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177 Please find attached a copy of our comments provided to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) on the proposed Meadowcreek Parkway. We attach this letter so that the Board may have a detailed explanation -of our concerns and comments, as this road is a part of the regional transportation network affecting both City and Cotmty. As you know, there has been considerable discussion of this road and its impact on the City. Some of this discussion has focused on how the City and the County can better cooperate on design of the road, and how better to design a regional transportation network for the next twenty years. With this in mind, we are interested in exploring, with the County, the following issues: First, the Council is interested in revisiting the previous CA TS and the regional network of roads. There has been considerable discussion about a "eastern connector, ' a "near eastern connector,, and other additional roads, both north and south of the City, that wouM complete the regional network. The Council is not committed to any particular road, but is very interested in discussing the regional network and particularly interested in facilitating better means for traffic to move from areas north of the City to Pantops and to the eastern part of the County. Second, we wish to explore a further acquiring additionat parkiand over and above the acreage necessary to replace land taken for the road, This parkland could be acquired between the 250 By-pass and Rio Road, and perhaps all the way to the Rivanna River. We think that considerable discussion should occur on this idea, and are willing to commit capital funds to the acquisition of tandwith the County to make this concept a reality. Perhaps the City and County should considerjointly applying for federal grants to supplement and enhance our local funding of any possible initiative. We are open to a wide variety of approaches, including the notion ora park land commission and/or a model similar to the Towe Park City/Count), arrangement. Third, in its letter to VDOT, the City states that it may hire a technical consultant to monitor design and construction of the City portion of the Meadowcreek parkway. We think that it might be useful for the City and the County to cooperate in the hiring of a consultant and setting forth a chat'ge that inchtdes design consultation for the County portion of the road, In that wa); we woutd get some consistency of design and be better able to integrate the County and the City portion of the road, We domot wish to slow construction of the road but instead improve its' design. Fourth, the City has requested that VDOT give up any right that it may have to facilitate the construction of cell towers in and along the right-of, way for the parkway. Given Albemarle's previous position on these matters, we thought it might be appropriate for us to join together in setting forth concern about cell towers in .the right-of-way, and to jointly seek agreement with VDOT on this issue. F~th, we are concerned about how the County portion of the road integrates with the City portion, particularly at Melbourne Road It is in the interest of both the City and the County to have safe pedestrian access across the road at that point. Consequently, we wouM ask that you join with us to approach VDOT about that critical intersection. We appreciate your interest in working with us on the above matters and eagerly await your responses with your suggestions as to how to move forward Sincerely, ~rginia Daugherty Mayor