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Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 23, 2017
Contact: Julie Buchanan, Senior Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-2292, julie.buchanan@dcr.virginia.gov
Dan Rosensweig, President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, (434) 249-5775
State, Habitat for Humanity celebrate Biscuit Run property exchange
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. — A property exchange between Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation will benefit the Southwood community, Biscuit Run State Park and the surrounding region in years to come.
Representatives of Habitat and DCR, and state and local officials celebrated the agreement today at the Southwood Community Center.
The exchange paves the way for Habitat to redevelop the Southwood Mobile Home Park off Old Lynchburg Road into mixed-use, mixed-income housing without displacing any of its residents. It also gives Habitat the opportunity to incorporate recreational fields — a regional need — into the new development.
“Exchanging state-owned land is no easy task, so this project required great creativity, time and effort,” DCR Director Clyde E. Cristman said. “The results will be extraordinary for the Virginia State Park system and Southwood residents.”
DCR exchanged 23 acres on the northern end of the park for a parcel of equal value near the southern end. The southern parcel was donated to Habitat by Jennifer Sue Minor.
A 2012 bill sponsored by Delegate David Toscano authorized DCR to negotiate the exchange.
“This project has been years in the making and is the result of incredible collaboration and generosity,” Habitat President and CEO Dan Rosensweig said. “We are so grateful to Mrs. Minor for donating the land that made this all possible, to Delegate Toscano for sponsoring the bill, to our wonderful partners at DCR and to Albemarle County, which supported us all the way. This project enables Habitat to keep its promise to Southwood residents that they will not be displaced as we transition them to new homes.”
The land once owned by the state abuts the Southwood property. It is separated from the rest of the park by a creek, which presented an access challenge for DCR’s park planners. The land had not been slated for development in the park’s master plan.
However, Habitat’s long-range plans for the parcel include working with the county to create a new, active-use park. The Albemarle-Charlottesville area has a documented need for public ballfields that are not compatible with Virginia State Park land use.
The state acquired the land for Biscuit Run State Park in 2009. The park master plan calls for development of campgrounds, picnic shelters, trails and a visitor center. DCR awaits allocation of state funds to begin development.
Southwood is the region’s largest single concentration of affordable housing, with 1,500 residents housed in 342 trailers. Habitat purchased Southwood in 2007 with a commitment not to displace residents during redevelopment. So far, Habitat has invested $2 million in infrastructure upgrades and is working through a plan to give residents a say in the shape and form of the new community. Habitat plans to submit a rezoning application for the development within a year.
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