CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The City of Charlottesville has acquired land on Cedar Hill Road and is inviting the community to help shape the vision for a new neighborhood park.

Charlottesville Parks & Recreation will host a public meeting Tuesday, August 26, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Meadows Presbyterian Church at 2200 Angus Road to gather input from residents. This is the first in a series of meetings designed to give community members an opportunity to share their ideas about the features and amenities they would like to see in the new park.

The meeting is running concurrently with a public meeting announced Thursday at Trailblazer Elementary seeking public input on next fall’s School Resource Officer Program in the city schools.

City Communications Director Afton Schneider attributed the overlapping meetings to lack of communication between multiple departments. She said the city apologizes for the meetings are scheduled for the same time, and said the city will work to ensure subsequent meetings “are accessible and fairly scheduled for all”.

The city purchased the quarter-acre Cedar Hill Road property in fall 2024 using special funding approved by City Council, according to a release. Charlottesville Parks & Recreation will use community input to develop a plan for the space, which may include trees, benches, or a small playground. Once finalized, the plan will guide a funding request to City Council, with the goal of opening the new park by spring 2027.

“This project supports the City’s equity goal of ensuring that every neighborhood has access to a public park,” according to a statement.

Community members who cannot attend are encouraged to share their feedback with Trails Planner Chris Gensic at 434-970-3656 or gensic@charlottesville.gov.

For more information about the concurrent SRO meeting, including an FAQ about the return of SROs to schools, visit https://charlottesvilleschools.org/sros.