Significant commercial and residential development is currently planned for
areas directly north and west of Forest Lakes. These and additional areas
surrounding Forest Lakes are part of the county's northern
Growth Area and will eventually all be developed. How some of these
areas will be developed (or maintained) will be determined as part of the
county's planning and rezoning process. As such, we encourage you to get
involved in the planning process, express your concerns, your desires, and
provide input to help maintain and enhance the quality of life we have in this
area
Residents can receive information via Email automatically from Albemarle County concerning upcoming Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings. To subscribe, click here.
Notes from the joint FLCA-Hollymead Hollymead Town Center Forum on Oct 23rd, 2007 are available here.
The county Board of Supervisors approved the next phase of the Towncenter at their September 2007 meeting. The Daily Progress recapped the meeting. Board member Jim Grace attended and spoke at the meeting on behalf of Forest Lakes. The expansion was approved at the meeting but not until a promise was made by the developer to assist Forest Lakes with rehabilitation of our lakes due to silt runoff from the Town Center construction. Thanks to the efforts of Jim Grace, this is a step forward toward preservation of our lakes.
The proposed "connector road" that we had also been most recently concerned about has been significantly downgraded and a number of specific provisions and assurances have been included, so that it would, in my personal opinion, not have any appreciable impact on our community.
That road would run from Polo Grounds Road somewhere near the SOCA site and go west-northwest through the undeveloped property parcel south of Forest Lakes, and terminate approximately at the new Ashwood-Route 29 intersection: it would not go through Forest Lakes at all; would be built only in conjunction with the sale and development of that parcel, projected well out into the future; would be designed as a two-lane winding road with a low speed limit (25 or 30 MPH max) with some significant hills involved; would be designed solely to provide an entry/exit access for residences in that parcel when it's developed and not to accommodate any through traffic; and improvements would be made to Polo Grounds Road itself at the same time or beforehand. The North Free State Road that would have been an extension of the long-planned but still unbuilt Meadowcreek Parkway, and would have connected to Polo Grounds Road and brought traffic into this area, is no longer on the Places29 plan. In the event that an "eastern bypass" to connect the 29 North corridor with Route 20 is ever proposed at some point in the future (no proposal exists today; the task force process is in the early stages only), Polo Grounds Road would be one potential site for it, and if it were ultimately selected then we would want to ensure that it is designed appropriately so that local residential streets are not involved.
With these conditions, I don't think the road above would really affect us here in Forest Lakes. Naturally, anyone is welcome of course to continue to express their own views on this as the process of finalizing the Places29 plan continues.
Other connector roads that would have affected Forest Lakes and that we had opposed some months ago, through a written petition and other actions, had already been removed from the Places29 plan.
We all want to retain the quality of life and superior property values we have here in Forest Lakes. Your involvement has made a difference. We all need to remain mindful and diligent of the continued development plans all around us in order to continue to be successful in this regard.
Thanks again, Scott Elliff
Daily Progress Article Regarding the Connector Roads
Forest Lakes residents are strongly encouraged to attend and provide input at Places29 public meetings that will shape the future of the Rt. 29 corridor and growth area of which Forest Lakes is a part. For additional details, including maps, see the Places29 Web site.
We encourage Forest Lakes residents to get involved in the Places29 Planning Process.
In the July 25th meeting on Connector Roads held at Hollymead Elementary School, Mark Graham announced that the developer had agreed to a timing change concerning the construction of the southern most signalized intersection on Route 29. This intersection will be constructed at the beginning of the project which will require extensive regarding of the south bound lanes of Route 29. This intersection is estimated to cost the developer approximately one million dollars. The middle intersection originally planned at the beginning will be constructed after 290,000 feet of commercial space has been completed. This change had been requested by the Forest Lakes Board in a letter to Ken Boyd, our County Board supervisor, and the county planning staff.
Additional details on North Pointe
Residents can receive information via Email automatically from Albemarle County concerning upcoming Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings. To subscribe, click here.
Hollymead Town Center
The Hollymead Town Center is directly across Rt. 29 from Forest Lakes North.
The development currently includes Target, Harris Teeter, Petsmart, and
various other retail stores and dining establishments.Notes from the joint FLCA-Hollymead Hollymead Town Center Forum on Oct 23rd, 2007 are available here.
