There are a lot of important matters being discussed in Crozet right now, discussions that will impact the future of Crozet (and Albemarle County). The challenge in Crozet is one that cannot be well-defined in a simple blog post. The challenge is one of the long-time residents, the mid-time (<10 years) residents and the new residents – there are competing and aligned interests that center around the concepts of “change” and “where should Crozet grow?”

First, the light industrial conversation: (comments at the DP)

A spirited crowd of Crozet residents was on hand at a public forum Thursday to challenge the notion that western Albemarle is a prime location for expanded industrial development. The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has asked for consideration of a new light industrial business park in the Crozet Master Plan’s first five-year update.

“We’ve been waiting for this meeting and don’t know if the Board of Supervisors has already made a preliminary decision or not,” said Meg West, a Crozet resident for over 25 years who is opposed to the new park. “We’re hoping they will listen to us.”

In early January, the Board of Supervisors approved a pro-business action plan that identified the Yancey Mills area as one location for expanded industrial zoning. That directive coincides with a request from the Yancey family to expand the county’s designated growth area for a new business park.

Brian Wheeler describes the conflicting sides well (start at the 5:30 mark) “… neighbors in those new neighborhoods along 240 …  neighbors have never experienced the industrial history of Crozet … the fruit industry or the frozen food industry of Acme Visible, all of those industries have been dormant for sometime, I expect the neighbors there would have a different reaction today, were it to come down their street …”

From Charlottesville Tomorrow –

A proposed gas station on U.S. 250 in Crozet is coming under increased scrutiny by the public and the Albemarle County Architectural Review Board.

At its meeting Monday, the ARB told the applicant’s representative, Jo Higgins, that the Re-Store’n Station plan had not improved enough over the past year and still had a negative impact on the adjacent neighborhood and historic area of Free Town.

”It is less worse than it was in the beginning, yet it is still not good,” said board member Paul Wright. “I think it’s too big and its scale is significant, and I think the site [plan] makes it currently unacceptable to ARB guidelines.”

“This is a very rural area of Albemarle County, this is not [U.S. 29 North],” continued Wright. “We shouldn’t stick a 29 North store on this specially designated scenic byway that’s different from almost any other road we have in the county.”

Maintaining Crozet’s still-sort-of-rural feel while bringing in good growth is an important debate.

The question is – how do Crozetians and Albemarle citizens want Crozet to develop/grow/evolve?

Some of the newest listings in Crozet (by zip code):

[idx-listings zip=”22932″ orderby=”DateAdded” orderdir=”DESC” count=”7″]