Hi George -

Harry Tenney has touched a exposed personal nerve in his note concerning Meredith Richards' failure to get renominated for City Council, partly due to her opposition to the so-called MCP. I had supported Meredith in her run for Congress with money and energy. And I would have voted the same as she did on many local issues; notably, the living wage.

The principal reason that I did not vote for Meredith Richards' renomination and urged my friends to vote the same way rested on her vigorous promotion for the 3 vote ploy to transfer the McIntire Park roadway to VDOT in advance of any serious commitments to the City Council's expressed policy of requiring adequate parkland replacement, a workable intersection at US 250 and the MCP, and an assurance that the road would not become a de facto Western and Eastern bypass, because it would be nakedly exposed.

In my own thinking the possible unconstitutionality of that vote was less important than my belief that trying to take the MCP off the table for electoral and policy reasons prior to receiving assurances on these "conditionals" showed either a general deficiency in judgment that made me question her suitability for office, or an ambition for higher office and political support that discounted her responsibility to City voters and residents.

I know that neither David Brown nor Kendra Hamilton oppose the MCP with the fervor that matches Harry's or my own. Nor apparently the fervor of many other city and county voters.. But I was satisfied that these two candidates had many admirable qualities and were not about to vote for the MCP without the "conditionals" being met. And I was aware that Kevin Lynch was sincerely trying (in my view, trying too hard) to find a way to realize those "conditionals" and that these two candidates would recognize his leadership.

My bet is that these conditions will never be met, and not because they couldn't be, but because the road proponents (principally the Chamber of Commerce) figure they can, with the assistance of their vigorous Chamber member, the Daily Progress, be able to get it approved without the conditionals reasonably secured.

My view is that VDOT, Albemarle County, and the City administration should be given 1 year to come up with the conditionals or the City electorate (by referendum or by Council vote) should put a 40 year conservation easement on the MCP and take it out of its outrageously vulnerable exposure. Like many others I'm tired of the impasse; with the easement proposal we have a symmetrical option: build it right or open the park to its vast potential as a recreational and natural resource. . The conservation easement could allow a right-of-way for a future 2 lane road, but in the meantime the Park would be open for widespread citizen access and use: walking, biking, and some limited golf-use, and a city-county regional park linked to the Rivanna Trails and a Greenway of National Significance.

After 40 years let the City and the County determine whether the parks, recreation, open space, biking and general enjoyment of the Park should be compromised by a roadway. In 40 years you can be sure that an Eastern or Western bypass and other transportation initatives will be feasible.

I thought the Daily Progress editorial on Meredith Richards' service was pretty good, actually, but what I'd really like to see is a ringing Daily Progress editorial on the General Assembly shenanigans in re the Western bypass.

Rich Collins (electronic mail, February 14, 2004)