Dismemberment of park: Is it fair?

T. Rock Phillips Albemarle County
Published: October 30, 2008

In response to The Daily Progress editorial “Zoning rule must be fair” (Oct. 3), I offer the following observation:

We are asked in the editorial to “Imagine how retroactive rule changes might play out elsewhere.”

One needn’t imagine anything; one need only look at what will soon become of McIntire Park. After nearly 40 years of public objection to what is now the Meadowcreek Parkway, the park will be bisected.

I am sure that the belief of Paul Goodloe McIntire, benefactor of the park, was that he was placing his land in “conservation easement” and “protecting the land forever” (to use the words of the editorial).

As well, the YMCA will be allowed to build in the park.

The argument that we are not losing the land because we will still own the land beneath the two entities seems, on a good day, laughable.

The loss is not only one of land, it is the loss of a park, a golf course, ball fields and a place of recreation and serenity.

Attendant in these losses are the loss of land at Charlottesville High School, the existing swimming pools, and the stillness of Towe Park after dark. 

All of these have been protested by large portions of the public for a very long time.

As with the sale of the city-owned land on Ridge Street, these protestations fall upon deaf ears and are characterized as “no opposition,” because the public faith in its government grows slack because not attending a particular meeting is interpreted as such after years of widespread coordinated opposition.

I praise The Daily Progress for its stand in the editorial and join the paper in the seemingly rhetorical questions: “Is that fair? Reasonable?”