What’s the future of Route 29?

Consultants galore descended on Sutherland Middle School this week to present their ideas for the future of Route 29N. Delivering the expected lip service to mixed-use centers and walkable spaces, land-use consultants Community Design + Architecture and transportation consultants Meyer, Mohaddes Associates presented three primary concepts for planned growth to an audience of concerned locals on Thursday, May 18. On Saturday, they held more workshops for those who just can’t get enough land-use planning.

The chart that follows outlines the three options on the table. Sure, they look great, but where’s the money coming from? “We haven’t gotten into cost estimates yet, so it’s just a sense of the order of magnitude,” says Phil Erickson, president of Community Design + Architecture. Brian Wheeler of the development-education group Charlottesville Tomorrow noted that of the 69 proposed secondary road projects in the county, only three have specific cost estimates.

Considering that these two consulting firms get a total of more than $1 million from the City, the County, the State and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, it would be a shame if these plans end up gathering dust. The consultants say they will return in mid-September to unveil the preferred framework. The finalized “Master Plan” will be presented in January.—Will Goldsmith

Three Options for Route 29N

Option 1: Big Fat 29. The main feature of this plan is a six-lane 29. It has the lowest build-out capacity and concentrates employment in the area around the airport.

Option 2: Parallel Plan. This entails joining roads both east and west of 29 to divert more local traffic, with growth dispersed along these parallel roads. Also included is a “Midtown” mix-use center.

Option 3: Uptown World. Creates a major “Uptown” by focusing development around the airport. Estimated build-out is highest with this plan.

Go online at www.albemarle.org for more information