Meadowbrook Flats Alert - August 29, 2013

The proposed Meadowbrook Flats residential development at Barracks Road and Emmet Street is still alive. The plans have evolved slightly since the spring. 

The current version:

• Leaves the strip mall intact 
  
• Builds a new 5 story apartment building in the back corner of the lot (currently vacant land) with 73 apartments, and parking on the ground level 
  
• Provides for new planting

The informal group of neighbors (from the Meadowbrook Hills/Rugby area and from Venable) that has been monitoring the project still believes that it has basic flaws that will hurt our immediate area, our house values, traffic flow, and the larger city. This message outlines our concerns and it provides you with some information about how you can register your own views as the City reviews this plan.

The Meadowbrook Flats development (aka 1138 Emmet Street) will be on the agenda of the Charlottesville City Planning Commission, Tuesday, September 10. 

Much of the project is “by right,” but the Planning Commission must consider two specific issues: does the project comply with the Entrance Corridor Guidelines, and should it receive a waiver from the Critical Slope Ordinance? 

We encourage you to attend the meeting. You can also offer your views in e mail to the Planning Commission, to City Council, or to the Neighborhood Planner in charge of reviewing this project (Brian Haluska). 

Contact information for all these folks appears at the end of this message. Please write those city personnel with your views. Public Comments will make a big difference. 
The Coordinating Committee tracking the Meadowbrook Flats project has developed some talking points that residents can reference when speaking or writing about their concerns. It is recommended that not all of the points be included in each communication. Each resident should express in his/her own words those points which they find most important. 

• Height : The structure does not adhere to the Entry Corridor Guidelines adopted by the City which recommends that buildings along the corridor be no more than three stories tall. The building overwhelms not only the site itself, but also the adjacent properties and neighborhoods. 
  
• Traffic: The traffic consequences are significant as the traffic will clearly flow into Barracks Road, backing traffic up as it heads up the hill, forcing drivers to seek alternate routes through the adjacent neighborhoods. The intersections of Barracks and Rugby, as well as Barracks and Emmet, are already congested, which is not only inconvenient, but dangerous as it will impact emergency vehicles.
  
• Project Design: The project is poorly designed regarding landscaping, resident amenities and pedestrian and bicycle access. The project does not incorporate any green space, picnic tables, or play areas for kids. Residents will have to leave the property in order to engage in daily activities. The corner of Barracks Road and Emmet is already unsafe for pedestrians to cross over Barracks Road from Meadowbrook Road. 
  
• Negative Impact on Neighboring Businesses: If the congestion continues to worsen, shoppers will avoid Meadowbrook Shopping Center, and surrounding businesses (Barracks Road Shopping Center) because the congestion will be too difficult to handle, impacting not only businesses, but City revenues as the traffic congestion will encourage shoppers to go outside the city limits to make purchases. 
  
• Piecemeal Design: The City should not grant waivers for this portion of the site, while the rest of it remains underdeveloped and badly designed. A thoughtful design for the entire site would be much better, one compliant with the entrance corridor guidelines. Piecemeal design for that key corner in the City will give the worst possible outcome. 
  
• Intensive Development: There are already far too many projects in place and/or in the planning stages. This intensive development does not serve the City, neighborhoods or businesses. There is too much happening and not much coordination for the common good. 
  
• Parking: The developer is planning 73 two-bedroom units. If the city only requires one parking space per unit, but the units are two bedrooms each, this makes it very possible that there will be two cars for each unit (plus guest parking). Where is everyone else going to park? Will the excess overflow onto Meadowbrook Road or into the Venable Neighborhood? 
  
• Construction Disruption: During the years-long process of development and construction, the disruption to both traffic and to the Meadowcreek stream, which is right across the street and downhill from the development, could be significant.
  
• Property Values & Taxes: The adjacent neighborhoods have always had the highest, and most stable, property values in the City limits. This development would cause property values, and in turn, personal property tax revenues to decline.

Please act now to register your view. This is our city and we need to speak out.

You can send your concerns to Brian Haluska, City Planner at haluska@charlottesville.org (434) 970-3186 or to: Charlottesville City Planning Commission.

NOTE: To contact these individuals please call the Department of Neighborhood Development Services at (434) 970-3182.
Keller, Genevieve, Chair genevieve.keller@gmail.com
Green, Lisa lgreencville@gmail.com 
Keesecker, Kurt kurt@brw-architects.com
Osteen, Michael jmosteen@tecinc.com
Rosensweig, Dan, Vice Chair dan.rosensweig@comcast.net
Santoski, John jsantoski1@gmail.com
Sienitsky, Natasha natashsky@gmail.com 

NON-VOTING: 
Neuman, David
     Office of the Architect UVA, The Rotunda
     neuman@virginia.edu

Charlottesville City Council NOTE: 
To reach any member of the City Council, you can send an e-mail to the Clerk of Council, at council@charlottesville.org. or mail a letter to P.O. Box 911, City Hall, Charlottesville, VA, 22902, or call (434) 970-3113. 
You may also contact the individual City Council members directly (See below).
Mayor Satyendra Singh Huja
     1502 Holly Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
     977-5094 (H)
     email: huja1@comcast.net
Vice Mayor Kristin Szakos
     434-987-1042
     email: k.szakos@embarqmail.com
Kathy Galvin
     712 Lyons Avenue Charlottesville, VA 22902
     979-2890 (H)
     email: kgalvin@charlottesville.org
Dave Norris
     632 Stonehenge Ave. Charlottesville, VA 22902
     242-5165 (c)
     email: cvilledave@gmail.com
Dede Smith
      2652 Jefferson Park Circle Charlottesville, VA 22903
      296-0074 (h)
      e-mail : dsmith@charlottesville.org