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263 <br /> <br /> BE IT RESOLVED by the Council for the City of Charlottesville that the Mayor <br />is hereby instrUcted to send the following letter about the Meadow Creek Parkway to the <br />Virginia Department of Transportation: <br /> <br />December 11, 2000 <br /> <br />H. Charles Rasnick <br />Reginald H. Beasley, Jr. <br />Virginia Department of Transportation <br />1401 East Broad Street <br />Richmond, VA 23219-1939 <br /> <br />Re: Mclntire Road Extension (Meadow Creek Parkway) <br />VDOT Project No. U000-104-102; 0631-002-128 <br />City of Charlottesville <br /> <br />Gentlemen: <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br /> Early last year, preliminary road plans were presented by the Virginia Department <br />of Transportation (VDOT), proposing four motor vehicle travel lanes crossing the eastern <br />portion of McIntire Park at a design speed of 70km/hr (43.5 MPH). VDOT sought public <br />comment on this proposal at a hearing held May 27, 1999. Mayor Virginia Daugherty, <br />duly authorized by a Council resolution approved July 19, 1999, forwarded comments to <br />VDOT by letter dated July 20, 1999. While the Mayor's letter contained 12 numbered <br />paragrap~hs on specific categories, the primary thrust of her letter in behalf of the City <br />was to obtain a redesign by VDOT which would result in a two-lane parkway through <br />Mclntire Park in accord with recommendations from the City retained consultant, Rieley <br />& Associates, rather than allowing construction of a four lane highway. <br /> <br /> The current design, as presented by VDOT requires further modification to he <br />acceptable to the City. The latest revisions to the preliminary plans submitted by VDOT <br />to the City and Rieley & Associates in August of 2000 represent a step in the right <br />direction toward a design that the City can accept, but the City is not yet willing to <br />approve the major design features of that plan or sell the necessary right of way to VDOT <br />until the design is further amended and necessary assurances given by VDOT and <br />Albemarle County to comply fully with the comments contained in this letter. The <br />specific or technical design revisions which the City thinks are still needed in order to <br />achieve a tree parkway concept are attached hereto as Exhibit A. The City will not <br />endorse or approve any design activity for the Parkway which deviates from the <br />guidelines set forth in E>~hibit A. <br /> <br />REVISED COMMENTS FROM CITY COUNCIL <br /> <br /> In addition to asldng that VDOT make proposed technical revisions described in <br />Appendix A to the current VDOT plans for this project, the City Council by majority vote <br />also submits herewith comments which effectively revise portions of the City position <br />stated irt Mayor Daugherty's letter of July 20, 1999. Set forth below using the same <br />numbering system that was utilized initially are all 12 points of the City's position, as <br />revised (paragraphs that contain revisions when compared to the July 20th letter are <br />shown in italics). <br /> <br /> 1. Design Speed. Each and every member of Council opposes the roadway design <br />speed proposed by VDOT of 70 kin/hr. Instead, Council asks that the Meadow Creek <br />Parkway be designed for a maximum speed of 60km/hr or 37.25 MPH. In conjunction <br />with its suggestion to lower the road's design speed, Council also asks that the proposed <br />road be sized and aligned in a manner consistent with the Rieley Report so that the road <br />will be blended as gracefully as possible into the existing land form.*' This should help to <br /> <br /> <br />