The Line Creek Loudmouth

Gladstone's Hobby Hill Park West Opens Tomorrow

Ladies and gentlemen, if you aren’t doing anything tomorrow, load up the kids and head over to the 7600 block of North Broadway tomorrow for the 10AM grand opening of the new Hobby Hill West Park playground and interpretive nature area.

Here’s the invitation that I found on the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce FB page.

The western edge of the park was rather overgrown with honeysuckle and not very inviting. Now the western edge of the park looks like this with the picture taken from the hill on the southern edge of the park looking north with Broadway on the left.

The playground design is a pure active playground which we desperately need north of the river. The signature piece is a large climbing slide contraption. This is looking northeast from the parking lot entrance.

The circular trail goes between the pond and stream and the playground and connects to active workout type play equipment. This is looking towards the east.

There was a lot of rock on the site and the designers and contractors used a lot of it within the site to create plenty of climbing places and also for parents to watch.

The four-year-old and every other kid there loved the “gazelle freestyle” thing.

Playground also had the now very important saucer swings which are always being used.

The park also had the all-important ZIPLINE!!!!

The designers and contractor also terraced the limestone as a natural amphitheater.

This is going to become our other go-to park (other being the YMCA Challenger Park). I encourage you to get out tomorrow. The weather will be great and if you want more of these types of things, your elected officials need to know. A lot of times parks and trails projects take heat for costing too much when other things are “more necessary” but I’ve watched over $2M go towards buying right of way from one owner on the Flintlock Flyover project, nearly $2M to relocate the west outer road north of I-29 and NW 64th Street, over a half a million dollars for one parcel on Englewood Road, and many millions of dollars to widen Barry Road by Zona Rosa/other northland streets. I’m always amazed at how spending gobs of money for property for cars is okay but park improvements that help our neighborhoods gets scrutinized especially when so many kids are facing weight issues with the corresponding adult health care costs.

Show up tomorrow and thank the Gladstone Mayor, City Council, and staff for all the work that went into getting this project done.  You can also check out this really neat background kiosk which uses an old USGS topo map as the background.  Don't think that I'm not stealing that idea as my own.

Get Lost in Parma Woods

Just when I think I've been everywhere in Platte County, I realize I have so much to learn.  Since yesterday was a cold day, I figured I'd "build character" with the older boys by wandering in the woods.  I didn't feel like doing more exploring in Tiffany Springs Park and we've wandered all over the Line Creek Valley.  I thought about maybe trying to find any remnants of the long lost Island School but figured it was probably long gone because the area is all farmed and the area has flooded for 100+ years.

I finally decided we'd check out the Parma Woods Conservation Area near I-435 and the Missouri River and boy were we happily surprised.  Little advice before you load up and head out, if you're triggered by guns, you probably ought to avoid because there is an active shooting range and folks use it. 

The conseravation area has a nice paved trailhead with toilet and trail map.  I'm not sure how long the loop is because we wandered off the gravel trail a little but in total we hiked over 2.5 miles.  The start of the trail looks like an old road.  This is looking north from the parking lot.

I assume it's an old road because the 1912 soil map of Platte County shows a road that would be in this general area and there is a fence and a drop off to the right of the trail.  See the red arrow for the road in the map below.  Also see the green arrow?  I'm not sure if that symbol is a cemetery or something else but it's in the middle of I-435 now.

At the end of the flat part of the trail, there is an old foundation which I am assuming was a barn.

From there is was up hill.

And back down.

The pictures don't do it justice but the area was abundant in tree species--plenty of sycamores, oaks, shag-bark hickories, etc..

We found a deer stand tree and of course the boys had to try and climb up it. 

There's a little ephemeral stream that you have to cross but it's a great place to try and do some spear fishing.....

We stumbled on an area that was mined at one time which made for great climbing.

The nearby area to the west was mined according to the 1948 USGS Topo map but this area wasn't close to it.  I can't totally figure out where it is on the topo map because it's kind of hard to get my bearings with the landfill and I-435 blowing through everything but I think we were in the area by the blue arrow.

Right in that hillside area, someone had built a primitive structure or fire pit with the remnant stones.

We then reached the end of the trail but I had the park map downloaded before we left and saw we were close to the high point.  I figured there had to be something at the high point so we started up along the ridge and we found something.  The first thing I saw was this. 

