There's rejoicing in Little Rocky Run. On Monday, residents of this Clifton community learned they'll be receiving $102,000 to improve and upgrade their existing asphalt trail on Union Mill Road.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board made the announcement in Richmond that Little Rocky Run is one of the recipients of a federal, transportation-enhancement grant. The money will actually be awarded by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
"We were elated," said the community's land-use chairman, Al Francese. "Little Rocky Run hit the jackpot."
He was the one who spearheaded the push for the federal funds, filling out the grant application and filing it in January. Actually, though, he got the idea to apply, 2 1/2 years ago.
"I was at a Transportation Planning Board meeting and I heard Tom Farley [VDOT's Northern Virginia District administrator] speak in favor of Northern Virginia jurisdictions applying for the enhancements funds," explained Francese. "My thought was, 'Gee, why couldn't Little Rocky Run apply as a homeowners association — and, lo and behold, 2 1/2 years later, we're awarded the money."
Noting that it'll be a big project for the community, he was also pleased because Union Mill Road is designated a scenic byway and the grant will permit the road's beautification and make the trail more accessible to bikers and walkers, alike.
Francese also recognized others who helped in the grant effort, including Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-11th) who supported it. "[Centreville High Principal] Pam Latt gave us a letter of recommendation to include with the application because Centreville's cross-country team uses that trail," he said. "And [Supervisors] Michael Frey [R-Sully] and Elaine McConnell [R-Springfield] sent letters of endorsement."
The approximately two-mile stretch of trail runs between New Braddock and Compton roads, and a new surface is needed in several spots. "Roots have buckled the pavement in places, and the surface is uneven where subcontractors have cut through it to lay utilities," said Francese. "They had to do it, but they never restored the trail to its original condition."
He said Little Rocky Run also wants to widen the trail from four to six feet to bring it up to Fairfax County standards and make it six feet wide along its entire length. Work is expected to begin in spring 2003 and should only take about a month to complete.
Francese said receiving the grant award this time is especially satisfying because it wasn't the first time he'd applied for it. "I was discouraged after we were rejected on our first try, last year," he said. "But we were told that the program is so competitive that it was worth our while to reapply."
He's also happy because, if the federal funds hadn't come through, Little Rocky Run would have had to pick up the cost for the work, itself. This way, he said, "We won't have to increase our homeowner assessments to pay for it."
Homeowners association president Jeff Hummel agrees. "Until recently, we hadn't realized that this trail was ours [to maintain]," he said. "We thought it was the county's [responsibility]. It would have been a [financial] hit for Little Rocky Run [to repair the trail, itself] because that was something we'd never accounted for in our reserve [funds]."
"That's what makes this money especially nice," continued Hummel. "It's a benefit for everyone in the community, whether they walk the trail or not. And everyone has Al to thank — he's done a wonderful job chasing this down for us. He does great things for our community."
He also noted how vital Union Mill is to Little Rocky Run. "That street has a lot of pedestrian traffic," he said. "There are four schools — Union Mill Elementary, Centreville High, Liberty Middle and St. Andrew the Apostle — within 100 yards of that road."
The project will also complement the community's own internal improvement of its trail system. It recently repaved some 2 1/2 miles of trails within the subdivision, connecting the streets to the stream valley and to Union Mill Road and its trail.