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Home My WebLink AboutZMA199500021 Correspondence 1996-05-08 0 Memorandum To: Forrest Marshall and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors From: Dr. David E. Martiadgel/ 125 Mill Creek Dr. Charlottesville, VA 22902 Re: Proposed Rezoning and Development on Avon St. Date: May 8, 1996 Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, I rise this evening to express my support for the proposal presented by Cathcart Properties and Denico to rezone the property located on SR 742 across from the Mill Creek subdivision. The zoning to Public Development- Shopping Center is welcome by me, my family and many of the residents of the Mill Creek subdivision. I would like to preface my comments this evening with a bit of history. My wife and I moved from central Indiana exactly 4 years ago. When I came to the University of Virginia for my job interview in the Spring of 1992, we spent two days driving around the county looking for the place that, when finances permitted, we would like to call home. About 4:30 in the afternoon, we drove down Avon St. and pulled off in the Mill Creek Subdivision. The sun was setting across the mountains to the west and was breaking through the clouds casting a beautiful hue across the neighborhood. We sat at the top of the hill and watched the sunset and concluded that, if we could ever buy a house here, it would be in Mill Creek. After three years of apartment living in the county, we found the house we wanted and moved in. We decided to move into this beautiful community for several reasons: 1. The area had great asthetic value 2. It was close to the University Hospital where my wife and I would work 3. Several friends highly recommended the area schools 4. It was close enough to town to be accessible but far enough away to be"in the country" 5. The development in the area was well planned and was not disrupting much of the natural beauty We have been quite pleased with our decision to become members of the community and I currently serve as Vice-President of the Mill Creek Homeowners' Association Board. Rip Cathcart has presented his plan for rezoning and development at several meetings where homeowners of the Mill Creek community have been able to express their comments regarding this proposal. On behalf of his partner, Denise LeCour, he has offered an on-going commitment • to be sensitive to the needs of the community. These meetings have not been without opposition. Some individuals legitimately expressed concern that any development across Avon St. may increase traffic, light and noise in our area. All of these points are correct. However, with the development of the County High School, increasing development and its sequelae are a given. It is therefore in the community's interest to assert some voice on the type, not the existance of development. As the Homeowners' Association Board stated in their recent letter of support, "It is the feeling of the Mill Creek Homeowners' Association Board that since it is inevitable that a shopping center will be built in this location eventually, Mill Creek homeowners would prefer to see it built by someone with a commitment to the neighborhood and a proven track record in building high quality projects." The community is less opposed to development as they are to development which destroys the quality of life in the area. It is for this reason that I support the petition this evening. Cathcart Properties and Denico have already shown a sensitivity to the areas needs with their work on Lakeside. Building style, colors, lighting, and landscaping are all done with the asthetic needs of the community in mind. Light scatter, one of the primary concerns of the area residents, is minimal and affects the night sky only during heavy overcast(when most of us aren't looking at the stars anyhow). Rip has assured the Mill Creek homeowners that the same environmental sensitivity will be used in the proposed shopping center development. He and I have had several discussions about modeling the proposed development after successful community shopping centers in other Virginia and North Carolina towns. He has communicated a desire to use the best possible plans to limit the environmental footprint made by this development. The area under consideration tonight is presently filled with small pines and some hardwood. During storms the trees, which would need to be removed for this development, are falling down at the will of the wind. A loss of this vegetation is not the loss of virgin forest. Landscaping in the development can be placed so that more hearty vegetative buffers and plantings can replace the current scrub. In conclusion, I would like to suggest to you that this proposal is one that is not like the proposals this board has recently turned down. This proposal doesn't add redundancy to the area. On the contrary, it brings community services to an area whose residents now add to the traffic downtown as they must cross town to find the services proposed in this plan. Rip has committed to involving the community to be responsive to the needs and wishes of the area—this will be an interactive community process. I encourage each of you to give thoughtful consideration to this proposal and I encourage you to approve the rezoning petition and work with Cathcart Properties, Denico and the Avon St. extended communities to thoughtfully develop the parcel considered tonight. Thank you for your time and consideration. -., wv.a. 6aUVY OGY 4401 • Uvrt 911U UP INKMi VII001 3 April 1996 D I5 ta,11 yr`"''Y APR ` 31996 ---710 BOARD -� Board of Supervisors DF SVd-FRVISORS ATT: Charlotte Humphris, Chairman FAX 296-5800 Dear Ms. Humphris: I live in a Village Home at the top part of Mill Creek, across the street from where the proposed shopping center would go. I am writing to implore you and the other Supervisors to please not agree to this. The last time it was put before you, it was put down as not being a good mix for the community. Nothing has changed and it still would not be a good match. I am 53 years old, a single mother, and have no savings. The only money I have is in my home there. I know that a shopping center across the street would considerably bring down the selling value of my home. I've only been there two years so it would not be financially feasible for me to sell at this time. I know that there are quite a few older people living in the area for whom it would also be a hardship to move. When the new parkway goes through to 5th street, the shopping center there would probably be within walking distance. Pantops is also only 5-10 minutes drive. I moved to Mill Creek because it was close to town but gave the appearance of being in the country. The area is becoming very congested. We have several subdivisions, a new apartment complex, a church, an elementary school, and a proposed high school. Already traffic is becoming quite a lot. People from Scottsville also cut through to Charlottesville. Please give some thought to what this would do to the homeowners at the top of the hill who can't escape the close proximity of the proposed shopping center. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, ?f6221212---) June Wade r , , :,..'70 )f- D:0/., W/ .' tg9-702Z42-d-Ig2/1 . 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