The North Downtown Residents Association is our neighborhood’s voice in matters of community and neighborhood concern, uniting the thoughts and concerns of many into one voice that speaks for the neighborhood as a whole. We need your ideas, your suggestions, your help, and we welcome your support.

Unless we make our opinions known on issues of common concern, neighborhood interests can easily be ignored or simply taken for granted. The NDRA serves as a clearinghouse for information, a forum for discussion of neighborhood issues and a vehicle for making our concerns known to those who make decisions. Join us and make your voice heard.

The RWSA wants to push the dam/pipeline plan forward this summer and we need to let our decision makers know that sustaining our available reservoirs by dredging should be the first step in a water plan.”

The Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club will hold a forum: “Fixing our Water Plan”
When:  7:00 PM, Wednesday, July 21
Where:  St. Mark Lutheran Church, 100 Alderman Rd.
Speakers:  Tom Olivier, Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club and Dede Smith, Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan
Contact:  Tom Olivier (434) 831-2408 or cruz.olivier@gmail.com )

The Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club believes that the adopted long-term water plan for Albemarle-Charlottesville needs to be reconsidered.  Research
by Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan into estimated costs of dredging and other issues lead the Piedmont Group to conclude that a reconsideration of
the plan was needed.

A recent study of dredging the Rivanna Reservoir has added new and vital information. A new water supply demand analysis is due soon.

Although, we now have or are expecting new relevant information, we have little information on some key issues in the adopted plan, that is, the condition
of the existing pipline from Sugar Hollow Reservoir to Ragged Mountain Reservoir and the route and cost of the proposed pipeline between the
Rivanna Reservoir and Ragged Mountain Reservoir.

Tom Olivier will discuss how decisions on the water plan affect our ability to protect the environment and become sustainable. Dede Smith will discuss
current information on key water planning issues and proposed alternatives to the adopted plan.

Many expect local decision-makers to decide this Fall whether to proceed with implementation of the “Water Plan.” This is an important time for citizens to convey to local elected officials their thoughts on the water plan.

Contact; Lulu luluselby@me.com

There will be organized events for families and singles. Picnic or pursue other pastoral pleasures on McIntire Park’s east golf-course side, build a “fairy house” , bring a kite, a hula hoop, or a musical instrument.  Park next to the wading pool off Rt. 250 or a short walk from downtown (use Park St bridge to cross over 250).

Information: http://www.charlottesville.org or call 970-3260.

Meetings are open to the public and a good way to find our how the three entities coordinate (or not) projects and issues.

The neighborhood requests the city provide a more accessible entrance, walking trails, and bike paths to this gem of a park without destroying it with a road. Our neighborhood is perfectly situated to make daily use of this wonderful green space, but we need safe access to it on foot and bike.

I offer to lead you on a walk through this quiet and beautiful space before it becomes another shadow in the memory that once was McIntire Park. Call me at 296-6224 or email me at colettehall@embarqmail.com so we can get together.

Please consider saving the park.
To make a tax-deductible contribution, write a check to The Sierra Club Foundation and on the memo line “Preserve McIntire Park Litigation” and mail to:
Sierra Club, Piedmont Group
P.O. Box 5531
Charlottesville, VA 22905
Thank you for your support to save our “Central Park.”

Thank you for supporting your neighborhood association.

A law was enacted by the State in 2005 requiring all localities in Virginia to file for a plan for 30 - 50 years of water supply for their region. The State requires localities to do a decade by decade estimate of their water needs and this must be completed by 2011. We have not done this since 2001, and must now do it to comply with State Law.

Rivanna is resisting getting this information, I believe, because it will show we do not need to build a huge new dam at Ragged Mt. By vastly overestimating our water needs we will be paying for storing huge quantities of water now, that we may never need in the future, and since the new reservoir at Ragged Mt. cannot fill itself Rivanna’s plan requires a pipe from South Fork to be run, by electricity, and go uphill for 10 miles to reach Ragged Mt.  Rivanna has no idea what this will cost, but initial estimates put it at over $200 million, for all that would be required to complete this plan.

A dredging study is underway and the initial phase shows that dredging would be a far less destructive alternative and the second phase of the study will give the cost, which we already believe, from previous professional opinions, will be far lower than building the dam/pipeline concept, and provide all the water we need for decades in a less environmentally destructive way.

Mayor Norris, against incredible opposition from Rivanna and the County, has said Council must have the dredging information and know, what the State requires for the State Water Plan; how much water do we need given updated information for the last decade. Also he has insisted that Rivanna provide a more realistic assessment of the conservation that has already been implemented by the City and County, but not factored into Rivanna’s dam/pipeline plan. Let us all applaud Dave Norris for the integrity he is showing and the insistance [sic] - to not move forward without valid information on such a costly enterprise.

We all need to support his efforts, or we will be the ones who have allowed this huge waste of money and environmental destruction at Ragged Mt. to needlessly occur when a far better alternative exists.

Please talk to our Council and if you are in the County to the Board. Rivanna and powerful forces in the county are still trying to prevent new information from being considered and pushing to build the dam no matter what the cost or burden it places on the ratepayers.”

Betty [Mooney]

Results: modified G 1 Alternative (250 Interchange web site- right sidebar - for G1 photo), signalized intersection, flat bridge rather than arches, move trail closer to road (these four will result in smaller footprint and hopefully project will come in within earmark)
Possible - only have trail on McIntire Rd. to 250 on the west side of McIntire which means one has to enter /cross at Harris St.area. 
Hillcrest St. closure not addressed other than consultant said, it has to close due to ramp
No additional attempt made to mitigate the effects on the historic surroundings.
Redesign Nelson & Perry intersections is under review . . . by traffic engineer.