Albemarle County has an Architectural Review Board that micromanages minutiae.Greene County does not.Both Wal-Mart and Lowe’s said they will begin building their new stores there in the spring and fall, respectively. They will serve as anchors for the Gateway Center, a new retail shopping center in Greene County.Unlike other shopping centers, there isn’t an artist’s rendering available for the Gateway Center; the future of the site’s appearance depends on which businesses move in….“There will be space for smaller retail stores to lease, but the exact location and design have yet to be determined,†Hughes said….Officials know the layout of the site, said Steve Catalano, chairman of the Greene County Board of Supervisors. However, the county doesn’t have an architectural control committee….Catalano said the board did request that the site have “a tasteful appearance.  The closest “big-box” stores are in Culpeper, about 45 minutes north and Charlottesville, about 20-30 minutes south.
Browsing Category Growth
This is why I tell my clients that everything can change
Purchasers should exercise whatever due diligence they deem necessary with respect to adjacent parcels in accordance with the terms and conditions of the purchase contract, but in any event prior to settlement on the subject property. In short, sellers are generally responsible for disclosing anything within the four corners of their property, and the buyer (and buyer’s agent) should do all the due diligence they can to learn about what is outside those four corners.And then read this story at Charlottesville Tomorrow referencing the Mosby Mountain development on 5th Street Extended/Old Lynchburg Road – Bill Edgerton (Jack Jouett) also expressed sympathy for the neighbors, but he could not support making an exception, in part because of the history of neighborhoods changing their minds on sidewalks, particularly when faced with the prospect of a new neighborhood being connected to an existing development…. Mitchell was, however, quite surprised to learn that, at least in the view of some of the Planning Commissioners and staff, his cul-de-sac was seen as accommodating a road interconnection to future development adjacent to his property…. Mitchell said that if the County ever tried to connect Hatcher Court he would both be opposed to it and try to buy the land behind him.In my view, unless you own the land around you, it is more likely than not to become, at some point, either a through road (not the cul-de-sac you’re used to) or some form of development.In this case, it sounds like the neighbors don’t want the sidewalks; but what happens in ten years when the cul-de-sacs become through roads?
“A C-SPAN that covers local meetings”
A great description of Charlottesville Tomorrow. Listen to Brian Wheeler’s most recent weekly appearance on WINA here, covering North Pointe on 29 North, Places29 and several other topics that affect the Charlottesville real estate market.As I have noted before and elsewhere, Charlottesville Tomorrow is, regardless of your perspective, one of the many things that sets Charlottesville and Albemarle apart from other areas. How I wish there were something like this for Augusta and Waynesboro.
Check your school district before you buy
And as much as it pains me to say, don’t necessarily trust the MLS. Here is why (I’ve written about this numerous time over the years)-
School districts change all the time. I tell my clients that they shouldn’t feel confident that they will remain in the school district in which they think they’re buying unless they can throw a rock from their front porch and hit the school – and even then the lines may be redrawn.
Housing and tech in Charlottesville
That is the total economic impact that the high tech industry had on the Charlottesville/Central Virginia region – not too shabby for a Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of about 175k.Chemical Weapons Research Analyst, Journeyman All-Source Analyst “(working as a member of a government-contractor team supporting the Counter-IED Targeting Program (CITP) …… Combine the government contractors, government jobs – both military and civilian at the current National Grounds Intelligence Center and soon-to-be Rivanna Station Military Base, with Charlottesville’s growing high-tech presence:“Charlottesville is not the biggest player in the high-technology sector in this region,†Kinsey said. “The big interest is starting and encouraging smaller businesses, not necessarily looking for a big, high-tech industry in Charlottesville.â€The study, compiled by the Center for Public Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University with data from 2006, showed the Charlottesville region ranks fifth among 10 Metropolitan Statistical Areas for technology employment with 11,690 full-time and part-time jobs and fourth in number of high-technology firms with 635 companies reported…. However – one of the downsides (there are others) is this – a lot of those seeking to relocate to the area need to temper their expectations.The impact of these jobs is felt throughout our economy and makes its way to housing:The total economic impact from market transactions is comprised of three phases: direct, indirect, and induced economic effects.
Proffers, timing, smart growth and questions
Take the time to read it if you’re interested in growth issues in Virginia.Tuesday brought a significant shift in the political makeup in Albemarle County. It will, however, take a long time for some of those impacts to be felt for many reasons, not least the fact that there are currently several thousand homes in the pipeline to be built (anywhere from 8,000 to 13,000, depending on which numbers one uses). These have already been approved and are not subject to the new cash proffer policy on new homes…. (If I didn’t know what I was looking for, I might never have been able to find this document)As has been noted elsewhere, the Board of Supervisors is now faced with a possible 4-2 split on many issues that will define the future, near and long-term, of Albemarle County.Will we spend more money on transit?What will happen to our property taxes?How will our symbiotic relationship with the City of Charlottesville be affected?If property rights are affected, what will happen to real estate values?These are questions that will be be answered only over time.
Stability in College Towns
Thanks to an alert reader for sending this story my way – College Towns Escape the PainAs the inner cities, along with much of Florida and the interior of California, face the prospect of a foreclosure meltdown, American college towns appear to be islands of stability….It could be all of that and more, say economists and academics. But ultimately, what the cities on the list have in larger measure than much of the rest of the country is stability, in both their housing and job markets….Contributing to reasonable home prices is the fact that many places on the list are economic oases, surrounded by areas where jobs are dwindling, which helps depress housing demand. Yet the college towns themselves are thriving: The peak years for American births since the baby boom were 1989 to 1993, and college enrollments are swelling as never before. Many communities on the list also have big medical centers or flourishing research operations.Take a look at some of the historical data on UVA construction – and then look at their Master Plan.