August 1, 2024: Recount underway in Fifth District Republican primary; New location for Crozet thrift store
Plus: Carter Machinery Company files zoning clearance for rental center next to Northside Library
August is an adjective, a person’s name, and the word associated with the next 31 days. Of the twelve months, this is the only one named after a historical figure as the first Roman emperor took over Sextilus for his own hegemonic purposes. From here on until the end of the year, the months are named after numbers. This is Charlottesville Community Engagement for this day. I’m Sean Tubbs, wondering when these conventions will eventually change.
In today’s installment:
The recount is underway today in the Republican Primary for Virginia’s Fifth District
The Albemarle County Fair begins this afternoon
The Virginia Department of Transportation will begin work Monday on widening of a turn-lane at a key intersection in Crozet
The Green Olive Tree in Crozet has a new home and other land use updates in Albemarle County
First shout-out: Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library
In today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: The rolling topography of the Charlottesville area keeps some people away from choosing cycling as an option to get around. Perhaps an e-bike is in order?
That’s where Charlottesville’s eBike Lending Library comes in! E-bikes are a great way to get around the community but there are many brands and styles to choose from. Because many e-bikes are sold online, it can be a challenge to try an e-bike before buying one.
The Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library is a free, not-for-profit service working to expand access to e-bikes in the area. They have a small collection of e-bikes that they lend out to community members for up to a week, for free. You can experience your daily commute, go grocery shopping, or even bike your kids to school, and decide whether e-bikes are right for you. Check out this service at https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org!
Recount underway in Fifth District Republican Primary
The ballot-by-ballot recount of votes in the June 18 Republican Primary for Virginia’s Fifth Congressional district is underway today with a three-judge panel overseeing the effort in all 24 localities.
Incumbent Bob Good lost by 374 votes to Senator John McGuire in the race, within the margin that allows the losing candidate to ask for a recount, but close enough that the state pays for it.
The results will be posted to the Virginia Department of Elections website as soon as they are certified.
For more details on how the process works, read Markus Schmidt’s article on Cardinal News.
The candidate with the most votes after the recount will face Democrat Gloria Tinsley Witt. Since winning the primary, her campaign has stepped up its presence on social media with an active Facebook account.
Albemarle County Fair begins today
Today is day 6 of the Paris Olympics, a showcase of athletic prowess from across the entire planet. August 1 is also the first day of the Albemarle County Fair, a showcase of all sorts of agricultural achievements.
The annual event will be held at James Monroe’s Highland and opens at 4 p.m. this evening through 9 p.m.
“The 2024 Fair will feature livestock animals, agriculture products, craft exhibits, live music, historic demonstrations, food trucks, and much more,” reads the fair’s website. “The Albemarle County Fair Board of Directors and organizers are delighted to welcome you to a fair that perfectly represents the county’s rural heritage, agricultural history, and natural beauty.”
The fair has taken place at Highland since 2012, a venue that does not have the space for carnival rides. Previously the fair took place at Bundoran Farm in North Garden until the land was developed. This version of the fair has been underway since 1982 according to the website.
The number of farms in Albemarle decreased by five percent from 2017 to 2022 according to the latest Census of Agriculture conducted by the federal government. The average farm in Albemarle in the county is losing money with an average net cash income per farm of a negative $16,033. There were 1,298 people employed as hired farm labor.
Today’s events include the Albemarle County Fair Pageant as well as poultry classes and rabbit classes. The livestock events begin tomorrow. The schedule can be reviewed on the Highland website.
Work to begin next week on turn lane widening on Crozet Avenue
The Virginia Department of Transportation is warning people who drive in Crozet about upcoming work that could cause delays for about a week and a half. On Monday, contractors will begin work to widen the southbound turn lane from Crozet Avenue to U.S. 250.
“Workers will set up a flagging operation to widen the turn lane and extend its length,” reads a press release sent out on Wednesday. “Drivers turning west on U.S. 250 will have more space to wait their turn and they will be able to get in line sooner on Crozet Avenue.”
Around 12,000 vehicles a day pass through the location according to VDOT.
This work is not to be confused with a different intersection of U.S. 250 and Route 240. A roundabout is planned for the convergence of those roads and Route 680 east of Crozet and the project is currently in the design phase. You can find out more about that and other planned projects on the Albemarle County transportation dashboard.
