At the corner of the intersection of Golf Drive and Claremont Lane, near The Lodge at Old Trail.
Redfields Buying Open Space
Years ago when I wrote “If you Don’t Own it, It’s Going to Change” – referencing homeowners’ and buyers’ expectations regarding adjacent properties, I was using the Mosby Mountain neighborhood as my reference point.
The Redfields neighborhood experienced this last year when the developers tried to build on “their” “open space.”
Fast forward to the end of 2012 and the best solution seems to be coming to fruition – the Redfields homeowners’ association will be buying the open space to keep it as that – protected open space rather than more homes. Good for them and good for the developers.
That area of Charlottesville is poised to grow – significantly – and I think that having secured this open space will be good for Redfields’ residents (their property values and their ability to enjoy their homes)
Reshaping of Martha Jefferson Neighborhood Begins
The CFA Institute is formally launching (re)construction of the Martha Jefferson hospital into their new, 144,000 square foot complex. I wonder what the neighborhood will look like in five years, after this “once in a generation opportunity” to reshape this part of downtown Charlottesville.
Friday Thought – What if Cities Were Designed for People, Not Cars?
Interesting thought from the Wired “Observation Deck” - Designing Cities for People, Not Cars. Where in Charlottesville could this be done?
(I’m thinking that Stonefield was an opportunity.) Continue reading
Charlottesville Will Have “Several” Downtowns
Ugh.
The homogenization and segmentation of Charlottesville continue.
I’ve been thinking about this story for the past week – Struggles with Growth in Charlottesville/Albemarle and beyond – in which I discussed the challenges faced by the visioning of the “plan” for growth and the implementation of same.
UVA’s Firing Range near Glenmore – Balancing Growth with Long-Term Firing Range
UVA has had a firing range for a long, long time. Residents of the Glenmore neighborhood don’t like listening to it, so they’ve asked UVA for either a quieter range or for it to be moved. UVA, being state-owned, “is not required to seek permission from the county for construction on land it owns.”
Enter stalemate.
And yet –
A question came to me that I’ve been wondering for months -
Has this matter hurt Glenmore house prices yet?
I must say I wouldn’t dream of moving there after learning about this problem.
And this, readers, is why it is absolutely critical for buyers to do their own research on homes and neighborhoods and surroundings; real estate agents (I am one, but I do my absolute best to educate my clients about such matters) are not obligated to discuss/disclose matters outside the four corners of the subject property.
UVa’s in a tough spot – they’ve been there for many decades, while Glenmore has existed since the early ’90s, yet it seems that the recent “improvements” amplified the sound.
Compromise: why don’t UVa and Glenmore split the cost to implement the necessary solution?
Continue reading
