Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to review rules for garden plots

Charlottesville’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board is appointed by city staff to advise the City Manager on policy matters related to one of the city’s most public facing departments.

Tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. that body will be asked to continue a discussion about changes to the rules that govern garden plots at four locations in the city. (meeting info)

“As part of the ongoing renovation of the garden plot areas, we have identified that our current Garden Plot Rules and Regulations are outdated and in need of revision,” said Parks and Recreation Director Riaan Anthony in an email. ‘The existing rules—available at Charlottesville Garden Plot Rules and Regulations—were last formally updated many years ago and do not reflect current operations, pricing, or best practices.”

Anthony said the changes have not yet been approved and are intended to modernize the program.

The Advisory Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Carver Recreation Center and interested parties are encouraged to attend.

“Once the board finalizes its recommendations for updated rules, those changes will be submitted to the City Manager’s Office (CMO) for review and approval before any new rules are formally adopted and posted,” Anthony said.

An email was sent on May 13 to existing users of garden plots.

“The rules being debated will be around registration and specifically potentially term limits,” reads that email. “We encourage everyone to come down to hear the debate and let the board hear your comments.”

According to the minutes of the April 17, 2025 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting, the idea is for a five-year term limit.

Before you go: This story about local government was first published in the May 14, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. To learn more about how you can support this work, take a look at this section of the website.