Development of Platte Landing Park

December 3, 2021 – Input from all residents is important and we want to hear from you! The City has identified the need to develop a new vision for the northern portion of Platte Landing Park. Complete the online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PlatteLanding and share your thoughts. Input gathered from the survey will be used to develop initial design concepts for this area of the park. Hard copies will be mailed to Parkville residents and are available at City Hall. The survey will be open through January 1st.

November 12, 2021 – Based on comments received during the November 10th work session, the public meeting on November 15th will be a listening session for the consultants to listen to feedback from the community. The online/mail survey will be delayed a few weeks in order to give the consultants time to incorporate the comments from the City and the public.  The information gained during the work session and the public meeting will assist with developing the questions needed for the survey.

November 3, 2021 – The Board of Aldermen will hold a joint work session with the Community Land & Recreation Board on November 10 at 5:30 p.m. to set goals for the project. Public comments will be accepted at a public meeting on November 15 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall. Following these two meetings, an online survey will be available for the public to provide feedback on the project.

September 7, 2021 – The Board of Aldermen approved an agreement with McClure Engineering to design the ballfield project. Vireo will be a sub-contractor under their agreement and will handle the public engagement portion. Scope of Services

July 22, 2021 – The City issued a press release regarding Platte County Parks and Recreation grant funds received for the project. Press Release

June 9, 2021 – The City has applied for Platte County Parks and Recreation grant funds to help construct the fields and is waiting to hear if any funding will be awarded for the project. Once a total budget has been determined, we will begin to move beyond the general concept to specific planning. There are not any specific plans that have been approved by the Board of Aldermen. The public will be given many opportunities to provide input, including on illustrated concepts from the Park Master Plan (2016) and the overlay field concept.

A Riverfront Parks Design Concept was adopted that included a final design incorporating priorities expressed by the community.  The Riverfront Parks Design Concept divided the park into three segments: Downtown Transition Zone, Platte Landing Park and English Landing Park. Within each segment, the Plan’s goals were established. The priorities included findings to address:

1. Create a Stand-Alone Parks Department
2. Parks Maintenance
3. Funding for Parks Improvements
4. Providing greater connectivity to service areas
5. Regional Riverfront Parks
   1. Downtown Transition Area
   2. English Landing Park
   3. Platte Landing Park
6. Existing Parks and Park Properties
7. Activities Programming
8. Development Fees
9. City Codes

A copy of the findings and recommendations of the Parks Master Plan are available at:

Parks Master Plan Findings & Recommendations

The City adopted the 2016 Parks Master Plan with input from hundreds of area residents. The Plan calls for improving community parks, including baseball/softball and multipurpose sports fields. A copy of the specific sports fields plan is available at:

Sports Fields Plan

No. The fields are “community fields” for area teams to practice and play recreational games. This will not be a commercial sports or tournament facility. The fields will be similar to what is found in most community parks with natural grass fields used for practices and games. They will not be comparable to commercial artificial turf tournament facilities such as the Creekside Ball Park, Garmin Olathe Soccer, or Scheels Overland Park Soccer facilities. 

Area youth presently play all over the metro area, including area parks such as Tiffany Springs Park, Tiffany Hills Park, AJ Wilson, Waterwell Park, Platte Purchase Park, local churches and local schools. Many teams currently use the English Landing fields for practice and occasional games. In the past, many games were played there, too. The YMCA operates youth sports programs, such as soccer, softball and baseball for the younger age groups, while other Northland sports programs are available for the older youth leagues. The Parkville fields will help address demand for fields and provide an opportunity to practice and play games in our own community.

The areas around the existing fields will be used for new enhanced open space and park amenities for residents.

The existing English Landing Park baseball and soccer fields will be converted to uses consistent with priorities in the Parks Master Plan, creating an opportunity to greatly improve the parks. The plan for converting the baseball fields to open space will create a direct link from downtown to the river. The area will be developed to include a central lawn near the riverfront, a Missouri River overlook, a Veteran’s Memorial Plaza and other Multi-Purpose open green spaces. A copy of the Park’s Master Plan for the riverfront improvements are available at:

2016 Parks Master Plan

Why is it important to reclaim this area for new open space and amenities?

