The Coalition to Preserve McIntire Park (CPMP) has filed an additional lawsuit in federal court in an effort to stop the construction of McIntire Road Extended (MRE), part of the Meadow Creek Parkway.
The suit claims that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the Clean Water Act "by authorizing [The Virginia Department of Transportation] to proceed with the project pursuant to a ‘State Program General Permit’ rather than requiring VDOT to obtain an ‘individual permit,’" and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for failing to conduct a proper environmental impact report.
In their current complaint, opponents of the 2-mile road ask the court for an injunction to stop the construction of the MRE, because its “construction and subsequent use…would literally destroy much of the east side of McIntire Park.”
The coalition also argues that the MRE “would also have a significant adverse effect on the quality of life in local neighborhoods and on historic resources located nearby, as it is proposed to be constructed in land eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.”
At the heart of the debate is the road’s current design, divided into three separate portions (two in the city and one in the county), which are funded separately. For background information about the Meadow Creek Parkway, click here.
In March, the coalition filed a lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to prevent the construction of the U.S. 250 Bypass Interchange after FHWA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact. That suit is also pending.
