VDOT wants school’s land for parkway

The Virginia Department of Transportation has asked the city School Board to donate approximately 9 acres for right of way and easements necessary to construct a portion of the Meadowcreek Parkway that will cut through Charlottesville High School property.
If the School Board donates the land, CHS will lose a practice field used by the junior varsity softball team.
Although the land is titled to the city, attorneys for the council and School Board have determined that, because the property was acquired for school use, School Board permission is necessary for the land to be given to VDOT.
“Under Virginia law, the School Board controls all school property but the law doesn’t define school property,” said city attorney Craig Brown. “But I think this parcel would be fairly considered by anybody to be school property. So the School Board will need to consent to the transfer.”
VDOT representative Spencer Dejarnette presented the department’s request to the School Board Thursday.
The parkway project has been under consideration for the past four decades. When completed, the parkway will be a 2-mile road connecting the U.S. 250 Bypass and McIntire Road in Charlottesville to East Rio Road in Albemarle County.
Dejarnette told the board that acquiring city and School Board property is the key “remaining piece” of the project to be dealt with. VDOT hopes to begin construction of the parkway in January or February of 2009.
“Time is of the essence on this project,” Dejarnette said.
Board members raised several concerns about the parkway, including the lack of overpasses or underpasses near or on school property for pedestrians, bikers and hikers to cross the parkway; the safety of the proposed at-grade intersection of Melbourne Road and the parkway and the loss of parking for football games on Melbourne Road.
Additionally, given that Albemarle County has already granted VDOT land for the parkway, School Board Chairman Ned Michie is concerned that the county’s portion of the parkway will be constructed first, which would create a traffic bottleneck at the parkway and Melbourne Road.
Dejarnette said he would consult with the parkway’s designers and planners and answer the board’s concerns within a week.
If all concerns are addressed sufficiently, the board could vote on a land donation resolution at its next meeting on April 17.
School Board member Juandiego Wade hopes the board will not obstruct the parkway project
“The more delay, the more the project will cost,” he said. “Timing is critical and I think these issues have been addressed by the designers.”