This is either a cold storage or a storm shelter that was attached to what I am assuming was a very primitive log house.  The stone foundation was still neatly placed.

It had a small brick chimney.

Overall I'd recommend taking a few hours and exploring the area.  It's also off the beaten path and you get a country drive feel getting to the trailhead.  I'd also recommend checking out Richard Johnson's page for some other hiking ideas. 

It's not quick to get to but that's kind of nice.  Little trivia tidbit for you.  When I-435 was being planned, MoDOT actually bought and designed a folded diamond interchange.  I came across the plans one time and took a picture.  Unfortunately, I cannot find it so I schematically drew it in using that incredible CAD system call MS Paint.

It was one of three interchanges on the I-435 loop that were planned for but not built.

Don't Worry, the Line Creek Train Is Going to be Fine

Don't worry folks.  The Kansas City Northern Railroad aka the Line Creek Train is not going anywhere. It just needed some TLC.

I don't know if those of you that ride the train have noticed but the south bank of the East Fork of Line Creek had been eroding near the tunnel so the train was in jeopardy.  The track also was in the way of the proposed improvements to Waukomis Drive (which I just realized I haven't blogged about and overview PDF can be found here).

Work is underway this off-season to relocate the tracks and to stabilize the stream bank.  This is a picture looking west at the restored stream bank.  We lost some trees but don't worry we'll have wild sycamores and cottonwoods sprouting up in no time.  I don't know how many capital projects (ex #1 NW 72nd extension to Green Hills) I've specified street trees which have been eclipsed in growth by wild trees sprouting from seeds. 

The volunteers at the KC Northern Railroad are a dedicated group and are putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to bend the track back into place.  We wouldn't have this wonderful treasure if it wasn't for the guys that have dedicated their time to this track.  Everyone who's ever rode that track owes a great deal of thanks to them. 

The rough grading is complete and the rock base is in place.  This is looking from the tunnel east towards Waukomis.

I'm such a nerd that I actually took a semester class at the University of Illinois on railroad engineering and it's rather amazing how railroad tracks are a very simple design which hasn't changed in 150+ years.  Wood or concrete beams hold rails, rock base distributes the load, and steel handles the daily grinding and friction of rail cars.  It doesn't matter the size or width of the railroad--the technology is still the same.

Once they get the rails nailed into the wood timbers, more rock will be added to stabilize the rails.  This is looking east from the tunnel towards Waukomis.

I also took a picture of the arch bridge on Waukomis Drive which once was the Kansas City to St. Joseph Interurban Railroad (in case you're confused, check this out). This arch was built in the 1910's.  I tried finding a video to explain why railroad bridges will last 100+ years and road bridges really only last 50 years but couldn't find one.  In case you were wondering, we don't put destructive ice salt on railroad bridges and trains weigh so much that the loading on a rail bridge is less destructive than a semi truck going over a road bridge. 

You haven't experienced life on the edge unless you've rode a bike over one of these Waukomis bridges and been able to see the drop off towards instant death.  I'd strongly recommend keeping both hands on the steering wheel through this area because there is no recovery zone if you stray outside the white lines.  This is looking east from the north edge of the train tracks.

The track will be straightened along Waukomis but it appears to be slightly flatter than the old layout.  I know sometimes in the hot summer the old engines slowed down a bit when going up the grade and around the curve in this area with a full train.

The railroad is also getting some expanded gravel parking.  I don't know why everyone thinks gravel parking is unacceptable.  It's the most pervious parking surface that can be installed which helps reduce storm water runoff and allows pollutants to infiltrate and be filtered rather than flowing straight into our water supply.  It's also tons cheaper than asphalt.  I guess over time too many blue hairs that their blue suede shoes get dusty....

The rain this week might have set things back but I know the kids are all interested and looking forward to opening weekend for the train.  In case you are ever looking for something to do on Saturday or Sunday, it's the best entertainment for two trips around for 75 cents. 

Want Something For Kids To Do Besides Playing Electronics?

I wanted to pass this along because I think this is a good idea for the area.  There is a group wanting to build a more active recreation park with a destination skate board facility.  It makes sense to put it near all of our commercial to capture some new money from visitors.  I'm also getting tired of driving way down south to visit the "awesome" parks.

