HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP202100068 Correspondence 2021-09-19 Dear Sir or Madame, September 19, 2021
More feedback on the Keene location for the southern Albemarle convenience center.
The first priority for a convenience center should be a location that is convenient! Nearly
every person in southern Albemarle County drives to Charlottesville for work, shopping,
medical care, gas, business or pleasure and they drive right through Mill Creek. Yes,
Mill Creek—already an industrial area with wide roads to support traffic. Yes, Mill Creek,
where there are already 6000 residents and thousands more coming with the extensive
building of more townhouses. THIS IS WHERE THE POPULATION AND NEED IS.
It makes zero sense and leaves a huge carbon footprint to require all these people to
drive to McIntyre or down to Keene to dispose of their trash. 10+ miles down to Keene.
10+ miles back. On roads that do not support it. This is just the residents. Have you
considered all the additional traffic you would be creating? Do you know the normal
traffic count on a daily basis of cars just going to and from work in Charlottesville? For
those of you who don't live here this is bumper to bumper traffic every day. Now you
want to add Convenience center trucks on a daily basis. Trucks coming to collect trash,
including food waste. Trucks will come and go daily to compact, crush and remove the
garbage. 13 miles from town to Keene coming, 13 miles back to town or 1-64. Have you
considered what happens when there is an accident on Rt. 20 (frequently). You are
stuck. Sometimes hours. No alternate routes. This makes no sense when you have a
place in a central location that cuts gas usage, carbon footprint dramatically per day, per
week, per month, per year after year. This place is Mill Creek.
And we haven't even addressed the same objections we had last time - none of which
have changed. Esmont Rd in Keene is a small, winding rural country road, certainly not
intended for more traffic, plus large garbage trucks Have any of you actually been out
to this location? We have lived here 27 years and the cars race up and down this road
and there have been numerous accidents. The "turn in" to the proposed site is accidents
waiting to happen
Keene is not an industrial zone where noise, traffic, lights and trucks could be
accommodated. This is a rural location with an enterprise that will literally be in the
backyard of several residents and on the same rural road used by locals who pay taxes
like everyone else and deserve to have some quality of life, especially when there is a
more sensible alternative location, more cost effective and most convenient to the
masses.
Putting this at the Keene site would be uphill from all adjoining properties. You would
have a large area paved, with room to expand (your statement). This means rain run off
comes right into our properties along with fallen trash and debris. Food waste also
brings smell, rats, rodents, insects. It would be demanded by the adjoining property
owners to have tall concrete noise cancelling wall structures around the perimeter of the
entire facility to stop the rain run off, litter, rats and to decrease constant vehicle fumes
and noise from the clunking glass and the daily compacting, crushing, and relocating of
the garbage.
If you proceed with this preposterous idea of locating the convenience center in the
least acceptable location possible because "you own the land" and "we are the fewest
people to protest" then we believe the leaders we voted in are not living up to their
obligations. We kindly ask you to actually come out here and see what you are voting
on. It is the most egregious lack of insight we have encountered since living here. Just
"owning"the land is not acceptable.
Neither is the fact that Scottsville doesn't want to add any additional bins nor that the
people of Mill Creek have vehemently and rudely protested something that would barely
be noticed in their existing industrial area. It would be so cost effective, practical and
convenient for Scottsville to add a mere few containers to their existing ones. Several
former Scottsville council members had agreed to do this several years ago, having
come to the realization this was a most practical solution.
Have you considered placing a few containers at Yancey Community Center to help out
—again, much more cost effective
In summary:
This convenience center should be located where it is convenient to the most
people, needed by the most people and in an existing industrial area where roads
support large trucks and much traffic. Mill Creek already has this industrial area.
There are 6000+ residents with thousands more on the way due to the massive
building of townhouses. Why in the world would you support the Keene site, with
inadequate roads for such an operation, including poor access off Esmont road,
from both the east and west approach and at an intersection that has been the
site of numerous, some fatal, accidents.
You are all intelligent, open minded people in a position of power and we would ask you
to reconsider Keene as a poor choice for all the issues we have pointed out, considering
the fact you have a perfect alternative which hurts no one and benefits many—Mill
Creek.
Hal and Barb West