It was important feedback in the master planning process to provide a connection between the two parks using green space and extending the sight line from the end of Main Street into a natural viewing point to the river. The Veteran’s Memorial complements this plan. It is green space with a monument for reflection, reverence and respect; where people can gather and take in the natural beauty of the Missouri River. As part of the Central Plaza, the Farmer’s Market could be integrated which would further enhance it and create an opportunity to add additional parking for the park in the current location.

Where will the new fields be located?

The Parks Master Plan shows a field layout along the north edge of Platte Landing Park. The current field concept plan being discussed shows overlapping fields, utilizing the outfields of the ball diamonds as green space for the multipurpose fields. This configuration reduces the overall footprint of the fields, reducing initial construction and long-term maintenance costs, while allowing flexibility to set up the fields based on the overall demand.  In addition to the layout, there are a number of design considerations that will be pursued to address field maintenance needs, including improvements such as drainage, a sprinkler system, and equipment storage.  Other considerations will address any parking and related sidewalk needs.  The intent is to design quality fields, for the enjoyment of use by teams, and mitigate any impacts related to the field development.

Overlay Concept

Why develop park facilities in an area that occasionally floods?

The subject property is currently zoned “PLCD Parkland and Conservation District” which permits public recreation activity uses. The use of floodplains for parks and recreation is recommended by city planners throughout the nation. Facilities can be flood-proofed and in some cases elevated to minimize the frequency of flooding. 

The current Parkville Master Plan calls for current and future land use for Platte Landing Park for parks and open space and this typology is, “Public or private land reserved for active and passive parklands, trails, recreation uses, environmentally sensitive areas, natural resources, or any other lands reserved for permanent open space purposes.” In addition, the City is in the process of updating its Parkville 2040 Master Plan. It includes an interpretation that ball fields be compatible with a projected “Parks & Recreation” future land use category, as proposed by the draft Parkville 2040 Master Plan.

Why not preserve the parks for open space and passive recreation?

The City has proceeded in implementing the Parks Master Plan for the benefit of the entire community. At different points in people’s lives they have different needs. People raise their children, become grandparents and the children grow up to become adults, including raising their own children in the community. Passive and active recreation is being pursued for “all ages” for current and future residents, which is consistent with Parkville’s recognition as a Bronze level Community for All Ages. Furthermore, implementing the park improvements was the basis for the submission of “Proposition P” to the Parkville voters, who overwhelmingly approved the half-cent sales tax to pursue both passive and active recreation in the park.

Parkville is also fortunate to have ample open space and broad areas for nature and natural habitat. It has over 200 acres of parks along the river, which is more than enough to provide all the amenities in the master plan including the new wetland restoration area. As the Parkville Master Plan update team recently pointed out, we have a huge excess of parkland per capita. In addition to the recapture of the green space in the existing field’s area, there are still acres of natural space left over. It is far from being overdeveloped. Well-maintained sports fields are green. The City also has over 75 acres of undisturbed natural wildlife habitat in our nature sanctuaries. They complement the miles of trails that run through our parks and along our major transportation corridors. Lastly, due to the natural setting of Parkville, the topography makes for wooded and undisturbed ridges and deep ravines that provide open spaces and scenic vistas. It complements the outstanding parks and open spaces and to the community’s beauty.

How does the City of Parkville plan on addressing some of the impacts raised by residents concerning the sports fields?

During the design stage, the City plans on addressing:

• Potential increases in traffic, as the result of the new and relocated fields. This will include an analysis of downtown traffic, the existing traffic usage in the park and reviewing converting the one-lane bridge to two lanes to improve accessibility to Platte Landing Park.
• Stormwater diversion, sensitive to the environment.
• Elevating the fields to reduce the frequency of flooding.
• There has been no proposal about installing a sound system at the athletic fields. Most similar facilities do not have a sound system.

What happens next?

The current plan for developing the multipurpose fields concept is to initiate a design process that will include the hiring of an engineering firm to design the main components of the field. The City will also study other impacts and any mitigating measures that are needed relating to traffic and storm water runoff. The public will continue to be encouraged to participate in public meetings where the design process is considered.

