Meadow Creek Parkway

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The Meadowcreek Parkway is a controversial road currently under construction in Albemarle County[1] and pending final approval from the City of Charlottesville. When completed, it will connect McIntire Road at its intersection with the Route 250 bypass in Charlottesville with East Rio Road in Albemarle.

The project consists of three elements:

  1. Meadowcreek Parkway (County portion)
  2. McIntire Road Extended (the city's portion)
  3. Meadowcreek Parkway Interchange

City Council's 12 conditions

For much of its history, the Meadowcreek Parkway was envisioned as a four-lane road. That began to change in the summer of 1999. On June 21, 1999, Council held a design public hearing on the Parkway.[2]. Council discussion after the hearing lead to a decision to send a letter to VDOT requesting several changes. The letter was sent on July 20, 1999 and listed 12 items Council wanted addressed before it could support the Parkway[3].

  1. Design speed should be lowered to 37.5 miles per hour, and parkway should follow the contours of the park to reduce its impact to McIntire Park
  2. Number of lanes should be reduced from four to two
  3. Enough right of way should be purchased to allow eventual construction of four lanes
  4. The intersection with Route 250 should contain no more than 17 lanes
  5. Council supported construction of bike lanes, but also called for expansion of accompanying trail from five feet to eight feet
  6. Parkway construction should include at least one storm water management pond
  7. Additional parkland should be acquired to compensate for the loss of land in McIntire Park
  8. VDOT should be barred from constructing cell towers along the right of way
  9. Truck traffic should be prohibited
  10. The Parkway should not be construed as a replacement for an Eastern Connector
  11. City reserved right to hire a technical consultant to supervise its interests as design proceeded
  12. The Dogwood Vietnam Memorial should be protected, preserved and cared for

Timeline

  • June 12 2007: City Planning Commission approved Meadowcreek Parkway Interchange as consistent with the 2001 Comprehensive Plan by a vote of 3-1-1.[4]
  • July 2, 2007: City Council voted 4-1 to approve Alternatives C1 and G1 as the “Recommended Preferred Alternatives” for refining to continue. The interchange alternatives included traffic flow through an oval roundabout in C1, and a signalized diamond in G1. The Council also voted 4-1 that the interchange project is consistent with the 2001 Comprehensive Plan.[5]
  • July 16, 2007: City Council deferred a request to grant VDOT a temporary construction easement. The Council agreed to ask the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors to affirm their commitment to the Meadowcreek Parkway project before starting construction.[6]
  • October 1, 2007: City Council voted to grant a temporary construction easement to VDOT for the construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway. The vote was unanimous, however, with several conditions. The easement would only be granted once VDOT acquires 49.1 acres of parkland to replace the land lost due to construction. The Council would also have to approve a storm water management system and a commitment for grade separation at the interchange.[7]
  • March 19, 2008: The Meadowcreek Parkway Interchange Steering Committee voted 5-1-1 that they preferred an oval roundabout (Alternative C1) to connect the Route 250 Bypass and the future Meadowcreek Parkway.[8]
  • April 21, 2008: City Council deferred a decision on the alternative design for the Meadowcreek Parkway Interchange.[9]
  • May 1, 2008: The Charlottesville City School Board voted 4-1 to donate a 9 acre easement near Charlottesville High School for the construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway.[10]
  • June 2, 2008: City Council voted 3-2 to grant the easement donated by the City School Board to VDOT for construction near Charlottesville High School.[11]
  • June 4, 2008: City Council selected the Alternate G1 for the design of the interchange, a signalized diamond intersection.[12]
  • January 7, 2009: Albemarle County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to name its portion of the Meadowcreek Parkway after former Senator John Warner.[13]
  • March 16, 2009: City Council voted 3-2 to appropriate over $10 million in transportation funds to VDOT for the Meadowcreek Parkway.[14]
  • March 18, 2009: Judge Jay Swett denied an injunction to stop the Meadowcreek Parkway construction, a request made by the Coalition to Preserve McIntire Park.[15]
  • June 26, 2009: Judge Jay Swett ruled a supermajority of votes is not required to grant an easement for the Meadowcreek Parkway. City Council had previously granted nearly 8.6 acres of land the City owns in Albemarle County to VDOT on June 2, 2008.[16]

Notes

  1. VDOT: County’s portion of Meadowcreek Parkway on schedule, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, 6 Jul 2009.
  2. Charlottesville City Council Minutes 21 June 1999. City of Charlottesville, Virginia. 26 May 2009
  3. "Archives - RESOLUTION: Authorizing Letter to VDOT Re: Design and Construction of Meadowcreek Parkway." George Loper, 26 May 2009
  4. Tubbs, Sean. "Divided Planning Commission approves Meadowcreek Parkway interchange." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 13 June 2007. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2007/06/meadowcreek.html>.
  5. Tubbs, Sean. "Council acts on Meadowcreek Parkway Interchange." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 3 July 2007. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2007/07/interchange-pre.html>.
  6. Tubbs, Sean. "City Council asks County to sign agreement before Meadowcreek work begins." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 17 July 2007. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2007/07/meadowcreek_upd.html>.
  7. Tubbs, Sean. "Council grants conditional easement to VDOT for Meadowcreek Parkway construction." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 2 Oct. 2007. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2007/10/mcp_easement.html>.
  8. Tubbs, Sean. "Oval roundabout preferred by 250 Interchange Steering Committee." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 20 Mar. 2008. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2008/03/250_interchange.html>.
  9. Tubbs, Sean. "Council defers decision on Meadowcreek Parkway Interchange." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 22 Apr. 2008. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2008/04/mcp_deferred.html>.
  10. Tubbs, Sean. "City School Board votes to grant easement for Meadowcreek Parkway." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 5 May 2008. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2008/05/school_mcp.html>.
  11. Doernberg, Ben, and Sean Tubbs. "Council grants easement for Meadowcreek Parkway near CHS." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 4 June 2008. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2008/06/council-grants-easement-for-meadowcreek-parkway-near-chs.html>.
  12. Tubbs, Sean. "City Council selects signalized intersection for Meadowcreek Parkway interchange." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 5 June 2008. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2008/06/council_interchange.html>.
  13. Tubbs, Sean. "Supervisors pass resolution in support of naming Meadowcreek Parkway after John Warner." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 8 Jan. 2009. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/01/board_parkway.html>.
  14. Tubbs, Sean. "City Council’s Meadowcreek Parkway opponents vote against appropriation." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 18 Mar. 2009. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/03/meadowcreek_vote.html>.
  15. Tubbs, Sean. "Judge denies injunction to stop Meadowcreek Parkway construction; case to continue in mid-May." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 19 Mar. 2009. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/03/judge_denies_injunction.html>.
  16. Tubbs, Sean. "Judge Swett: Supermajority of votes not required for Meadowcreek Parkway easement." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 29 June 2009. 14 July 2009 <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/06/mcp_ruling.html>.