I encourage you to check out the group's Facebook page and sign their petition.

Make sure you like and share with your friends.  Our kids aren't getting any younger.

 

Today Is Discovery Day!

KCMO Parks is doing a great event to promote simply being in a park.  Tomorrow is discovery day.  I've mentioned it before and I'll keep mentioning.  Frank Vaydik Park, the Line Creek Community Center, and the Kansas City Northern Railroad are hidden gems for the Line Creek Valley.

Tomorrow there will be free train rides and free ice skating.

Other activities are planned throughout KCMO Parks tomorrow so download the whole flyer here Download Discover Day 2016.

Make sure you sign up for social media updates  because I will tell you as a public employee, there is a lot of work that goes into programming or scheduling an event and it's disappointing when few people show up.  When I schedule a public meeting, I'd rather have 100 people show up than 5 because it's the same level of work.

The opening of the train also reminded me of something that happened last summer.  One of the reasons why I blog is to promote the Line Creek Valley and the cool things we have.  One weekend last fall before the train closed, we biked down to the train.  I saw a family with three boys and they were all wearing Iowa Hawkeye paraphernalia.  I politely asked the lady if they were visiting and she confirmed they were down from Des Moines for the weekend.  I asked her how she heard about the train and she kind of chuckled and said "I found it on this blog."  I didn't mention that it was mine but welcomed her to the area and then asked a couple of other questions.  She told me that her kids loved it and they would come back and ride the train anytime they were down there.  She also said she shared it with her friends.  Would they have found that without this page?  I don't know but it helps to have digital footprints driving search results. 

Also, I want to put in a plug for anyone who is interested in trains.  The Kansas City Northern Railroad is always looking for volunteers to either build things or help with running the train.  If you're a retired tinkerer or someone without kids who wants to have some fun and learn from some really dedicated folks, please think about becoming a volunteer and drop them an email at info@kcnrr.com.

Get out tomorrow and take advantage of this event or enjoy the Line Creek Trail.

Check Out Anne Garney Park

Last fall I put up a quick post about the awesome playground at Anne Garney Park and how the kids couldn't wait for it to open.  However, the Park also has a 1.9 mile biking/walking trail that's worth checking out.

If you want to check it out before trying, I uploaded some photos of the trail to Panoramio here  They'll be on Google Earth shortly.  We went a couple of weeks and the kids loved the playground.

Anne Garney Park Playground Progress

"Dad, when IS THIS GOING TO OPEN?"

You probably don't realize it but Anne Garney Park is a large (80+? acre) park off North Woodland and it is getting some attention and development.  It has a circular asphalt walking trail and playground under construction.  The park entrance is off North Woodland about a quarter mile north of Shoal Creek Parkway.

View Larger Map  |  Get Directions  |  View Bird's Eye

KCMO Parks and Recreation Landscape Architect Frank Gibbs deserves the kudos for the playground design.  It has an ADA accessible portion to it and plenty of things to climb on.  This is looking southeast from the top of the playground.

The playground has been graded so the ADA walkway leads up to the top platform.  This is looking south.

This is a general view of the rope bridge between the ADA playground portion and the pyramid.

How do I know this playground will be a hit?  It's got a climbing rock. 

I'm not sure what the timeline is for opening but that thing will have twenty kids on it the first nice day in the spring. 

Staycation in Grandview at the Awesome Valley Park

My first experience with a "screw the lawyers" park was the rope tee pee near the Smithville Lake trails in Crows Creek access area.  The kids loved climbing all the way to the top while I unloaded the bikes.  They got hurt a couple of times but I always view that as part of growing up and learning that sometime in life, the fun in living is worth the risks taken. 

Luckily the city of Grandview decided they didn't want to let lawyers take all the fun out of being a kid and opened an awesome playground in Valley Park.  I had heard about the park from Dennis Randolph who is their Public Works Director (side note, Dennis has worked in many parts of the country and brings some different ideas to the table and a real asset to Grandview).

The park is not two minutes off the highway and takes a little navigating to get to but is well worth the drive (it's also just south of Wayside Waifs).

View Larger Map  |  Get Directions  |  View Bird's Eye

It didn't take the kids long to get from the car to the playground even on a 90+ degree day.

They give you the rules.  I didn't snap a picture of the back of the sign but it also had some items basically saying this is risky but it's fun.

