Canal Basin Carwash

Turn back the pages of history to January 1999 when the Virginia Department of Transportation awarded the very first ISTEA or TEA-21 grant to the Town of Scottsville. The grant came as a result of years of planning between the Town and the Chamber of Commerce to construct an outdoor park primarily chronicling the history of river transportation and its connection with the Town. Nearly two years latter construction commenced. While noble in its goal, the resulting facility has not measured up to what the Town promised its citizenry. Sounds familiar does it not?

Like Streetscape, one gets the impression it will never be finished. Three boats were envisioned for the park and the first was donated, I believe in 2003. Nearly four years latter work started on the second, so that by the end of 2007 the park has one deteriorating batteaux and half a hull of a packet boat and an empty slot for the third boat.

Now I realize that the work is being done by volunteers and that is will take time, but dollars were granted by the government and by foundations and individuals to create this park starting 9 years ago. Like Streetscape, it seems no one in Victory Theater is overly concerned about how long it takes to finish one of its projects, yet they will jump on the private citizen for taking to long on a project. There are way too many double standards in Scottsville.

When the park was first planned, a claim was made that it would become a tourist draw for the Town. Scottsville would become a “destination” so the planners decreed. Sightseers would turn north from a day at Appomattox and other would steer south after leaving Monticello or Ashlawn/Highland. Better yet, bus tours would be re-routed to Scottsville to see this marvel of design and interpretation. Yet when it was designed, the plans called for the elimination of street side parking right in front of the Park so I am not sure where all the buses were to have parked. But as luck would have it, the parking has not been needed.

The park was designed by a landscape architect and like Streetscape; it had no one involved in the design process that had the credentials of someone who would be sympathetic to the historical character of the Town. I had to laugh at the meeting when it was announced that the brick laid in the monoliths would match the bond coursing that exists in the Scottsville Museum. Wow, what a great tie in.

And what do visitors and the area citizens think of it? I have heard “key members” of the community, though probably not the same group that the Town hears from refers to the park as a carwash. I have met visitors who entered the Town from the south and saw the park while crossing over the James River Bridge and though it was a public rest stop with a large restroom building.

It is evident the Town has not used resources as they should have in designing its projects. It failed then; it is failing today and it failed in several other projects all of which are fodder for other postings. So much potential, so much wasted opportunity, and no accountability.