Crozet plan moves ahead

By Jeremy Borden

Published: June 5, 2008

Downtown Crozet is almost open for business.

Albemarle County supervisors and planning commissioners mostly agreed Wednesday on a new vision for the hamlet’s downtown, spelling out a concept for new buildings, restaurants and shops. Because the county would rezone downtown ahead of time, the plan would ultimately loosen restrictions and help spur redevelopment, officials say.

The downtown, which is known for the signature barn red façade of Crozet Pizza and the train rails that split the community, would, under the new vision, feature two- and three-story buildings, with a mix of residential and commercial space.

The new downtown district would represent the first time the county has rezoned property ahead of time with the intent of spurring development. The preemptive strike would allow business owners to avoid the laborious process of getting the zoning changed.

While the county would lose out on money developers often provide for infrastructure, officials and some residents said that allowing business owners to bypass restrictions is the only way Crozet can compete with burgeoning development nearby.

Mike Marshall, a longtime Crozet activist, said the process for downtown guidelines really started 10 years ago when residents wrote a letter to the county requesting help for its parking situation. He said the letter was never returned.

“Finally we’ve gotten to the point where we have an incredible plan,” Marshall said. But he said the plan needs more flexibility because “we’re trying to predict the future.” Property owners shouldn’t have to get land rezoned to make changes that are slightly beyond the plan’s guidelines, he said.

David L. Slutzky was the only supervisor who expressed deep reservations, though he supports the intent of the downtown rezoning.

“I think we’re going to have the unintended consequence of perhaps killing off downtown Crozet,” Slutzky said. The county wouldn’t benefit from the contributions developers make to facilitate rezonings, he said, and taxes would rise considerably for existing businesses, which could drive them out. There is also concern that increased tax bills would pinch homeowners as well.

There is already a plan for one part of downtown that stretches from the Crozet Great Valu IGA to around Crozet Pizza. Architect Bill Atwood has said that part of downtown would feature 56,000 square feet of commercial space with about 70 condos selling for $300,000 and less.

Dredging

The board also discussed the possibility of dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir to increase the area’s long-term water supply. Board Chairman Kenneth C. Boyd said that he would talk with Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris about the issue.

The issue has grown hot over the last several weeks as critics of the adopted long-term water supply plan have argued that dredging South Fork could add capacity to the system and perhaps mean the price tag of the $142 million plan could be reduced. The plan, which would build a new dam at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir and a pipeline from South Fork to fill the expanded capacity, this week won approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward. It would provide an adequate water supply for 50 years, officials say.

Supervisor Sally H. Thomas said there still needs to be a community discussion about dredging.

“I’m not sure I want to dredge at all,” Thomas said.

Both the City Council and the Board of Supervisors have expressed interest in learning more about dredging, and Boyd said he would inquire with Norris about how to proceed.