I had to climb up one of the structures to help the kids to the 50+ feet long slide.  I'd recommend bringing some waxed paper for the kids to use on the slide as it wasn't very fast.  Using the waxed paper reduces some of the friction between clothes and the metal.  I learned this when I was a kid and we used to go to 50+ feet long slide in a Michigan park where my grandmother used to live.

"Dad, look.  Chance of brain injury or broken bones.  Best park ever."

The park also had a zip line which I only photographed from above and is in the far part of the picture.

They also had some musical items which the kids loved to play while waiting.......

for the "plate" swings.

The surface was artificial turf on a soft base which I assume was recycled tires or similar material.  We spent almost an hour there.  The kids loved it and now I have to explain that we can't go to the "rope park" because it's too far away and daddy doesn't want to burn the gas.  I will however use it for reward and motivation in the future.  In case you were wondering, I did use the zip line.  All I can say is it offers an adult male a mild vasectomy if you know what I mean but it wasn't this bad...

Clip credit to America's Funniest Home Videos (seriously? Carlton?).

The Best Month of the Year Is Here

...for local train enthusiasts.  The Kansas City Northern Railroad opens for 2015 this weekend.  Hours are Saturdays from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM and on Sundays (or summer holidays) from 12:01 PM until 6:00 PM.

The following weekend on May 9th will be the National Train Day celebration in Frank Vaydik (Line Creek) Park.

Official KC Parks website with details on the event is here.  If you don't live in the area, it's a perfect day to load up the kids and check out the train, some 2 for 1 ice skating, and the Line Creek Trail.  You can spend a whole day there and not spend more than $20.

Free Entertainment Tomorrow? Discovery Day at KCMO Community Centers

I'm all about free....especially with a litter of kids.  Check out the iternerary of free activities at KCMO Community Centers tomorrow. 

Make the most of  KC Parks Community Centers Discover Day with these  recommended agendas!
All activities are FREE.

Discover Day is Saturday, April 11:

FOR THE ATHLETE
9-10 a.m.:  Water Aerobics | Tony Aguirre
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Dodgeball | KC North
1-4 p.m.: Public Skate | Line Creek
3-5 p.m. Badminton  | Hillcrest
4-5 p.m.: Tennis Carnival | Garrison

FOR THE KIDS
10-11a.m.: Face Painting | Garrison
11-11:30 a.m.: Kids in the Kitchen | Southeast
1-2 p.m. Picnic Lunch  | Hillcrest
2:30-2:45 p.m.: Mini Skate Lesson | Line Creek
3-4 p.m.: Dance Team Workshop | Brush Creek

FOR THE ARTIST
9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Arts & Crafts | Marlborough
10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.: Teen Outdoor Graffiti Chalk Murals | Tony Aguirre
11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: Ceramics | Southeast
3-4:30 p.m.: Arts & Crafts | Westport Roanoke

FOR THE FITNESS BUFF
9-10 a.m.: Cardio Tennis | Garrison
12-1 p.m.: Pilates and Zumba | Southeast
2-4:30 p.m.: Fitness Challenge | Marlborough
4:30-6 p.m.: Open Yoga | Westport Roanoke

FOR THE GAMER
9-11 a.m.: Ping Pong | KC North
11-11:30 a.m. Bumper Pool | Southeast
1:30-3 p.m..: Xbox | Hillcrest
2-4 p.m.: Video Game Challenge | Gregg/Klice

FOR THE COMPETITOR
9-11 a.m.: Pickleball | KC North
10-11 a.m.: Roller Derby | Tony Aguirre
12:30-1:30 p.m. Air Hockey | Southeast
2-5 p.m.: 3 Point Basketball Contest | Hillcrest

FOR THE ONE WHO WANTS TO TRY  IT ALL
9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Open Pottery | Westport Roanoke
11 a.m.- 1 p.m.: Ping Pong | Marlborough
1-2 p.m.: Bootcamp | Southeast
1-4 p.m.: Public Skate | Line Creek
3-5 p.m.: Badminton | Hillcrest

Complete schedule of activities and location information.

Have a great time discovering all that KC Parks Community Centers have to offer! Take pictures and hashtag #DiscoverDay and #KCParks

One Person Can Make a Difference

Folks, I hate to say it but sometimes it takes citizen participation to get things done.  Someone is trying to do that with the Searcy Creek Greenway. 

