Charlottesville's Real Estate Blog. Buyer &/or Seller Representation, Real Estate News
When Greene County gets its 500+ townhomes, it will increase the number of attached housing in that county by many orders of magnitude. Townhomes in Northern Albemarle – Hollymead, Forest Lakes, Abington Place, Riverwood will be impacted by the entrance – and prospective entrance – of these homes to the real estate market.
For context, a quick look at the Charlottesville Area MLS shows that:
Over the past 21 years (in the MLS which is “accurate enough” for these purposes:
The following was sent in by a reader (and I’m grateful): “Don’t know if you’re repping any homes in Willoughby or any of your buyers are looking there, but there are some plans in the city and county that they may wish to consider. … All 100 units will enter and exit on Harris Road in Willoughby, as the property is constrained by Moore’s Creek and I doubt the County would give permission to build an automobile crossing into the Avon Center development, should it ever be built. … * Part I of the city plan looks to be about half the units and beds — 25 units/100 beds or so. — From Albemarle’s “County View” : (bolding mine) ZMA 201100003, Willoughby Apartments Planner: Claudette Grant PROPOSAL: Rezone 5.671 acres from Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning district which allows residential (3 – 34 units per acre), mixed with commercial and industrial uses to PUD zoning district to add residential density to plan.
…I contacted an attorney who graciously bent his ear for 20+ minutes about the very possible encroachment or developing on Willoughby Common Property in the City without legal right of way and he said to hire a surveyor and have him/her survey the area, mark it and record it, then we will have an expert determine if this is true.
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 ?
I’d love to think that we are close to being able to easily bike everywhere around Charlottesville and Albemarle’s urban ring, but these two paragraphs from Chiara Canzi’s article say a lot:
“This commuter trail will extend from Lewis and Clark Drive in Northern Albemarle County into the City of Charlottesville’s Downtown,†running parallel to Route 29 North, according to the project’s report.
… “This facility will provide a viable alternative travel mode for communities along the Route 29 North corridor, particularly Downtown and the Hollymead commercial area,†it reads. Yet, upon a closer look at the plan, Northtown Trail is connected to and contingent upon the completion of some major, and controversial, transportation projects.
The beauty of the Markets – gourmet gas stations which really are ” ironically delicious ” – the original one at Bellair , the newest one on 29 at the corner of Greenbrier, the one at Hydraulic and 29, and the ones at Forest Lakes and Mill Creek – is that they are decidedly Charlottesville .
…“We’re trying to make these stores destinations rather than convenience stops,†said Stuart Lowry, marketing director for The Markets of Tiger Fuel, a Virginia convenience chain that offers fresh seafood, a fancy deli and professional chefs.
…While I share some of the writer’s sentiments, I’d rather focus on their current contributions to the economy and to the culture of Charlottesville for the past 20+ years as a resident, customer and Realtor in Charlottesville. … I may sound a bit elitist, but given the choice between a snack or sandwich and a cup of Mudhouse Coffee at a Market or a chili dog and a fountain drink at a 7-11, I’ll choose the former every day of the week.
Not to mention to say how much money they could save if they closed the Afton, Greenwood, and other small offices they have around the area and concentrated the operations for Western Albemarle at the Crozet office.
The Charlottesville processing facility closed early in 2010 , but as of yet (to my knowledge) none of the small rural post offices have closed.
…I indifferently avoid the post office, and find that my local coffee shops provide the hub that I seek, but I wouldn’t seek to draw conclusions solely from my perspective.
… View Larger Map Driving Directions Related reading : – New Census Figures Mean Rural Areas Lose Clout – Mapping Virginia’s Human Settlement Patterns – Rural town fears US Postal Service cuts * Unrelated note: I wish I could embed the Post Office’s map , but now Bing is
If the Albemarle Board of Supervisors does pass Places29, without fundamental changes (including real consideration of a bypass option), we believe VDOT will continue to press the arterial standards.Â
…Places29 will then be nothing more than an expensive book of pretty pictures that hindered rather than enhanced development opportunities in the development areas.
…29 North was never designed to to be an artery where pedestrian activity was encouraged, was it? Start reading about the Western Bypass , and understand that, like most infrastructure improvements in our area, nothing will ever get done.