By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
August 27, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department is working on a connection worth taking time to perfect.

Scott Overbay, project manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, told the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee at its latest meeting that the department is trying to connect the Spirit of Kansas City Scenic Byway with the Cliff Drive Scenic Byway, creating a trail connection from Belmont Boulevard in the Northeast to the Heritage Trail System into Kansas.

“The last time I was here, we were proposing to go south on Cliff Drive to Independence Avenue west to Charlotte [Street] and north to Third Street,” Overbay said. “What we’re proposing to do now is return to Kessler Park, make the connection at the southwest gate of Kessler and Cliff Drive, go down through Kessler Park underneath the interstate on Dora [Street], follow Lydia [Avenue] up onto Fifth Street, Fifth Avenue to Holmes [Street] and Charlotte [Street] where they would go north to connect with the Spirit of Kansas City.”

Overbay said this new alignment would solve problems with vehicle interference previously proposed for the Independence Avenue route and takes the route out of the way of any future streetcar plans proposed along Independence Avenue.

“It also shortened the route, so there are some savings there,” Overbay said. “This allignment is currently being reviewed by MoDot [the Missouri Department of Transportation] and we’ve gotten early verbal commitments that it looks good, but no final approval yet.”

The trail, he continued, will meet all grant and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations required. The smaller, safer route would include signs along the route as well as signs for out-of-town travelers who decide to use the trail. Overbay said he’s currently requesting $880,000 from citywide Public Improvements Advisory Committee (PIAC) to make up the rest of the funding needed to complete the trail. Currently, the parks department has $230,000 from Fourth District contingency funds and a grant of $832,518.

“With the $880,000 from PIAC, I would be able to complete the design and construction of the project based on my engineers estimates,” Overbay said, adding other routes not ADA compliant are being considered into the design.

Overbay closed his presentation saying he’s gotten a letter of support from the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association, as well as one pending with the Cliff Drive Cooridor Management Committee. He’s looking to still gather feedback from members of the Pendleton Heights Neighborhood, residents of Columbus Park and officials from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

At the end of the presentation, the committee unanimously agreed to write a letter of support of the new alignment for the plan and its funding.