Information Charlottesville

Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards is purchasing a historic inn in North Garden, a site that is on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the Virginia Landmark Register. The Inn at Crossroads is currently a small bed and breakfast operated out of the Crossroads Tavern built in 1820 1920. The winery wants to build eleven more guest cottages to be designed in a style consistent with that era’s architecture. 

“This is consistent with the Pippin Hill ‘Enable’ Initiative to retain and strengthen a locally owned small business,” reads the narrative for the special use permit application. “The expansion investment will allow it to achieve the next generation of a boutique hospitality business.”

Pippin Hill’s parent company, the Easton Porter Group, is appealing to the county’s Project Enable strategic plan for reasons why a special use permit and a rezoning should be granted by the Albemarle Board of Supervisors. Among other things, they say there will be at least 20 full time positions and they will purchase products from local farmers. (read their appeal)

Pippin Hill also wants to transform the former schoolhouse at the site into a Meeting House, build a village green, a kitchen garden, and a Mews garden. 

The area is in Albemarle’s rural area, and this level of development would likely not be contemplated if the structure was not historic. The chief of the North Garden Volunteer Fire Company has requested installation of a cistern with at least 10,000 gallons of capacity in the event of a fire. The underlying zoning is Village Residential and the request is to convert that to Rural Area. 

The virtual community meeting begins at 5 p.m. (meeting info)