Snap: Crozet house whacked for no library
This is the house torn down last year for the planned Crozet replacement library, a $10 million, 20,000 square-foot behemoth that has now been removed from the County's 5-year CIP, or Capital Improvement Program. Since there's no telling when, if ever, the thing might get built, it appears this house had a date with the wrecking ball for nothing. Photographed March 8, 2008.
More Snaps
Read more on: crozetlost charlottesville
9 comments
Hawes, "the thing," that "behemoth that has now been removed from the County's 5-year CIP" would have provided a public library for western Albemarle County that merely met the State of Virginia's minimum standard for public libraries of .8 square feet per capita. It would have been similar in size to new libraries in Fluvanna and Farmville. With the current (and projected)population growth, the current 1,728 sf library (smaller than most Albemarle houses) is way out-of-date and undersized.
John Halliday, Library Director, Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
But John, now they've destroyed the house, with no money to build anything there in the foreseeable future. I think the library, like all the other government agencies, better scale back their expectations or lobby to raise taxes.
Why not? Just about EVERYTHING else of historical nature in Crozet has already been whacked! The county is to blame for allowing these historical landmarks to be destroyed willy-nilly in the first place, and should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happento a town that was so rich in history .. ALBEMARLE COUNTY SHAME ON YOU!
This is a cautionary tale. The go-go days may be over for a long time; county and city better think long and hard about any costly new infrastructure projects, that require an operating budget to support them. We certainly are getting that message from the private sector, look what is happening at Biscuit Run, which thankfully, was not clear cut for development, and hopefully, the wonderful forest at Ragged Mt. will be saved, as well.
Sad to see this once loved piece of Crozet history lost; thanks for preserving this home's memory, for those who passed by and dwelt within.
If I'm correct about which house this is, this structure was an eyesore when I worked in Crozet a few years ago. Think broken down cars in the front yard, pit bulls running around unleashed, trash strewn about, etc. I always wondered about the well-being of the many kids that lived there. If this is indeed the house next to the dry cleaners, I would think that Crozet is way better off with an empty lot for now and (maybe) a public library later.
It's going to be Fairfax here before long.
I saw a fiend today, she was at a party in Crozet where you could look down on the town and said, 'Holly cow, this looks like a city" --think you're right , quaint Crozet is gone.
Well "reality bites" .. The slum that lived in the house has absolutely no reflection on the house itself, If the same philosophy that you subscribe to applied to other localities, 60% of the dwellings in Charlottesville and surrounding counties would have to be obliterated to conform.
John Halliday, Sir, Why didn't they consider these factors BEFORE embarking on the project? What a blatant waste of money and historical resources!