PALMYRA, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Not enough room to park, parkers constraining the streets where emergency vehicles cannot pass, and too many people in too small a space are reasons the Lake Monticello July 4th fireworks are being discontinued. The Lake Monticello Owners’ Association board unanimously voted not to do 2025 fireworks after neighborhood Police Chief David Wells presented a list of safety concerns last month. The fireworks cost about $15,000 to put on, and the board was looking at some safety mitigations that would have put that price tag at 35,000… but even that would not have addressed the potential problems.

Wells spoke of too many people and too few access points to address an emergency at Beach 1… and they would have to tear down basketball and tennis courts and build a garage to address needed parking. He talked about a group of guys from Charlottesville who had come last July 4 to apparently stir things up with a group from Fluvanna, and having the clear and padlock the basketball courts… and of having to break up a fight on the beach where he was alone and happened to have about five large firefighters in the vicinity to help him.