The lifeblood of local government is planning. Long-time readers of this newsletter know by now there is a guiding document behind most policy decisions implemented by staff and used as justification for taxpayer funding.
Charlottesville City Council adopted a new master plan for the Parks and Recreation Department on April 7, 2025.
“The primary goal of the Master Plan is to guide the City’s investment in recreational opportunities and City-owned and co-owned parks and facilities over the next ten years,” reads the document’s purpose statement. “It aims to help City staff and decision-makers ensure an equitable distribution of recreational resources to benefit all Charlottesville residents.”
Charlottesville’s next budget cycle is already underway and city departments have already submitted both capital and operating requests for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2027. The public will get a look at the recommended capital budget in November when the Planning Commission holds a work session.
Parks and Recreation officials gave City Council a sense of what they might be asking for at a work session on September 21. Director Riaan Anthony said the plan came up with $78.2 million worth of potential projects over the next ten years. Those projects are divided into three tiers labeled Sustainable, Expanded Services, and Visionary.
“Sustainable projects are lifespan, the things that we just have to replace on a constant basis,” Anthony said. “We are looking at tree canopy management and invasive species program, we’re looking at Belmont replacement lifecycle plan, we’re looking at our fixtures like our signage.”
One specific sustainable project for FY2028 seeks $200,000 for upgrades to the restrooms at Forest Hills Park. Under Virginia law, an elected body can only commit funds for one fiscal year in advance.
Four parks are being targeted for “expansion” over the next ten years with one already underway.
“Our expanded are the four framework plans that we presented, that is Market, that is Court, that is Washington, and Tonsler,” Anthony said.
In FY2028 there is a request for $250,000 for master planning and implementation at Washington Park with another $500,000 programmed for FY29 and FY30. An invitation for bids went out on October 5 for a project to renovate the restrooms there. (take a look!)
There’s $300,000 for master planning at Market Street Park in FY28 with $656,250 programmed for FY29 and $250,000 for FY30. That work will coincide with an effort led by the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center to put up new artwork that uses the remnants of a melted Confederate statue that used to be in the park. (learn more)
“We want to actually walk step in step with that partner so that’s why we’re asking for funding for FY28, so we can either have the exact same [architectural and engineering] firm, or what can we do together so that we do not miss this vital, important step,” Anthony said.
Under the arrangement, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center would lease the space for the selected artwork.
Work in Court Square Park wouldn’t be funded until early in the 2030’s, but some work will take place at Tonsler using funds already available for that park.
Visionary projects take up the bulk of the projected $78.2 million in requests over ten years.
“We have Pen Park improvement projects, meaning an adaptive center, pickleball,” Anthony said. “We’re also looking at McIntire Park, which is the pump track, BMX court, and a dog park. And then we have our Rivanna River access plan. So those are our visionary [plans], something new that we want to introduce.”
Some of those projects may involve partnerships. There is a relatively new Charlottesville Parks Foundation and Anthony said its role is to help fundraise for existing projects that have gone through a public process.
“The agreement is written that the Park Foundation cannot just fund whatever pet projects they want, they have to come to the advisory board and present that they want a new project, and we as staff and the advisory board will then make a recommendation as to say, for the next, we really would like you to fundraise for this project,” Anthony said.
Anthony also explained how the master plan provides a vision for trails in the area with four specific projects to address “missing links.”
These are:
- $376,000 to complete a section of the 250 Bypass trail between Dairy Road and the Piedmont Family YMCA in FY27
- $440,000 for a bridge across Pollocks Bridge in FY27
- $500,000 for the West McIntire Trail in FY28
- $500,000 for Holmes Avenue to Park Street in FY31
There’s also a total of $4.5 million in FY27 for the Meadow Creek Valley Trail, a project in the works since the early 2010’s.
The entire presentation lasted an hour. You can watch the video here. The minutes are not yet available.
Further resources for research related to this story:
- Policy Briefing Summary
- Parks & Recreation Master Plan Updates
- Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Master Plan adopted April 7, 2025
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