If you live in southern Clay County, check out the Friends of Searcy Creek Facebook page.

This effort has already resulted in an old fashioned barn raising style effort and some help from Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe with the new playground equipment.

 

Clip credit to Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department.

Frank Vaydik "Line Creek" Park Has Grown

With passage of KCMO Ordinance 140138 Frank Vaydik (Line Creek) Park has grown with the addition of a gorgeous 20 acres to the south.  This tract for years had been planned for development but never was able to be financed as KCMO had a street plan that would have required the developer to build 56th Street over to Waukomis Drive.  That would have been an expensive road as it would have required up to 20' high cuts in solid rock and a 400+ foot long bridge over Line Creek. 

The partnership that owned it finally decided to give it up and donated it to KCMO Parks.  I don't know if he is still alive but years ago I need a trail easement to build the Line Creek Trail.  I mailed a nicely worded letter to Sig Leftkovitz asking for the easement and included a $1 to try and entice him to return it back.  After a couple of phone calls I got a hold of Mr. Leftkovitz one night right around 5:30.  He asked me some questions about the easement and how it impacted the property.  I explained that it was in the floodplain and way far away from any future development.  He shared some stories about how he developed the Sunpointe Village neighborhood in the mid-90's and then finally said he'd send the easement back signed because I seemed like a nice guy.  When I got the easement back, he even returned my dollar!

Anyways, I thank the ownership group for donating a nice tract for the park system.  Here is what the tract looked like in 1964.  There were two houses and I found traces of one.  In the picture NW 56th Street is the left to right road at the top.  North Byfield is the up and down street in the middle of the picture.  I-635 and hadn't been built yet and it was still US 71 as the interchanges for I-29 were not done.

Here is the map a little more zoomed in.  Waukomis is the green line, Englewood is the blue, and NW 56th Street is red.  If you look close enough, you can see the old NW 56th Street bridge.

The amazing thing is how much Line Creek has moved over 50 years if you look at a recent aerial map. 

View Larger Map  |  Get Directions  |  View Bird's Eye

I had the luck of exploring the tract a couple of weeks ago and it is a gorgeous tract.  This is looking north on the old Byfield road bed.

The views of the valley are amazing (if you can get through the %^$&& honeysuckle).

I uploaded some pictures mapped with GPS coordinates to Panoramio which you can check out here.

National Train Day this Saturday May 10

This Saturday is National Train Day.  KC Parks and the Kansas City Northern Railroad are hosting an event.  Click here for the official details.  Parking will be is short supply so save some gas, get some exercise, and use the Line Creek Trail to get there.  Also don't forget to sign up for updates for future KC Parks news by clicking the social media buttons on the bottom of the page here.

Line Creek Train Opens Tomorrow

Don't forget that tomorrow is the first day that the Kansas City Northern Railroad is open.  Check out their website here.

The weather is going to be gorgeous.  Load up the bikes and head out for a ride on the Line Creek Trail and a train ride.  It's the best deal in town--50 cents for two times around.  Map/directions to the train here.

 

No in-train music included however...

 

Clip credit to the Doobie Brothers. 

To quote the great philsopher Eric Cartman, I hate hippies.......

 Clip credit to South Park Studios.

Gladstone's Happy Rock Playground Is a Must Visit

If you haven't been there, I strongly recommend you load up the kids and try the new interactive playground at Happy Rock Park (if you got space, bring the bikes and check out the Shoal Creek Trail). 

The playground on the east side of Antioch has a small slide good for toddlers.  It has a climbing gym good for school age kids.

But the thing that the kids love is the interactive game system that is set up so two different people or teams can compete to touch the most sensors when they light up.  The kids are always red faced after playing till we have to leave.

I am amazed how at how much fun little kids can have spinning their brains out.

It reminds me of an old Dead or Alive song...

 

Get Lost in Tiffany Springs Park

If you are looking for a place close to just get out and explore, I recommend Tiffany Springs Park.  The park is a gazillion acres with plenty of old roads and ATV paths.  I explored from Childress to Hampton once.  I've never been to the north end of the park where it was quarried before the 1960's.  The quarry area is the area with the large pond at the top of the picture. 