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Green Olive Tree now open in new location
Today is the first day of operations for the Green Olive Tree in a new location. The Crozet thrift store has moved across Three Notch’d Road to the same building that holds Music Today and Starr Hill Brewing Company.
In July, Albemarle County staff approved a zoning clearance for the use of the 2,947 square foot space on land zoned highway commercial.
“The Green Olive Tree is a Christian thrift store that has been in Crozet for forty-five years,” reads the application submitted on June 14. “The landlord is providing parking on the lot across Three Notched Road for volunteers and customers.”
Albemarle Supervisors marked the 45 year history with a proclamation on May 1 as I reported near the time.
Another pending zoning clearance is for the Carter Machinery Company to operate a rental center from the property it purchased earlier this year at 721 Rio Road West. That’s next to the Northside Library.
“The equipment to be rented out to customers from the property by Carter will include a variety of hydraulic excavators, backhoes, compact track loaders, telehandlers, skid steer loaders, boom lifts and scissor lifts,” reads a letter sent to the county on July 8.
The letter explains how returned equipment will be cleaned with any dirt from vehicles kept in storage until a “mitigation company” removes it from the site. This use is by-right in the Highway Commercial zoning. (CLE202400086) (CLE202400090)
Here are some other recent zoning clearance applications in Albemarle County:
Bobcat of Charlottesville has received a zoning clearance to operate a service center at 1289 Stony Point Road. That’s where Flow Mazda had been located. (CLE202400092)
Smooth Sailing Ballroom received approval for a dance studio by appointment only at a storefront in Fashion Square Mall. (CLE202400080)
Central Virginia Endodontics has been given clearance to expand their clinic at 2701 Hydraulic Road. (CLE202400081)
The University of Virginia Physicians’ Group has gotten approval to open a men’s health clinic at 183 Spotnap Road in Suite A. This is for the Department of Endocrinology. Nine spaces are required. Ninety-four are provided by the side development plan for the site from the 1990’s. (CLE202400082)
The Charlottesville Institute for Modern Esthetics has filed for a zoning clearance to operate out of a storefront at the Albemarle Square Shopping Center. The post secondary educational school teaches classes in cosmetic tattooing as regulated by the State Council of Higher Education. (CLE202400084)
The owners of the Brewery at Tiffin Farm in Free Union have applied for a zoning clearance for events ranging from weddings to holidays parties at their farm brewery. They received a license from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control authority on May 1. A letter to nearby property owners dated last November 13 states that cattle graze on the land and brewery ingredients are grown. (CLE202400088)
A business called Visiting Angels has filed an application to operate out of a shopping center at 2040 Abbey Road in a site formerly occupied by U.S. Cellular. The company provides living assistance services to seniors. (CLE202400093)
A Cajun food restaurant has filed for a zoning clearance to operate at 1871 Seminole Trail, a space that has been many restaurants over the years. According to the application, this is a name change to Roux Street Cafe and the previous business on the site was Seminole Nutrition. Guajiro’s Miami Eatery also operated in the location for a time. (CLE202400095)
An application has been filed to open a small grocery store called Kabul Mart at 1646 Seminole Trail. That’s a small shopping center across from Fashion Square Mall. (CLE202400099)
Reading material for #712
RGGI court battles continue, with ruling favoring environmental nonprofits, Patrick Cloonan, Indiana Gazette, July 30, 2024
Why some residents are calling for block to Louisa truck stop vote: 'Our concern is the morality', Maggi Marshall, WTVR, July 30, 2024
Charlottesville seeks public input on parks’ plan, Catie Ratliff, C-Ville Weekly, July 31, 2024
What should Virginia’s FOIA council prioritize? Depends who you ask, Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury, August 1, 2024
A short conclusion to #712
This may be the shortest edition of the newsletter in a while. One entire story I worked for about an hour on got pulled for quality control reasons, and the recount didn’t happen quickly. So this conclusion will be short, too. I want to get this out and begin work on tomorrow’s edition which will hopefully include a long story on Albemarle’s Comprehensive Plan.
Still, hopefully the material in this one will tell someone something they didn’t know before. That’s the basic goal of Charlottesville Community Engagement and I thank you for reading. I also thank the person who moved to a paid subscription yesterday!
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