For real this time. CBS19 has learned that the City of Charlottesville has signed an agreement to begin construction on the Meadow Creek Parkway, known as McIntire Road extended. Apparently the agreement was signed a week ago.
Date Archives April 2011
Why Home Inspections in the Rain are Good for Home Buyers
Why do I like my buyer clients to have home inspections in the rain?
Simple: because you get to see how the house actually lives.
Video after the jump.
400 More Homes on Pantops? What Could Go Wrong?
Start at Albemarle County’s site , this pdf of last night’s agenda , and then spend some time at Charlottesville Tomorrow’s site .
…That a developer would seek a rezoning of this scale that would add thousands of vehicle trips a day without submitting a traffic study is indicative of either ignorance, arrogance or indifference.
… However, Rooker said the proffer language calling for the road could be interpreted in such a way that the county would have to condemn property. … “We don’t want to be in a mode where we’ve approved this and he doesn’t have to build the road because we won’t condemn the property.â€
Communicating. With Clients
I’m texting a lot more, texting clients before calling to ensure they have time, Skyping much more frequently, texting via Google Voice ( because I can text from the browser ). I learn a lot by observing my daughter and her friends; there is no technological communication besides Facebook, texting and the occasional phone call. … All of these varied and important communication methods lead to at least one consequence – I need to be able to store and search all forms of communication. … So now I’m testing Greplin * – “The Search Bar for your Life” – a tool/service/program/I’m not sure what things are called anymore so I’ll go with “solution” … if they could integrate searching texts and Google Voice, my tech communication search life would be complete.
Eco-Friendly House Designed using Google Sketchup (and How it Relates to Charlottesville)
Fairview couple builds solar-powered home with help from Google Many Internet users rely on Google to instantly find information about almost anyone and anything. … Using Google Sketchup, a 3D modeling program usually used by architects, engineers and other design professionals, not homeowners, the couple drew the plans for their home and all of its high-tech, low-environmental-impact features on a computer screen. Interestingly, the house appears to have cost a not-obscenely-exhorbitant amount and is almost completely off the grid. via instapundit , via knoxnews.com . … “(Their) goal is to model all of the urban areas of Charlottesville and Albemarle County in Google Earth.”
Backyard Garden, Year Two
Year One was a reasonable success , in that: – We fed ourselves a little bit, – We learned that gardening is a lot of work that requires constant vigilance – from weeds, deer and other critters – The family gardened together – I’d like to think I’m helping my little corner of the world by growing local, eating a bit local, and hopefully setting an example for others. – Spacing of plants matters. … In fact, they’ll likely die. – Order and planning seem to be reasonable foundations for success in gardening; I’ll let you know if that proves to be true. – I want a bigger garden. … More of my buyer clients have gardened, and many more want to have gardens; “I’d like some space for a garden” is one of the more common questions/criteria I am hearing, and I don’t think this is a self-selection whereby I am attracting like-minded buyer clients. I think more people want to garden. 
If you’re like me and are getting started in gardening and haven’t had time to plant, may I suggest a visit to the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s website ?
A Good Neighborhood (in Charlottesville) – Belvedere
Bret in Belvedere writes : The other day the weather was nice and children and their parents were on the playground, on the sidewalks, and in the alleys, laughing, chatting and generally having fun. I felt a familiar feeling and searched for what it was and realized that this neighborhood, on these days, reminds me of Sesame Street. … I always tell my buyer clients to visit neighborhoods without me at various times – Sunday afternoons, Friday nights, Monday mornings … I have had several buyers tell me that they found the Belvedere neighborhood to be the most active neighborhood they visited. * as an aside, I’m baffled by the wide range of Walk Scores in Belvedere – n/a to 18 to 77 .