A plan to develop a riverwalk on the north side of the Missouri River in north Jefferson City has caught the attention of many in the community, and the News Tribune is still looking to hear from you.
The plan would develop the existing riverwalk on the north side of the river, from the end of the pedestrian bridge through the Noren Access and to Turkey Creek. It was an idea put forward by Alan Mudd through a Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce initiative called the Big Idea Sharing network.
The plan involves a 10-foot concrete trail in the first phase, with a future phase planned to extend the trail to Turkey Creek, though the extension would not be concrete. Officials have said the concrete would only go to the first primitive campsite along the trail and, after that, the path would be about 6 feet wide and likely made of chat, which is ground limestone. It improves an already-existing natural trail Mudd has said can be difficult to walk on in inclement weather.
Joe Wilson, who is known to many for his work at the Noren Access in North Jefferson City, has been a vocal opponent of the planned project, saying that putting concrete on a nature trail will disturb the environment.
Officials have said the plan is still largely conceptual, even noting the width of the concrete portion could be less than 10 feet. They've also said all the necessary work has been done to ensure any additional concrete would not affect the area in case of flooding and has been approved by the city's staff engineer responsible for floodplain management, Don Fontana.
The first phase of the project is expected to cost $30,000, and, as of last week, they have collected about $10,500 in donations so far.
We asked our readers to tell us what they think of the project and the majority of responses were against the use of concrete in that area. But we still want to hear from you. Do you agree with the proposed plans for the riverwalk in North Jefferson City? Do you think other materials should be used instead? Do you think it should be left as it is? Let us know your thoughts by commenting on newstribune.com or the News Tribune Facebook page, tweeting with #jcmoriverwalk, or contacting reporter Madeleine Leroux at [email protected].
Here's what readers have said so far:
From Molly White: "The path that's there is difficult to walk in good weather. It could be improved. In my opinion, concrete might be less preferable than the chat proposed to be used for the Turkey Creek phase. Is using chat for all phases an option?
In general, I'm not a huge fan of hard, impermeable pavement. I'm not opposed to improvements to the path. I'd lean away from pavement. But I'm not gonna boycott the area if it's paved."
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From Cathy Allen: "I am for the riverwalk and I vote for concrete to allow more accessibility for all including wheel chairs, strollers, etc. They are in the process of building a handicap-friendly golf course just to the north of the river. It just makes sense that the riverwalk be handicap-friendly also.
But is this actually going to happen? Or is this something like many other good projects in Jefferson City - just going to be talked to death?"
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From Dennis Morrissey: "I am not totally opposed to the riverwalk trail on the north side of the river but do feel it is a little bit of overkill. We have the Noren Access, a pedestrian bridge over the river and the Katy Trail. I do not feel it should be concrete if it is enhanced.
... If we do anything in North Jefferson City, it should be a "no concrete' trail. I really think we have enough river access without doing anything to the trail."
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From Sanka Hornecker: "I have issues with a 10-foot (wide) concrete nature trail along the river. I walk this trail all the way to Turkey Creek usually three times per week and enjoy looking at nature and the river. There are so many native plants along this trail such as gooseberries, wild strawberries and a wide array of flowers and really old trees.
... When the river comes up, as it has most of June and July this year, that trail has water running across it and I can't go past White campsite anyway. How many of those making this decision have walked the trail? ... I agree the trail needs some work! It isn't being maintained now, so who is going to do it if they build a concrete path that could freeze up, break up, etc., because after all, it is very wet along the river most of the year."
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From Ray Walker: "I am adamantly opposed to any riverwalk "improvements' proposed along the river in North Jefferson City. To despoil a natural area by "improving' it with a concrete structure called a "walkway' should be considered a criminal thought.
This proposed "improvement' is in an area designed to be a part of a barrier to floods, a levee. The levee was constructed to provide protection against flooding. When a part of such protection is weakened, failure of such a barrier is possible. Great damage could be caused by weakening the levee by an "innocent' modification.
I would question the use of such an "improved' riverwalk during inclement weather."
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From Mary Reinhardt: "As a hiker of the current river trail, I concur with Joe Wilson and express my opposition to a "concrete' path along the Missouri River at the Noren Access. This walkway allows for the natural beauty of nature to be enjoyed without the invasion of concrete. The path may be narrow and sometimes a little difficult to negotiate but provides an opportunity to discover nature in its true form. A 10 (foot) concrete walkway would create an urban atmosphere, diminish the habitat of animal and plant life and take away from the current private and personal nature walk. A maintained wood chip path would preserve the integrity of the current nature walk."
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From Robert Reinhardt: "I am opposed to having a concrete walkway put down. I feel the trail needs to stay as natural as possible. I feel wood chips would be a much better alternative. Not only would it be much cheaper but it would leave the area much more natural and useable. I am totally opposed to the idea of a concrete walkway."
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From Joe Bachant: "Any hard surface installation within the flood way as proposed has a high probability of being assaulted in some shape or fashion by the river at flood. The cost of repair or even complete restoration will be costly and more than likely repetitive. Soft-surface trails as currently exist will cost the city less in the long run. Broken concrete tossed over the bank has a high likelihood of creating accelerated erosion and even a safety hazard. Hauling the material away would add more to the costs.
So much for the science; my personal preference is a natural surface perhaps covered with wood chips to minimize mud underfoot."
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From Agnes Scott: "Concrete doesn't fit the area ... The current trail meanders through the trees, runs along the river and goes as far as Turkey Creek, and yes, it needs improvements. Maybe something along the lines of the chipped trails at the Runge Nature Center would be a good fit and the money going into a concrete, 10-foot-wide, 356-foot-long trail would go a long way to make those improvements."