Augusta Supervisors to vote Wednesday on Verona park

Augusta County supervisors will vote Wednesday night on whether to proceed or put on hold plans for a community park on 30 acres in Verona.

Beverley Manor District Supervisor David Karaffa told fellow board members on Monday he would prefer that a different location be considered for the park. Karaffa said he has concerns about the county's current budget constraints and the park's location.

The potential site is located off Interstate 81 in Verona. A portion of the land was conveyed in the 1980s to Augusta County after a new sewer treatment plant was built, and the old Verona Sewer Treatment Plant was abandoned. The rest of the land came in a conveyance in 1995 from the Chesapeake Western Railway.

The project gained momentum in December 2006 when infrastructure funding and matching grants of nearly $500,000 were lined up from supervisors pending the securing of a right of way from American Safety Razor.

The preliminary plan for phase one of the park includes passive recreation such as for picnics, a walking trail and practice for youth and adult sports teams. Lighting was not recommended for phase one.

Karaffa said his concerns about the location include the fact that the site once included a wastewater treatment plant, that a portion of it is located in a flood plain and the potential cost to develop a park. He also said there are registered sex offenders living close to the park.  

The supervisor said his chief concern is "when looking at the budget, this might not be the most adequate use of the resources." Karaffa said while there is a need for community recreation in Verona, this is not the best location for it.

Also Monday, supervisors were briefed from officials at Augusta Expo. John Scott, the manager of Augusta Expo, said the private organization is starting a capital campaign to raise funds for ongoing maintenance.

Scott said there is a planned rebranding of the Fishersville facility so that it would be known in the future as Augusta Expo, and no longer called Augusta Expoland.