The dream of a greenway for recreation and environmental preservation in Harrisonburg will likely see fruition. In the roughly 30 years since the idea first surfaced there have been various false starts and setbacks.

A greenway, or linear park, is a corridor of undeveloped land intended for recreational use. Harrisonburg’s proposed greenway follows Blacks Run, a six-mile creek that runs north-to-south, primarily within city limits. The creek is polluted by urban runoff, including that of the EMU campus and has a high fecal coliform count. Blacks Run is part of the system of tributaries that eventually empties into the Chesapeake Bay.

Concerned citizens have organized an annual Blacks Run cleanup day since the first Earth Day in 1970. These efforts also spawned a small park downtown near the Shenandoah Bicycle Company on Main St. This year, the cleanup day is slated for Sat., Apr. 21.

In addition to providing an attractive place to walk or bike for pleasure, the greenway would allow for safer non-automobile transportation. Going downtown on a bike from EMU would no longer require braving Rt. 42, where traffic often travels in excess of the posted 35-MPH speed limit. The planned north-south route would span the city nearly tip-to-tip with an eastern branch along Seibert Creek adding access to JMU and terminating near Valley Mall.

Creating the greenway gives an opportunity to address environmental concerns along the Blacks Run corridor. One planned measure is erosion prevention.

The Blacks Run Greenway Partnership (BRGP), created in late 2000, is a public-private group that is planning the project. Scott Jost, chair of the Art Department, co-chairs the BRGP with Stacy Turner, director of Planning and Community Development for Harrisonburg City.

Jost’s involvement grew out of an art project that focused on Blacks Run. In the process of interviewing people and taking photos for his project, Jost discovered that, while various people had interest in cleaning up Blacks Run, their methods sometimes clashed.

"Volunteers would plant trees and the City would cut them down," said Jost as an example of how different groups envisioned the creek banks being improved. Some advocated for a manicured appearance while others preferred a more natural look.

BGRP is currently performing a corridor analysis, which is a preliminary step in determining the viability of the project. The next step is the creation of a master plan which Jost estimates will be completed by the end of May. From the master plan specific plans for site construction will be created.

In the works for this year is a "pocket" park, funded in part by a $10,000 grant from Cargill Corporation.

Grants are the primary mode of fundraising for the project, which includes a matching program from the City. Through this arrangement the City matches funds raised and volunteer time given by BRGP dollar for dollar. In addition, the Virginia Dept. of Forestry provided $11,500 for the planning stage.

One of the most serious challenges facing the greenway is obtaining cooperation from landowners. Where land is owned privately, the Partnership will ask for voluntary easements. The arrangement allows public use of the land while releasing the owner from liability for the publicly used portion. The Partnership cannot exert legal power to obtain land, making good relations with landowners critical. One uncooperative owner could potentially drastically affect the project by making the greenway discontinuous.

Despite these potential snags, Jost is optimistic, saying, “I really think that there’s a good bit of community support for the project.”

In a public meeting, to be held on Mar. 11, BRGP hopes to win the support of landowners along the six segments of the proposed greenway.