Great Rivers Greenway and St. Louis County Parks are hosting a community open house on Thursday, October 13, to share details about the expansion of the Mississippi Greenway in Cliff Cave County Park. The open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Oakville High School cafeteria (5557 Millburn Road, St. Louis, MO 63129). Area residents are invited to stop by at any point during that time frame to ask questions, review maps and learn more about the expanded greenway. Duplicate 30-minute presentations will be held at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.
The updated plans call for a 2-mile paved greenway entirely within Cliff Cave County Park that will make the park accessible for people of all abilities. When complete, residents will be able to walk, run or ride a bike on a new paved route that will connect the existing 5-mile paved greenway that runs along the river to the top of the 170-foot bluff in the upper section of the park. There will also be safety improvements to the scenic overlook atop the bluff, so all visitors will be able to see the breathtaking views of the Mississippi River.
“The revised plans reflect the community’s feedback, and we are looking forward to providing an update before we begin construction,” said Tom Ott, assistant director of the St. Louis County Department of Parks and Recreation. “We are eager to make this incredible community asset more accessible so people can connect with the river and enjoy what Cliff Cave County Park has to offer.”
In addition to a paved trail, the greenway expansion will include a connection into the park at Telegraph and Erb roads for people walking or riding bikes. There will also be additional parking spaces and a restroom facility north of the existing entrance to the park on Cliff Cave Road.
“As with all of our projects, we rely on the feedback and assistance of area residents, community groups, and other stakeholders to help guide the plans,” said Megan Riechmann, Great Rivers Greenway project manager. “We encourage area residents to stop by the open house on October 13 to learn more about the revised plans and timeline.”
The revised plans, presentation, and maps will be available online after the open house at www.greatriversgreenway.org/news.
Is all proposed construction in compliance with the Heritage Park designation (St. Louis County 616.250 Natural Heritage Parks) that the park received in 1986?
It certainly sounds like the proposed trails & related amenities will account for more than 5% of the total area.
I have serious concerns about the impact on the parks natural features, it’s direct & indirect effects on the endangered bat poplulation in the cave, the integrity of the sites archeological history, just to name a few.
Since its designation as a “Heritage Park” in 1986, the area has been re-named multiple times: Spring Valley Trail, Missouri River Trails, Great Rivers Greenway, etc. with little or no mention of the significance of the designation “Heritage Park.”
The history and progress of this area is made very difficult to track by the many names it’s know by. How can there be transparency, if there is confusion over what the area is called at any given time in its long history?
The “improvements” seem rushed and short-sighted, without proper safeguards in place to protect this unique resource from over-use, mis-use & exploitation.