In June 2013, the Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Department published a master plan for the Meadow Creek Stream Valley Park intended to connect two city parks.
Now rebranded the Meadow Creek Trail, the city is still working to identify enough money to cover an ever-increasing cost estimate to link Meadow Creek Gardens with Greenbrier Park along a sewer easement.
“I know we’ve been talking about this for quite some time,” said City Manager Sam Sanders on April 20. “We’ve been wanting this project to be done for quite some time. It is not, but we are moving. We’re getting it ready.”
Funding for the project has come from multiple sources. For instance, Council was asked in July 2022 to consider using $500,000 in pandemic funds given to the city through the American Rescue Plan Act.
In October 2023, Council agreed to apply for $800,000 in funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation through their Transportation Alternatives program. Last June, Council agreed to contribute a portion of the capital improvement plan contingency fund toward the project.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s FY2026 Six Year Improvement Program, there is $3.2 million allocated to the project. In January 2025, the city put the project out to bid and the only bid from the Caton Construction Group was over budget.
However, Sanders said the cost estimate has now increased to $4.9 million leaving a substantial gap but the city manager had a solution.
“Ideally what we’re looking to do is because we have identified funding that was leftover balance from insurance proceeds when we had a leak,” Sanders said.
That happened in July 2023 and City Hall was largely closed for a year for repairs. The payout to the city more than covered the cost and Sanders suggested it be used to fill the Meadow Creek Trail gap.
In all, Sanders said the city had about $1.8 million in unspent funds, including $750,000 for a new roof at Charlottesville High School that came in under budget. He suggested using $1.5 million on the trail and $300,000 for a cost overrun to build a pedestrian bridge over Pollocks Branch. That project had to be relocated due to construction of the second phase of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s South First Street project.
City Councilor Michael Payne said he felt the finished project would be beautiful, but he noted this will mean the city has put in about $3 million of its own money.
“When I think about this level of investment that could be going to affordable housing or public health goals or even if we just wanted to keep it in the world of transportation, other trail or bike projects that would get far more use., I feel like we’ve just gotten sucked into something that got a little out of control,” Payne said.
Sanders said he would not disagree but reminded Council he has brought them projects to consider for cancellation in the past.
Council nodded tentative approval at first reading and the item will be on the consent agenda on May 4.
The goal is to get the project out to bid in the summer.
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