I pulled the 1914 USGS Smithville topo map which showed one of the old roads.  I highlighted the ball fields with blue dots so you have some context.

At one time Old Tiffany Springs Road extended west past Childress and over to Hampton Road.  The crossing is still somewhat visible.  Play around with the aerial views at the park here.

I've wandered from the baseball to the soccer fields and back during one of the kid's practice and came across a spring south of the soccer fields.

I wandered from the soccer fields down some old paths to the east and wound up at the football field.  I wouldn't recommend exploring alone as the park is large and I wouldn't doubt someone living back in the woods or illegally hunting.

I came across an old stone wall which I don't know if it was a foundation or wall.

I'm not sure how the park was acquired but sometime over a decade ago there was a half billion dollar master plan completed for the park that had a golf course and all sorts of stuff and required Hampton Road to be moved as a dam for a lake.

There was some effort by mountain biking and ATV groups to create their respective facilities but nothing happened.  The park really is a natural resource treasure and has awesome views.  It would be nice to make it more open and inviting without having to spend a bunch of money.

Brush Creek along the baseball fields has cut into a limestone shelf and is amazing to see.  We pulled up for soccer practice and I told the other kids we would walk to the playground which is way far away from the ball fields.  They didn't realize that I meant we would take the long and scenic way.

I uploaded some pictures of the walk to my panoramio.com site for your enjoyment but here's a preview.

It's a great place to get out and explore and I bet on a nice day you won't be the only one.

Searcy Creek Greenway Exploration

I got to scout out another greenway today.  Much like the Big Shoal Greenway, the Searcy Creek Greenway was secured prior to development years ago.  It was bought for a four lane parkway and neighborhood park purposes.  Part of it was built south of Parvin Road but the part north never happened. When NE 48th Street was built, the turn lanes for the intersection were installed and are still there.

View Larger MapDriving Directions

I really don't understand the fascination with four lane roads in residential areas away from interstates.  Wide roads lead to faster speeds and more environmental damage due to the amount of clearing and grading necessary to construct them.  I am lucky I saw the light when we did the 72nd and Waukomis project and it ended up being a 2/3 lane road vs a four lane with a median. 

The key is to keep traffic signals out of the area because signals is what create the need for wider roads.  That's why the roundabout was installed.  Areas with large amounts of residential developments do not need four lane roads until the land use changes to commercial.

The arterial street system should be like the body's artery system.  The heart is the downtown or commercial cluster and the further it gets away from the heart, the smaller the artery needs to be.  That thinking is how the name arterial was applied to streets.

At some point, conventional wisdom came up with this asinine idea that if you start out driving on a four lane road, the road should stay four lanes the whole length of the way for continuity of the corridor.  Someone also came up with the idea that roads should be centered on a section line and not follow the topography.  That works for Tulsa but in Missouri, that thinking is just silly.  Do you really care if the road goes from four to two lanes then back to four as long as it efficiently gets you from A to B?  Streets that follow topography are cheaper and in the end much more pleasing to drive.  That's why the new NW 72nd Street swifts about 150' or so off the section line to the north as it enters into the Line Creek Valley.  Topography + thoughtful design = good road.

View Larger MapDriving Directions

The east-west Springfield Avenue (IL 10)  in Champaign-Urbana where I went to college was a perfect example of a two lane road in residential areas that moved a lot of cars.  When it got to the 4 north-south arterials which had stop lights, the road widened out to at the intersections and then tapered back to two lanes.  This allowed more traffic through the green signal timing without wiping out a bunch of houses so that irresponsible college students from western and central Illinois could get home faster.

Two and three lane roads are much safer because all it takes is one person to be doing the speed limit and it slows down everyone behind him/her.  Think about the next time you drive Waukomis/Green Hills versus either Barry Road or NW 68th Street and how different of an experience it is.

Anyways, back to the greenway.  I uploaded and tagged some more pictures in panoramio.com here to enjoy.  This is looking east from some baseball fields off NE 42nd Terrace.  Some big old oaks sticking out this time of year.

If a tree falls in the creek, does it need a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and KCMO Floodplain Development Certificate?

I have to call 311 and report a code violation for someone destroying trees and violating the stream buffer preservation ordinances.

While not quite as deep as the Line Creek Valley, it still has some 20+ foot mini-valleys.

