URGENT: Help stop new development and traffic at the Ashwood Boulevard - Rt. 29 intersection.
On Wednesday night the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors will be considering designating the large parcel across Route 29 from the Ashwood Boulevard intersection as part of the "growth area" - which would enable building a big box retailer, over 100,000 square feet of office space, and 150 houses ... all of which would use the Ashwood intersection and create potentially massive congestion.
As you see in the map, this parcel is a "tongue" surrounded by woods and farms, with zero road access from any other direction - a very poor candidate for standalone development.
Your Forest Lakes Community Association board has previously told the Supervisors and the Planning Commission that any new development must first have the road infrastructure in place, and needs to be consistent with the Places 29 Plan which includes building a westside road network (Berkmar Drive Extended) and an additional bridge over the Rivanna River, linking Hollymead Town Center to Sam's Club, Lowe's and beyond, enabling shoppers and commuters to use that roadway rather than 29 and the Ashwood intersection - a smart and sensible plan.
But some Supervisors apparently want to allow this growth area expansion now, without any of the planned and needed infrastructure - funneling all the added traffic right through Ashwood Boulevard.
Making the improvements included in the Places 29 plan will no doubt be a long run challenge, given budget crunches at all levels. Some have argued that allowing this new development parcel now will bring with it a contribution from the developer to help fund pieces of the infrastructure plan, and also bring in new tax revenue.
But the more likely scenario is that we get the development and the traffic first, any developer payment gets watered down or never materializes, no new net tax revenue is ever seen, and that it's years down the line before the planned infrastructure is ever put in place - which is what has happened time after time in our area and has led to the situation we have today.
Authorizing more development now makes no sense.
There is a huge backlog of approved but unbuilt development already - the equivalent of more than two entire Forest Lakes communities and enough commercial space for about 20 more Lowes in the Route 29 corridor alone.
Surely we don't need yet another one right out our front door.
Here are three ways you can let your voice be heard:
1. Go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/981/540/821/and sign the "e-petition" related to the issue. Your Forest Lakes Board will present the full signature list to the Supervisors at the meeting
2. Call the Supervisor who represents our area and tell him how you feel: Ken Boyd 434-977-9981
3. Come to the County Office building on Wednesday night, 6 PM and tell the Board of Supervisors in person what you think about this idea (as a taxpayer you are entitled to 3 minutes to address the full Board).
Since the Supervisors meeting is on Wednesday night, please take one or all of these actions today. This e-newsletter reaches less than half of all Forest Lakes residents - so please forward this to your friends and neighbors in Forest Lakes (Hollymead too) for them to take action also.
Sponsored by: Forest Lakes Properties and
Fulton W. Gaylord--Assoc Broker, SRES, ABR, e-Pro
Authorized HUD Representative, Certified REO Specialist
Keller Williams Realty
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville VA 22901
434-220-2228
Fulton@KW.com
"Licensed to Sell Real Estate in Virginia.
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated"
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