Property owners in Mill Creek voting on easement for trail connection to Biscuit Run

In June 2015, Albemarle Supervisors adopted a master plan for what the county refers to as the Southern and Western Neighborhoods. That includes an area known as Biscuit Run which had been expected to feature 800 acres of growth area land upon which up to 3,100 homes were to have been built.

However, former Governor Tim Kaine agreed to purchase the land using a combination and tax credits in late 2009 at the height of the Great Recession at a point when the market for residential dried up. The land was to have been a state park, but Albemarle County entered into a long-term lease in January 2018 to take over responsibility and financing of programming the park.

The first phase of the park opened in December 2024 with vehicular access from Route 20 and planning is still underway for more connections. Construction is underway for a second public vehicular entrance from Hickory Street, but one of the county’s desires is to provide a pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists to get to Biscuit Run from the City of Charlottesville.

“Albemarle County is continuing efforts to establish a public-access greenway trail between Biscuit Run Park and 5th Street Station,” reads the county’s website for Biscuit Run.

The master plan includes a map titled “Southern Urban Neighborhood Parks and Green Systems Plan” which depicts that greenway trail going south from 5th Street Station under I-64 and through land owned by the Mill Creek Homeowners Association.

“The HOA Board of Directors has been negotiating with Albemarle County for more than eight years regarding an easement through HOA property along Biscuit Run,” reads a posting on the Mill Creek HOA website advertising an annual meeting on May 6.

The draft 14-page deed of easement states that the trail would be a Class B-Type-2 trail with a stone dust surface that would travel along an old roadbed alongside a section of Biscuit Run. Any improvements would be owned by the county but there can be no outdoor lighting, picnic tables, or toilets within the easement.

“Approval of this easement requires a two-thirds vote of approval by homeowners to allow the Board to agree to the easement,” voting began on May 6 at the annual meeting.

Details on what would happen are contained within an 11-page brochure produced by the county. Take a look.

Dan Heuchert, interim chair of the HOA Board of Directors, said a “yes” vote would allow the board to sign the agreement but they still have concerns about doing do so until another easement is signed with the Foxcroft. Votes are due by June 19.

Abbey Stumpf, the Albemarle’s Director of Communications and Public Engagement, said the county has worked toward that goal with the Foxcroft Homeowners Association.

“After extensive engagement and coordination in 2024 and into 2025, there are no recent updates or new developments regarding potential greenway easements,” Stumpf said in an email.

The Foxcroft HOA has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Stumpf said Albemarle had moved forward with other parts of the trail. In February, the county took ownership of eight acres of land donated by the developers of 5th Street Station for the purposes of being a trail hub for the overall area network.

That Smart Scale funded project is moving forward. The Board of Supervisors approved a temporary construction easement on May 20.

“This project will include approximately 2,500 linear feet of shared used path (paved, 10 feet wide, ADA accessible), two new bicycle/pedestrian bridges across Moores Creek, and an ADA-compliant trailhead and entrance at 5th Street Station,” reads the staff report.

Stumpf said Albemarle is also in the process of negotiating with the Virginia Department of Transportation about how to get permission to build the trail under I-64.

Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things. Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the May 27, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement.  You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.