Came across what appeared to be a raccoon that froze in place.  Also, I came the closest I've ever been to a fox. 

The poor fox must have been on the run...

 

Clip credit to The Sweet.

 

Big Shoal Greenway Is Gorgeous

I don't have the whole story but bits and pieces so if anything is not right, send me a note so I get the right history recorded.  Back in the 1950's, someone had the idea that the recently annexed southern Clay County portion of KCMO needed to preserve a greenway and parkway system.  This was accomplished by a property or sales tax assessment and most everything in green in the map below was acquired. 

A greenway was acquired about a half mile north of Vivion Road which was supposed to be the Big Shoal (?) Parkway which would have extended Englewood Road over to the future Searcy Creek Parkway near Maple Park Middle School.  Fortunately, the greenway was acquired and folks decided there really didn't need to be a four lane road (or any road) built so the area remains as it was pre-development.

I had the fortune of walking it last week to explore the opportunity for a developed trail along the creek.  We were doing this to develop a federal grant application to try and get some federal funds to construct a segment of it.

I uploaded some pictures of the greenway at panoramio.com here but here are a couple of samples of this awesome linear park.

I've also heard of this area being called the Mill Creek greenway because there used to be a mill in the area.  I didn't see anything that looked like remains of a mill but didn't do any research beforehand to know where/what to be looking for. 

If you want to check this area out, the best place to access this area is off of North Indiana at the baseball field parking lot.  You can also park along the side streets of North Brighton and walk accross the new bridge and head west.  You can also check out the new KC Parks mapper here for other corridors to explore (while wearing orange) throughout the whole city.

LAST DAY For the Line Creek Train

HOLY MOLY!  I just realized tomorrow is the last day to ride the Line Creek Train.  I am not sure if they will be open another weekend for the annual Native American festival in Line Creek Park or not so if you want to get one last train ride for 2013, make sure you do it tomorrow between noon and 6.

 

Trent Green Is a Major League Class Act

I took four of the litter to the tail end of the Trent Green Family Field dedication yesterday.  We happened to show up as Mr. Green was leaving and it was an hour and half after the ribbon cutting started. 

What struck me the most was the number of people who were there and how giving Trent Green was of his time with them.  He was still there talking to people who came up to him and giving pictures in the second hour of the event. 

We all have choices with what to do with the blessings given us in this life and it's pretty freaking cool to see someone be able to use those blessings in a way that helps others and leaves a legacy rather than throwing it all away.

Unlike our elected federal officials, who forcibly confiscate our hard earned income and on whom oodles of money is spent lobbying them with lavish gifts who then turn around reward their cronies, Trent Green and his family is giving their own money to improve the lives of children with mobility limitations.

I also noticed that Mr. Green seemed rather shy and humble about the event which is awesome too.  This is so unlike our federal officials who feast on the peasants praising them for being so wonderful to give us back our money.  They are even so nice to let us name things after them.

Check out some of the pictures here.

I just want to say thank you Trent Green and your family for having a heart and giving our kids something that will create long lasting memories. 

You really are a class act and Kansas City was very fortunate to have you here.

 

Clip credit to the NFL.

YMCA Challenger Field Playground Dedication

I cut and paste directly from the release.

PlaygroundDedication Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 14 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. to join the celebration for the grand opening of the Trent Green Family Field and accessible playground at the Fred and Shirley Pryor YMCA Challenger Sports Complex. The new playground at Challenger Sports Complex was partially funded through an Outreach Grant. Join in on a day of tailgating and fun activities.

 

Check out the official notice here.

Everyone Loves the "Green Park"

I asked the kids what park they wanted to go to tonight and the four year old yelled "the green park with the twisty things."

The green park is officially known as Renner Brenner Park and is tucked away west of US 69 in Riverside and south of Vivion Road right across the street from City Hall.

Besides having a kick butt playground it also has a skateboard/bmx bike facility and picnic shelter. The large walnut trees shade a lot of the playground outside of the middle of the day.

 

View Larger MapDriving Directions

Soon it will become another great trailhead for the Line Creek Trail equipped with ample parking, restrooms, and a drinking fountain. Until then it is a hit with kids of all ages.

