Forbes ranks Charlottesville as the nineteenth best place for business and careers. The accolades keep on coming. That’s 13 spots higher than last year.Note two things – 1) the cost of living and the fact that despite the fact that they say “Charlottesville,” they mean “Charlottesville and Albemarle,” hence CharlAlbemarle.
you searched for albemarle place
Albemarle County tax assessments rise (2007 edition)
Albemarle County Assessments from 2007.
Condos and CharlAlbemarle market stats
The market in the Charlottesville/Albemarle region is, shall we say, different than it was last year.”It’s a great time to buy” – the new media blitz from the National Association of Realtors. I have said it before and will say it again – housing is not, nor has it ever been, an immediately liquid investment.Condos -From the first of the year to 1 November:2006: 498 Condos were sold in CharlAlbemarle895 Condos were listed2005: 379 Condos were sold in ChalAlbemarle544 Condos were listedSo, yes, condos have been supporting the local market quite well…. –Mark Twain (attributed to)Taking a cue from Ardell, here are a few different angles:1BR condos: far more one bedroom condos were sold in 2006 compared to 2005, due primarily to the continued trend of condo conversions…. However, the average price in 2005 was $169k versus $159k in 2006.2BR condos: Average price per square foot in 2006 – $195/foot.
Fake cities to replace real cities?
The WSJ had a fascinating story yesterday about the rise of mini-cities as a means by which to combat sprawl.Even though these faux downtowns contain tinges of suburbia, they’re taking advantage of a growing backlash against the sprawl that rings Dallas and other U.S. cities. The reaction began in the 1980s with the rise of New Urbanism, a movement of architects and planners calling for a return to traditional towns where people work, shop, live and play.They are describing, in many ways, Albemarle Place. More on Albemarle Place’s development here.Might Albemarle Place’s “New Main Street” supplant Charlottesville’s Main Street? Doubtful, but … they are nothing if not ambitious.It’s the New Urbanism — a high-energy environment mixing private elegance with a wealth of entertainment and shopping options. Simply step outside your door onto pedestrian-friendly Main Street. You’ll find all that makes this community special: mountain views, a vibrant night life, specialty boutiques as well as convenient shopping within a single town center.Mighty bold. With rising construction costs, rising interest rates and a general market cooling, how will these designs pan out?
Albemarle County BoS meeting … growth issues come to a head
If you are concerned, curious or just feel ignorant about where the Albemarle County growth process/issue, take 30 minutes to listen to this podcast provided by Charlottesville Tomorrow.”If this were my business I would really be worried about being able to continue in business if my suppliers and my end users were not at all happy with the product that we were creating and the process that we were going about doing it.” Ken Boyd”It’s broken” DorrierDennis Rooker defended the Neighborhood Model while affirming that he is “not against looking at it, but …”… His argument that “one or two people” and “six or seven vociferous” opponents doesn’t hold water.The County’s own survey shows that residents are becoming less satisfied with the growth plan. (I said this the other day, but think it needs repeating)The survey indicated continued support for the county’s major growth management policies, with approximately 70% of respondents favoring concentrating development in the urban areas to protect the rural areas, but that percentage showed a significant decline in support from the 2002 survey where almost 80% of respondents said they favored concentrated growth.The public is raising its voice of disapproval with the direction the BoS has been leading the growth process.”It’s not working.” Ken Boyd”It is a fundamental conflict…”The development process needs to be more efficient, more open and better managed…. The BoS needs to plan and implement their plans better…. Don’t plan to raise the population in Crozet to 12,000 people without at least starting road improvements or mass transit. It is irresponsible and an extraordinary disservice to our community and region.
Places29 planning continues
From yesterday’s DP article by Jessica Kitchin – A look at old maps of the U.S. 29 corridor north of Charlottesville underscores the amount of development it has undergone in recent years. What was secluded in the 1980s has become a bustling assortment of stoplights, strip malls and parking lots.That urbanization and an intensive effort to better plan the developing areas of the county have led local officials to focus on the often-derided highway.Better late than never. The Places29 project continues in the same vein as the Crozet Master Plan and the equally belated Pantops Master Plan. From the same article – “The Places29 study is really a flagship model for a comprehensive approach that incorporates transportation and land-use issues,†said Harrison Rue, executive director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.
Places 29
Transportation, open space and neighborhood concerns are some of area residents’ top priorities for the master plan for the U.S. 29 corridor in northern Albemarle County….The areas of top public concern for Places29 include pedestrian connections and facilities, preservation of the county’s natural environment, creation of public parks, improvements in the transportation system, protection of existing neighborhoods, provisions for retail services and maintenance of the county’s public facilities, according to the update.From today’s DP.Places 29 has an online questionnaire where residents may provide feedback on the master plan process. What I hope will not be lost is the fact that 29 needs to be an efficient corridor for moving traffic in and out of the area, not merely a commercial zone with several stoplights and roadblocks.