This post titled “The Fear Factor in America’s Growing Exurbs,” highlights this. The growth that we are seeing is not isolated to the Central Virginia region; it may feel like it, but it’s not. With the introduction of Ryan Homes in Louisa, I believe that we may see more of these developments…. People don’t move necessarily because the developments offer amenities, but because they can afford to live there – hence, Crozet’s growth.
Browsing Category Regional
Wakeup Call: Does Charlottesville have enough water?
I have not yet listened to this Podcast (as my cable at home was down all night and afternoon), but the subtitle seems great in that it references “Central Virginia” rather than the myopic “Charlottesville”Listen to it at Charlottesville Podcasting Network. Our current and future real estate values are highly dependent on having sufficient infrastructure in place.
Green Parade of Homes
From their release – Sensibly Built for the EnvironmentAn innovative new green building program that works with home builders to construct resource and energy efficient homes that lessen the impact on the environment.I have written about the prospects of building environmentally friendly homes before, and think that eventually a critical mass will show itself…. Read the fulll press release and directions below.5 EarthCraft Homes OPENSaturday and Sunday, August 13 & 14, Noon to 5PMArtisan Construction Co., Inc.5035 Meadowlark Court, Foxwood ForestDirections: 29 North to a right turn on Rt…. House on left.Kingma Developers, Inc.2930 Milton Village Lane, Milton VillageDirections: 250 East to a right at the light onto Rt…. House is at end of court on the left.Piedmont Housing Alliance214 10th St., NW, CharlottesvilleDirections: Main Street to 10th Street North.
Transportation and the Governor’s race
Bacon’s Rebellion posted this excellent link to a Q & A with Tim Kaine, candidate for Governer this fall. His ideas for linking transportation and land use planning show that, at the very least, he is thinking about transportation issues. Will all the talk online translate into more voters this fall? If nothing, Mr. Kaine is certainly working diligently to get his message out there.
No bubble?
Bacon’s Rebellion: Housing Bubble Watch:Land developers say that the need to comply with environmental requirements, zoning laws, and delays in putting the necessary infrastructure in place – roads, water, electricity and sewer lines – limits residential lot development and thus the number of area houses being built. They tell us that it can take upwards of three years or more to take a housing project from start to finish.” (For details click here.)So long as there are more buyers than sellers, (in my un-economist opinion) there is no bubble…. I just don’t see it in this market, especially when new construction prices are being bumped up in increments of $5 every couple of weeks when properties don’t sell …
NIMBYs unite.
From a letter to the editor in today’s C-Ville – This letter is to the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority [“So simple, it just might work,†The Week, August 2]…. No charge for the advice.This kind of simplistic response is all good and well, but simply not practical…. We need to accept the growth, but manage it within the guidelines that are 1) currently in place or 2) can reasonably be put in place by reasonable people working together. Maybe we should stop the continuing development of the Downtown Mall while we’re at it.The above sentiment seems to be that of many natives and NIMBYs alike.
Water may be coming soon
The RWSA is currently acting on plans to build a pipeline from the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, just north of Charlottesville, to the Ragged Mountain Reservoir southwest of the city…. The plan also seems to be a middle path between environmental and business groups that have squared off over how to expand the supply.The idea has also united two groups that have been at odds throughout the planning process —the Piedmont Environmental Council and the developer-friendly Free Enterprise Forum. Environmentalists didn’t want the RWSA to pull water from outside the local area, while developers wanted a plan that satisfied those 50-year demand projections.Why should the Free Enterprise Forum (calling it pro-developer is a much too narrow description of this local think tank) be the only ones calling for sufficient planning?… Maybe I am reading too much into it.The best part of the story in this week’s C-Ville – Gilges chuckles at the idea that the solution came from the public instead of big-bucks consultants.