National Train Day and 20th Anniversary of the Line Creek Train

I cut and paste this from the email I got from Kansas City Parks.  Find some time tomorrow to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kansas City Northern Railroad (aka Line Creek Train) and National Train Day.  Event details here and below.  Sign up to get all the notifications for events from Heidi and the Parks Department by clicking the social media icons at the bottom of the page here.

ALL ABOARD!

Join the celebration for National Train Day and the 20th Anniversary of the 

Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad.

  

Saturday, May 11

Noon-4 p.m. 

(Train Runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.)

Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad

Frank Vaydik Park, 60 th & N.W. Waukomis Drive

 

From Noon-4 p.m. enjoy a giant inflatable train, face painting, live music, crafts with Macaroni Kids Northland, a caricature artist, and the Kansas City Zoomobile.  

Food will also be available for purchase from the Chartroose Caboose. 

 

***Fritz's conductor caps for the first 1,000 kids!***

 

The Brush Creek & Western HO model railroad will be open to the public. 

Wooden toy trains will be on hand for the little folks to engineer around a tabletop layout. Passenger train models and memorabilia will be on hand for viewing.  

This event will mark the first appearance of train KCN 802, the former Union Pacific 910 train that was repainted into the Kansas City Northern's color scheme.

 

PLUS: 2-for-1 ice skating at Line Creek Ice Arena from 2-4 p.m.**

 

 

Go Ice Skating FOR FREE This Weekend

Kansas City Parks is having an open house this weekend for all their community centers.  I strongly suggest you find a way to make it down to the Line Creek Community Center from 2 to 4 today (4/13) and from 12:20 to 2:20 tomorrow (4/14) for FREE open skate.  Not sure if that includes skate rental or not but you save $5 per admission for sure.

Dan and the gang down there do a GREAT job running that center.  It's one of the few that recover their operating cost.

Even if you don't skate, the snack bar is usually open if you want to grab something after a nice walk along the Line Creek Trail.  I recommend a red slushie drink.

Official promo for this weekend events at all the community centers is here.

 

Film credits to Universal Studios from the Slapshot movie.

Parks and Stormwater Sales Taxes

Over the next 8 days, there is going to be a lot of chatter about a half cent sales tax for parks and storm water.  Platte County has one.  KCMO wants one.

Section 644-032 of the Missouri state statutes allow both counties and municipalities to impose up to a half-cent sales tax to be used for park and storm water improvements.  Platte County voters approved a half-cent tax back in 2000 and renewed it in 2010.  The sales tax has been used to build both the Parkville and Platte City YMCA complexes and funded other capital improvements.   Portions of the tax have been set aside for municipalities, school districts, home associations, and other groups to apply for "Outreach Grants." If you have the time, information on all the projects funded with the help of that grant project can be found here.

Another portion of the tax has been set aside for storm water improvements through another grant program and storm water improvements in flood prone watersheds such as Burlington Creek (which is Tremont and Misty Woods area).  You can see what watershed you are in by using the Planning and Zoning Department's map.

Without this sales tax being in place, both YMCA's would not exist.  The Springs Aquatic Center and Tiffany Hills Park would not be as large as they are.  The trail along 64th Street wouldn't be there.  The storm water detention basin at 56th and Helena would not be there.  Platte Ridge Park wouldn't be what it is.  English Landing Park would not be getting bigger.  Park Hill playgrounds would be lacking, etc.

Before you jump to the conclusion that I'm a tax loving government stooge (which I may be depending on your perspective), I want to comment that I am a student of market research.  Comparing us to our peer cities locally (Olathe, Lee's Summit, Overland Park, Shawnee) and away (Omaha, Des Moines, St. Louis, Oklahoma City), outside of Johnson County which has been investing in parks/trails for over 40 years, back in 2000, this area is lacking in trails and regional parks.

Young families want parks and trails.  We have a choice to either invest in these public facilities to attract young people to buy our houses and keep our home values up or not invest in them and watch our local and out of state peer cities attract them.  I will not argue the amount of the tax but I will argue that the market as a whole wants these amenities.  People vote with their feet and while it isn't the main factor, if someone has the choice between the wonderful weather here and the wonderful weather in either OKC or Omaha, people want it all which includes recreational facilties.

Economic development and community stability are a whole package.  Missing one of the components will hurt both.  Public safety, good streets, parks, great schools all need to mesh together as part of that whole package.