McPark

kudzu

The golden apple of discord was rolling up and down 11 charette tables at Charlottesville High School last night as competing interests sought to divvy up the remaining acreage of east McIntire Park.

At present the 65 acres are largely inaccessible to any citizen without a golf-bag. Programming ideas abound for the acreage in the land-bank. There were proposals for more asphalt, skate park asphalt, parking lot asphalt and perhaps asphalt transecting the park, parallel to the Meadowcreek Parkway, to connect the new northern and southern Parking lots.

Whatever the outcome, after the stakeholders get the baby divided there will be more public access.

The rectangular field, botanical garden and golf ball interests played nice with each other. Voices were not raised. Indeed, “everyone was heard”. But, I’m hoping before the Recreation Department and the City Council approve a final design they will visit Central Park in NYC for some ideas.

McIntire park was originally larger than its current size. The construction of the bypass ran through the park, with one section becoming what is now Greenleaf Park. Another section, at the southeast end of McIntire Road near the rescue squad, initially became tennis courts and more recently has been converted into a skateboard park. Of the original 150 acres, approximately 130 lie north of the 250 bypass with 55 acres on the west side of the railroad tracks, and 75 acres on the east side.– Parks and Recreation

Interceptor Anastomosis, Contractor Jamboree

Caterpillar 330C hydraulic excavator
Metra Industries people unload Cat 330C at the intersection of the Meadowcreek Parkway and Melbourne Road.
This area is jumping. So much going on. Is the incoming machine bound for the McIntire Road Extended work area, the Meadowcreek Parkway work area, county land, city land? Will it be working on the Meadowcreek Interceptor, or the 7,000 linear foot Schenk’s Branch Interceptor?

Who is the big boss, the high overseer? Did He/She call buyers in Melbourne Park and let them know their view of the Schenk’s Branch valley and McIntire Park was soon to be replaced with acres of scalped earth and finally, a highway?

left bank, Schenk's Branch

hooverville

Occupied

I caught the last hour of speechifying before Charlottesville City Council by the Occupiers. Peace, love and social transformation. Justice! Drunks cured by love and community, abandoning the bottle. The group coming together in support of one another. Liminality and communitas having their beautiful, tumultuous day down in Lee Park. Council’s recommendation is to somehow institutionalize, let the people keep caring for each other and free-speaking, but do it elsewhere. The Rutherford Institute is in the mix. Maybe Charlottesville will get its own Speakers Corner?
Obamaville?
The best suggestion was to occupy the Landmark, the skeletonized ghost hotel on the Downtown Mall.

thar she blows!

water line spouts
I am unable to relate exactly what is up here. Intersection of Market and Meade. Visual confirmation of the much more than adequate water pressure in this section of Charlottesville.
Last time I measured water pressure with a gauge the static pressure reading was 125 pounds per square inch. Sooo. How high could she spout? One psi will raise a one square inch column of water 2.304 feet, so 288 feet?
Yahoo!

Ford Chevy Cats Dogs Dems Reps

old trucks
A few years back, City Council established that cats (domestic) were Democrats. In Charlottesville cats are allowed to roam free. Dogs are licensed and shut inside. Are Ford trucks D’s and Chevys R’s? In a one-party town these questions need answering.

unengaged

precinct with few citizens
It’s an off off year.
There are 2098 registered voters in the reconfigured Venable precinct. One-hundred and thirty-one of them showed to vote.
Visiting the polling place was like visiting a museum after hours.
If we had a referendum on the legality of party-porches, open containers and free BMW’s, traffic would pick up.
The University of Virginia makes little effort to house its students. And so, you end up with a precinct of students that don’t vote and a neighborhood that has largely abandoned civic participation.

Virginia State Board of Elections unofficial results