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.)
Browsing Category Growth
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?
The Challenges of Growth and Rural Areas – In Glenmore
Residents of the Glenmore neighborhood aren’t fond of the sounds from the shooting range nearby. Looking in the Charlottesville MLS, the oldest home I can find in the Glenmore neighborhood was built in 1993; the shooting range has been there for 40 or 50 years … what’s the solution? If Glenmore wants to pay for sound dampening, I can imagine the range would entertain that offer.
29 North? Where’s That? Said the Customers of Wegmans in Charlottesville
29 North? Where’s That? Might be a question residents of the 5th Street Extended/Old Lynchburg area say in a few years after Wegman’s and Costco have established themselves.
Homes for sale near Wegmans and Costco.
I do wonder – what transportation improvements will be made to facilitate biking and walking?
Another New Neighborhood Coming to Crozet?
Westlake Hills is proposing to build 145 new homes in Crozet. I hope they include some kind of connectivity to other neighborhoods besides roads built solely for cars. (the data show that people prefer walkability) I suppose it can be argued that developers choosing to move forward with previously-dormant neighborhood proposals is a sign of a recovering economy.
204 More Homes Coming to Rio Road?
Looks like I need to update my post from December pondering what Rio Road is going to look like in 5 years.
Charlottesville Tomorrow reports:
The site of a former wastewater treatment plant near Pen Park is under consideration for the construction of 204 homes in both Albemarle County and Charlottesville.
I’d agree with Planning Commissioner Green:
Commissioner Lisa Green encouraged Lopez to further interconnect Lochlyn Hills with the city.
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“In the city, what makes a neighborhood is [people] getting out and walking to the Downtown Mall,†Green said. “Although I applaud all the well-thought-out improvements to the trails, people want to walk to their jobs downtown and I’m not so sure they’re going to do that through the woods.â€
Not planning for or accommodating non-vehicular traffic (you know, walking and biking) is irresponsible and will, to many buyers, reduce the desirability and marketability of the homes.