The county Board of Supervisors approved the next phase of the Towncenter at their September 2007 meeting. The Daily Progress recapped the meeting. Board member Jim Grace attended and spoke at the meeting on behalf of Forest Lakes. The expansion was approved at the meeting but not until a promise was made by the developer to assist Forest Lakes with rehabilitation of our lakes due to silt runoff from the Town Center construction. Thanks to the efforts of Jim Grace, this is a step forward toward preservation of our lakes.
Places29 Connector Roads
Forest Lakes has won
regarding the potential "trailer park" entry to our community.
The Places29 plan is being changed so that the proposed jug handle
intersection at Ashwood will not go through the trailer park - it
will be moved to the south side of Ashwood and will be shown as using the
already county-owned parcel, as we requested. Thank you for your
involvement. The newspaper article that discusses the situation and the
resolution of it is pasted in below.The proposed "connector road" that we had also been most recently concerned about has been significantly downgraded and a number of specific provisions and assurances have been included, so that it would, in my personal opinion, not have any appreciable impact on our community.
That road would run from Polo Grounds Road somewhere near the SOCA site and go west-northwest through the undeveloped property parcel south of Forest Lakes, and terminate approximately at the new Ashwood-Route 29 intersection: it would not go through Forest Lakes at all; would be built only in conjunction with the sale and development of that parcel, projected well out into the future; would be designed as a two-lane winding road with a low speed limit (25 or 30 MPH max) with some significant hills involved; would be designed solely to provide an entry/exit access for residences in that parcel when it's developed and not to accommodate any through traffic; and improvements would be made to Polo Grounds Road itself at the same time or beforehand. The North Free State Road that would have been an extension of the long-planned but still unbuilt Meadowcreek Parkway, and would have connected to Polo Grounds Road and brought traffic into this area, is no longer on the Places29 plan. In the event that an "eastern bypass" to connect the 29 North corridor with Route 20 is ever proposed at some point in the future (no proposal exists today; the task force process is in the early stages only), Polo Grounds Road would be one potential site for it, and if it were ultimately selected then we would want to ensure that it is designed appropriately so that local residential streets are not involved.
With these conditions, I don't think the road above would really affect us here in Forest Lakes. Naturally, anyone is welcome of course to continue to express their own views on this as the process of finalizing the Places29 plan continues.
Other connector roads that would have affected Forest Lakes and that we had opposed some months ago, through a written petition and other actions, had already been removed from the Places29 plan.
We all want to retain the quality of life and superior property values we have here in Forest Lakes. Your involvement has made a difference. We all need to remain mindful and diligent of the continued development plans all around us in order to continue to be successful in this regard.
Thanks again, Scott Elliff
Daily Progress Article Regarding the Connector Roads
Places29 Master Plan
Places29 is a community planning project that will help shape the future of northern
Albemarle County communities, including the areas surrounding Forest Lakes.
The Places29 planning process is underway and is bringing residents, business owners
and other interested parties together to map out the best possible shared
vision for this critical area of Albemarle County.Forest Lakes residents are strongly encouraged to attend and provide input at Places29 public meetings that will shape the future of the Rt. 29 corridor and growth area of which Forest Lakes is a part. For additional details, including maps, see the Places29 Web site.
We encourage Forest Lakes residents to get involved in the Places29 Planning Process.
North Pointe
The North Pointe project is a commercial and residential development on
approximately 270 acres on Route 29 North, north of Proffit Road and 84
Lumber. It will include up to 893 dwelling units in single-family detached homes,
townhouses, and apartments and up to 664,000 square feet of
offices and retail commercial use. The Board of Supervisors approved the
rezoning request for this development on August 2nd, 2006 by a 4-2 vote.
In the July 25th meeting on Connector Roads held at Hollymead Elementary School, Mark Graham announced that the developer had agreed to a timing change concerning the construction of the southern most signalized intersection on Route 29. This intersection will be constructed at the beginning of the project which will require extensive regarding of the south bound lanes of Route 29. This intersection is estimated to cost the developer approximately one million dollars. The middle intersection originally planned at the beginning will be constructed after 290,000 feet of commercial space has been completed. This change had been requested by the Forest Lakes Board in a letter to Ken Boyd, our County Board supervisor, and the county planning staff.
Additional details on North Pointe
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