Mountain bikers bummed over the recent closing of the public trails at Panorama Farms got some good news last week. On Wednesday, May 3, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to move forward with plans to turn the 571-acre Preddy Creek property in Northern Albemarle into a park.
Albemarle County has owned the land since 1969, and has long considered Preddy Creek as a possible site for a new reservoir. Later studies deemed the creek too small for impoundment, however, and since then the sprawling countryside has been a haven for people riding horseback and all-terrain vehicles.
In 2003 Ken Boyd, who now represents Rivanna District on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, was campaigning door-to-door, and says many voters asked him about the County’s plans for Preddy Creek. A month ago, Boyd asked the County staff to report on its status, referencing a recent survey that indicated new parkland with walking and biking trails is a high priority for County citizens.
Independent of Boyd’s initiative, the Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club (CAMBC) approached the board with an offer to develop a multiuser trail network on the property. Since Panorama Farms near Earlysville closed earlier this year, Walnut Creek Park on Route 20S has been the only large-scale public venue for mountain biking. Although the lion’s share of the Preddy Creek property is in Albemarle, portions of the land lie in Greene County and Orange County, as well. Parks and Recreation officials from both Greene and Orange say they would be receptive to turning the land (assessed at $2.6 million) into a park.
Last week the Albemarle Supes began the process of revising the County Comprehensive Plan to change the land’s designation to a park; once that change is approved, the board will move to rezone the land. Looks like local park-lovers will have to wait a while longer before they can go out to play in Preddy Creek.—Talley English
In 2003 Ken Boyd, who now represents Rivanna District on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, was campaigning door-to-door, and says many voters asked him about the County’s plans for Preddy Creek. A month ago, Boyd asked the County staff to report on its status, referencing a recent survey that indicated new parkland with walking and biking trails is a high priority for County citizens.
Independent of Boyd’s initiative, the Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club (CAMBC) approached the board with an offer to develop a multiuser trail network on the property. Since Panorama Farms near Earlysville closed earlier this year, Walnut Creek Park on Route 20S has been the only large-scale public venue for mountain biking. Although the lion’s share of the Preddy Creek property is in Albemarle, portions of the land lie in Greene County and Orange County, as well. Parks and Recreation officials from both Greene and Orange say they would be receptive to turning the land (assessed at $2.6 million) into a park.
Last week the Albemarle Supes began the process of revising the County Comprehensive Plan to change the land’s designation to a park; once that change is approved, the board will move to rezone the land. Looks like local park-lovers will have to wait a while longer before they can go out to play in Preddy Creek.—Talley English
