IMPORTANT UPDATE AS OF SEPTEMBER 22, 2019:

A map of the proposed site is now viewable at the link below. This is our understanding of the proposed church site following a discussion with church officials on August 28.

Properties outlined in RED indicate properties that the Crozet Mission states they have "an agreement in principle" with to purchase and build a church. Note that this now includes 5903 St George Avenue, which we were unaware was part of the proposal until discussions with church officials.

Note that Properties outlined in YELLOW are properties that church officials stated to us that they hope to purchase. These property owners, our neighbors, have received letters from the Crozet Mission within the past two weeks expressing interest in purchasing their homes/land to build a church and parking lot. They have stated they are not interested.

For a map of the proposed site, please view our handout below, crossposted at the Real Crozet VA blog:

https://www.realcrozetva.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Handout-1.pdf

Original petition follows below.

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We, the undersigned, do hereby state our opposition to the proposed purchase of 5888 St. George Avenue and adjoining lots/properties and the proposed subsequent development of a church/ “cut through” from Railroad Ave to St George Avenue (henceforth known as ‘proposal’) for the following reasons:

• Conflicting with the stated goal of the Crozet Master Plan-the First Guiding Principle of which is "Existing Neighborhoods and the Downtown Area will be preserved, new or infill development will be appropriate in scale and type to these existing growth patterns."

• Severely diminishing the historic character of the Crozet Historic District, a National Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places, deemed to contribute to the historic character of the area. (NRHP Reference # 12000985 and VLR # 002-5087, added November 28, 2012.) (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNo...)

• Not conforming with the residential zoning and character of the St. George Ave neighborhood.

• Potentially endangering historically significant properties. Per our understanding of the proposal as verbally relayed to us, 5874 St. George Avenue, 5880 St. George Avenue, and 5888 St. George Avenue have been or are to be proposed to the Diocese of Richmond for purchase. These three properties are specifically listed in the NRHP nomination form above. The development and future expansion of a church/required parking and access would potentially place these properties at risk of demolition and incur irreplaceable historical loss on the Crozet Historic District.

• Increasing vehicle traffic on St. George Avenue and Railroad Avenue and risk to pedestrians/residents therein, further increased by the lack of a sidewalk west from Crozet Baptist Church and the lack of a sidewalk on Railroad Avenue.

• Increasing stormwater runoff from proposed paved lot and cut-through, impacting residences and properties in the area which already experience flooding/standing groundwater due to natural terrain characteristics.

There are more appropriate sites for the development of a church in Crozet that do not impact our town’s Historic District, provide safer pedestrian and vehicle access, and allow more room for future physical growth of a church and accompanying buildings/lots/parking. For example, a location in the Downtown Crozet District would both foster and anchor revitalization of downtown Crozet, which is what the broader Crozet community needs. This has been a priority of the Crozet Master Plan for more than a decade.

An alternate site allows the Crozet community of faith to grow along with our town’s population in the future, rather than allowing one of our few remaining historic residential neighborhoods be diminished.