How to make a park: plans under way for southeast recreation area

Cosmo Park…neighborhood parks…trails and playgrounds. Making a park requires a convergence of need, resources and opportunity, and it all starts with planning. Just as it tries to accommodate future needs for roads, utilities and public safety services, the City of Columbia plans for parks. As Columbia’s population grows, so does the demand for recreational programs.

Recent City Council approval of a new regional park on Columbia’s southeastern edge is based on the city’s 2002 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This citizen-driven effort identified a need to relieve the pressure on Cosmo Park by building a second regional park. With its ball fields already scheduled beyond capacity, Cosmo cannot handle full seasons for youth leagues now and certainly will not meet future demands. Columbia also treasures its natural areas and understands the value of expanding and protecting them.

You can’t meet a need without resources. Because voters had the foresight to authorize funding streams in 2001, the city can purchase the Crane property near Bristol Lake and Gans Road without disrupting other park projects associated with a 2005 ballot issue and can operate and maintain existing facilities. These dedicated park funds, by law, are not available for other city services.

So, with a good plan, it’s no accident when needs, opportunities and resources come together as they have for the proposed southeast regional park. The 320-acre tract known as the Crane property is large enough to develop the ball fields and facilities needed for active sports over the next 15 to 20 years. Although we looked at other tracts, the Crane property is a clear winner.

The land is well-suited for the type of uses associated with a regional park. Much of the site is open pasture land with excellent potential for building athletic fields and support facilities, such as parking lots, concession stands and restrooms. A section of Gans Creek also flows through the property. Acquisition of the watershed will allow us to preserve and protect this beautiful natural area.

The Crane property also is attractive for its proximity to Phillips Park, Nifong Park and developing residential and commercial areas. The Crane and Phillips tracts could be developed together as one site of about 460 acres. This is comparable to the 533-acre Cosmo Park, which includes L.A. Nickell Golf Course (about 110 to 120 acres).

Because it shares a common boundary with Rock Bridge State Park, the Crane property presents an opportunity to connect Rock Bridge’s trail system to the city’s. New trails and bikeways also could link the regional park to existing and developing residential and commercial areas, as well as to the University of Missouri’s Discovery Ridge Research Park.

Acquiring this land is all about planning and reserving a scarce resource for Columbia families. It’s a voluntary sale. The total price is $8,075,000 (or $25,000 per acre) for the land, plus $75,000 in borrowing costs. The city could cover $4.3 million of the total with fund balances in the Park Sales Tax and Parks Capital Fund accounts. Future uncommitted revenue from the Park Sales Tax will cover the rest over four years.

Short-term financing could come from local banks, rather than through our customary sources in the national bond market. Taxpayers are likely to get a more favorable repayment rate for this relatively small debt issuance. Columbia’s financial community would have a direct stake in the success of a new local asset. I see this as a “win-win” for everyone.

We do not have a detailed development plan for a new regional park. If the purchase moves forward, we will launch an extensive planning process similar to the one used for Stephens Lake Park. Over the course of 18 to 24 months, there will be plenty of opportunities for public hearings and input along the way. This is a park for the whole community, and everyone deserves a chance to be heard.

To learn more about regional parks, check out the information on our Web site at www.GoColumbiaMo.com, and click on “Southeast Regional Park Announcement.” To learn more about the City’s parks and recreation master plan, visit www.GoColumbiaMo.com/ParksandRec/Master_Plan/.