As the Virginia Capital Trail nears completion, one James City County community has already pledged to preserve the multi-use path by adopting a mile of the trail.
First Colony, a residential community off John Tyler Highway, is adopting a section of the Capital Trail that runs in front of the neighborhood, said Craig Larson, president of the Greater First Colony Civic Association.
The community will commemorate the adoption during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at the entrance of First Colony. The event is open to the public.
Larson said the civic association “immediately had to jump on it” when it learned about the adoption opportunity last year. He said the trail is a great addition to First Colony’s offerings, which include a beach and marina on the James River.
“It’s a great thing. It’s right at our front door,” Larson said of the trail. “It really is an extension of the amenities of our neighborhood.”
Final inspections are taking place now for the 52-mile paved trail, which connects cyclists and pedestrians to Richmond and Jamestown, said Beth Weisbrod, executive director of the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for the completion and enhancement of the trail.
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First Colony will host the sign ceremony at 10 a.m. Sept. 14 at the intersection of John Tyler Highway and John Rolfe Lane.
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A ribbon-cutting for the entire trail will be held Oct. 2 in Richmond, Weisbrod said.
Angie Sims, volunteer and resource coordinator with James City County Parks and Recreation, said First Colony is the first residential community in the county to adopt a section of the Capital Trail.
Anheuser-Busch and the Young Emerging Professionals of Williamsburg have also adopted sections in James City County, Weisbrod said.
“The adoption program is still evolving and we hope to use the agreements in James City County as a model for the rest of the trail,” Weisbrod said.
Organizations, communities and individuals who adopt sections of the trail help maintain it on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis, Sims said. She said adopting a trail is an “excellent opportunity” to give back to the community.
“It’s a wonderful amenity and we need to take care of it so it can be preserved for future generations,” Larson said.
To learn more about adopting a section of the Capital Trail in James City County, email Sims at angie.sims@jamescitycountyva.gov.
