March 21, 2012

Despite not having the approval of the Cliff Drive Corridor Management Committee (or what’s left of it), much less the governing board that oversees the committee, president Adam Schieber is at it again, attempting to shut down Cliff Drive to vehicle traffic five days a week.

History be damned, and under the guise of “re-purposing” Schieber seems bent on advancing his own agenda for Cliff Drive, regardless of what’s actually best for the surrounding neighborhoods or who gets stepped on in the process. Schieber rolled out his plan for closure to the Pendleton Heights neighborhood with mixed reviews and allegedly had plans to do the same at the Scarritt Renaissance meeting in April. Schieber, however, forgot to tell the Indian Mound Neighborhood Association what he was up to, creating some pretty hot tempers and ruffled feathers in that neighborhood. Can you say complete lack of historical perspective? Note to Adam – the scenic byway goes through Indian Mound, too.

This opinionated newshound thinks it’s time to fold the present “committee” and have an official, city-appointed board that would work with city staff and area stakeholders to oversee the ongoing programming, management and operation of the Cliff Drive Scenic Byway, much like was done with the Kansas City Museum with its city-appointed advisory board. Doing so would ensure that one of the city’s crown jewels would continue to remain open and available to everyone who enjoys driving along the state’s only urban scenic byway. It would also ensure one person’s misguided agenda isn’t jammed down the throats of neighborhoods without proper transparency and process.