Economy could slow Crozet master plan

Albemarle County rolled out a master plan for downtown Crozet in 2004, and officials now say the village will become a “destination” spot for locals.

But as the state of the economy worsens, planners hope upcoming timelines still can be met.

Construction is expected to begin by spring or summer 2010 on a 20,000-square-foot library building, which includes space for community meetings and other public uses, and is expected to cost $8.5 million. Officials hope street extensions, new lights and improved sidewalks, alleys and a drainage system will be nearly completed heading into late 2009.

“These are anticipated schedules, based on anticipated funding,” said Bill Letteri, the county’s director of facilities development. Letteri said he “feels pretty confident” that the projects will be completed on schedule — as long as funding is met and there aren’t any unexpected roadblocks.

Albemarle Board of Supervisors member Ann H. Mallek — whose district includes all of Crozet — said an economic downturn could affect the projects’ progress.

“I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t,” Mallek said. “We need to be very careful as a community to ride this out as smoothly as we can. … We just have to budget very, very carefully.”

Mallek also noted that the projects are dependent on each other. “It’s more complicated to manage and to fund than each one might be singularly,” she said.

The new library, to be built in the heart of downtown Crozet, will be a staple in the community, planners say.

After the Crozet Master Plan was adopted in 2004, the Board of Supervisors appointed 15 citizens to the Crozet Community Advisory Council, which assists county officials in implementing the master plan.

Residents are “exasperated” by the slow progress of the projects, said Michael Marshall, chairman of the advisory council. “It just seems like the county cannot stay on schedule.”

Marshall, who’s also the editor of the Crozet Gazette, argues that “if the county drags its feet” on plans for a concentrated area of development in downtown Crozet, sprawl will occur in the meantime.

As for the plans to develop the downtown, “Nobody in Crozet disagrees with what the projects are,” Marshall said. “The citizens of Crozet were happy with the master plan. … Let’s get it done.”

Marshall said that the public has been given a substantial amount of input in planning the projects. A town meeting was held last week for residents to meet with officials and planners about infrastructure projects under way. More than 100 people attended.

For local officials, the county’s weakened budget has been at the heart of some conversations about potential Crozet projects.

The county commissioned a study and sought input from Crozet residents to determine the future of the Old Crozet School. Residents largely said that they’d like to see the building used as a community center. However, renovations were projected to cost up to $8 million.

At a Sept. 3 board meeting, Supervisor Dennis S. Rooker said that, at that cost, it’s just as cheap to build a new one.

Mallek, however, maintains that she “would like to see [the building] used in some way, to benefit the community.” The building was constructed in 1924 but hasn’t been kept up in recent years. Mallek said she would not support selling the building or tearing it down.

“Members of the community were also horrified of the size of the price tag that was offered, but that was a very rough figure,” Mallek said. “We have to think in very small steps for that project.”