University of Virginia Library

City Council Takes No Action
Concerning Street Widening

By MEG VINSON

City Council has taken no
action on two proposals to
widen University Avenue
submitted by the City Planning
Department to Council Jan. 10.

The Planning Dept.
proposed alternate plans for
widening University Ave.
beyond Jefferson Park Ave.
from two to three or four
lanes.

The city has already
received preliminary approval
from the federal Topics
Committee for funding the
project. If Council accepts one
of the two plans, the federal
government will fund 85 per
cent of the construction costs
and the city would pay 15 per
cent.

Charlottesville Mayor
Francis H. Fife said, "When the
proposals came up, we put
them aside for the moment
The staff is supposed to be
studying them and possibly
making some changes."

Council is "in limbo
awaiting changes" on the
proposals, he said. If any
changes are recommended, the
plans will be sent back to the
City Planning Department to
be revised.

Mr. Fife said he would
"press for it to come up,
hopefully within the next three
or four weeks."

J.A. Rush, Clerk of Council,
said no action has yet been
taken because Council is
waiting for the proposals "to
get a favorable place on the
agenda." He said they might
come before Council Feb. 5 or
20.

Planning Dept. Secretary
Judy Walke said she thought
Council was "looking for
possible alternatives to their
proposals, maybe even a
tunnel." The City Manager
must "get all the facts and
figures before going to
Council," she said.

City Planning Commission
members differed greatly in
views on the University Ave.
widening, but finally voted on
two alternatives, one to widen
the street to three lanes, and
the other to widen it to four
lanes.

The seven-member
Commission could not reach a
majority vote. University
Planning Director and
Commission member Werner
K. Sensbach abstained, two
members favored the four lane
proposal and three favored the
three lane proposal. Vice
Chairman Sandy Lambert
voted against both plans.

Mr. Lambert voted against
the proposals to widen
University Avenue because "it
would be saying that 28,000
cars that travel on the four
lanes before Jefferson Park
Avenue should travel on three
lanes through the University."

Since there was no majority,
the recommendations of the
Planning Department were sent
to Council with a record of
their voting and sentiments.