Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce advocates for building McIntire Road Extended - Again

The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce distributed this press release on April 9, 2009 announcing the extension of a construction bid for the McIntire Road Extended project for 60 days. The chamber leadership has enthusiastically supported construction of the proposed Meadowcreek Parkway (of which the McIntire Road Extended is a part) for many years.

The Coalition to Preserve McIntire Park (CPMP) believes that the original advertisement for construction bids for this project was premature and the extension of the contract by 60 days will have little bearing on moving this project forward. CPMP continues to claim that this project is not independent of the proposed Route 250 Bypass Intersection at McIntire Road, and that the Corps of Engineers is justifiably reluctant to grant a necessary water quality permit for construction of the McIntire Road Extended until VDOT submits a suitable southern terminus for McIntire Road Extended. In the current VDOT plan, the road terminates 775 feet north of the Route 250 Bypass in the McIntire Golf Course. As I understand the Corps' concern, no permit can be issued for a project without the project having logical termini. The only currently planned logical southern terminus for the road would be the interchange proposed at the Route 250 Bypass.

If the Chamber wishes to see this project move forward, I encourage the Chamber to encourage VDOT to submit a complete road project plan to the Corps of Engineers that includes both the McIntire Road Extended and Route 250 Bypass Interchange at McIntire Road - containing a southern terminus at Route 250 Bypass and a northern terminus at Melbourne Road - so that the Corps of Engineers can legitimately consider their permit application.

The Chamber included the following statement in the email cover memo for the distribution of the press release below. Clearly the Chamber thinks of these multiple projects as on road project, yet appears comfortable supporting VDOT's current strategy of artificially segmentation to avoid a comprehensive review of the environmental, historic, and community impacts of this single project.

"Expeditious construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway & McIntire Road Extended projects -- from Rio Road in Albemarle County to a new federal intersection project at US 250 & McIntire Road in the City of Charlottesville -- providing a safe, attractive, accessible gateway to a vibrant, sustained downtown residential, shopping, entertainment and employment center, remain our Chamber's highest transportation priority projects. "

“… dedicated to representing private enterprise, promoting business
and enhancing the quality of life in our Greater Charlottesville communities.”

cvillechamber.com
PO Box 1564 • Fifth & Market Streets • Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE
CONTACT: Timothy Hulbert
434.295.3141
434.973.3396

CHAMBER STATEMENT REGARDING EXTENSION OF FAVORABLE CONSTRUCTION BID FOR MCINTIRE ROAD EXTENDED PROJECT

(Charlottesville, Virginia – April 9) The following is a statement from Timothy Hulbert, President and chief executive of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce regarding the announcement late yesterday that the Virginia Department of Transportation has successfully negotiated an extension of a favorable construction bid for construction of the $3 million McIntire Road Extension Project.

“Our Chamber, and the many supporters of improved, safe vehicular access into our vibrant Downtown Charlottesville, thank officials at the Virginia Department of Transportation for their successful effort to get the highly favorable construction bid for the $3 million McIntire Road Extended Project – extended 60 additional days.

“This additional time provides the City of Charlottesville and the US Army Corps of Engineers the opportunity to resolve the remaining technical issues regarding the project and thus allow VDOT to award the bid. Furthermore, once the final technical permit is issued, opponents of the project will have the action needed to bring their anticipated court case against the project. Thus, for very differing purposes, both project supporters and opponents can applaud this action and move forward.”

The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to representing private enterprise, promoting business and enhancing the quality of life in the greater Charlottesville communities. Founded in 1913, the Chamber has 1,000 member enterprises which employ more than 45,000 people in Greater Charlottesville, representing an estimated total payroll of more than $1.3 billion a year. ####