Waynesboro Parks and Recreation is requesting public input for Phase III of the South River Greenway. This section of the greenway would connect the Loth Springs trailhead to Ridgeview Park by way of the Tree Streets. There are several route options which will be shared at a public meeting on Wednesday, June 19 at the Waynesboro Public Library. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to share the proposed routes and collect public comment which will be used to guide the design process.
The meeting will kick off with a brief overview of the project after which attendees will be able to review route boards and engage in small group discussions with a representative of the project. Each route will be color coded and represented on its own board along with information pertinent to the route. After reviewing the routes, attendees are encouraged to submit a comment sheet with their opinions of the proposed routes. Comment sheets will be collected that evening but may also be mailed in. Mailed comments must be postmarked by July 8 to be considered. McCormick Taylor, the engineering firm the City has contracted, will consolidate the comments and present the results to City Council.
In January of 2018, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) executed an Administrative Agreement for a Transportation Alternative (TA) project which awarded the City $1,092,000. This award will pay for the design, engineering, and construction of the extension of the South River Greenway from Loth Springs to Ridgeview Park. The funding source for this award is the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Under this program, the City is not required to match funds. However, if the cost of the project were estimated to exceed the amount awarded, it would be up to the City to assume the additional costs. This is why the initial route selection is so important. Once a route is selected and preliminary engineering work can commence, an accurate construction cost estimate can be made. Council will take into account public feedback as well as engineering recommendations when deciding the route to pursue under this VDOT grant.
Plan on attending the citizen input meeting at 7:00 on June 19, 2019. It will be held at the Waynesboro Public Library, 600 S. Wayne Avenue, Waynesboro, VA. Routes and comment forms will also be posted online for those unable to attend but want to register their comments. Comment forms must be submitted or postmarked by July 8, 2019. More information on greenways and this project can be found at https://www.waynesboro.va.us/226/South-River-Greenway.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Waynesboro Parks and Recreation
Dwayne Jones
540-942-6735
jonescd@ci.waynesboro.va.us