Community members are encouraged to attend City meetings

Meetings of the Board of Aldermen, Planning and Zoning Commission, CLARB and other committees are open to the public. These meetings are streamed live over the Internet. Residents provide public comment at the Board of Aldermen meetings and resident testimony at formal public hearings. City staff posts advance notice for public meetings following the rules of the State of Missouri Sunshine Law. Open meetings of the regular Board of Aldermen meetings, Planning and Zoning Commission, CLARB and other boards and commissions are recorded on video and posted on the City’s website at http://parkvillemo.gov/meeting-video-archive/. The website also includes meeting agendas, agenda materials and meeting minutes and are posted at http://parkvillemo.gov/government/board-of-aldermen/agendas-minutes/.

In 2016, the Board of Aldermen approved  the Parks Master Plan. The plan was developed with extensive public engagement, including focus groups and community input. Throughout the design development process, sentiment was heard that the melding of Platte Landing Park’s passive recreation and proposed wetlands with the proposed active recreation elements could create a one-of-a-kind park experience not found anywhere in the region. Because of the commitment to wetland preservation, the City consulted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the youth field placement and any potential impact to the wetland. 

“While it might be assumed that proponents for active recreational fields and those for natural areas can have somewhat competing agendas, an analysis of responses from online surveys showed that in Parkville the two groups appear to be accepting of each other. In fact, the community as a whole generally appears very interested in marrying the two to create a park system found nowhere else in the region.” 

The Parks Master Plan has a detailed description of the public participation that occurred during its development.

2016 Parks Master Plan

In 2016, the City adopted the Parks Master Plan with input from hundreds of area residents. The Plan called for improving the community’s parks, including baseball/softball and multipurpose sports fields, trail connectivity, upgrading neighborhood parks and increasing parking. With reduced Platte County parks grants allocation on the horizon, it was estimated it would take the community 24-38 years to complete the improvements in the Parks Master Plan without grant funding or a dedicated funding source for parks. In April 2019, the Parkville voters considered a dedicated parks sales tax to fund and implement the Parks Master Plan’s recommendations. Voters approved the proposition by nearly 69 percent. The election turnout was 33% of the registered voters, (1,506 out of 4,528 registered voters) and exceeded the turnout for every prior municipal election since at least 2007.  The City informed the voters with three direct mailings before the vote how the funds will be used with the proposition’s be approval. 

Baseball and Multipurpose Fields in Platte Landing Park were promised.

The City held a public information campaign before the election. It stated priorities for the funding should the Proposition P pass. The priorities for the funding included:

Park Improvement Priorities
CLARB took a closer look at the Parks Master Plan. From their work, if Proposition P should pass, it will provide a dedicated funding source for park improvements. The priorities for improvements included:

Trail Connectivity
Increased neighborhood trails for better connectivity to local parks; completion of the Missouri Riverfront Trail, the loop trail and continuing the trail from Highway 45 to downtown Parkville.

Baseball and Multipurpose Fields
Provide more active recreation facilities in Platte Landing Park, including additional baseball and multipurpose fields for such uses as soccer, football and lacrosse.

Neighborhood Parks Upgrades
Upgrade existing neighborhood parks including replacing shelters, playgrounds and pedestrian access.

Riverfront Parks Improvements
Improvements will be made to English Landing Park, Platte Landing Park and the transition to the parks from downtown Parkville. Improvements will expand recreation facilities and help blend active and passive recreation areas for the enjoyment of residents.

How did the City communicate these priorities for Prop P funding to residents?

Before adopting an ordinance requesting the voters consider Proposition P, the Board of Aldermen asked CLARB to review the Parks Master Plan and prioritize projects that would be funded with projected revenue should voters approve a parks sales tax. A list of priorities was approved and the City engaged in a public education campaign to help the voters understand Proposition P and how funds would be allocated with the 10-year sales tax approval. The City sent three direct mailings to Parkville homes, made presentations to the community and neighborhood groups and used the City’s social media sites to provide information about the public question. A copy of the three direct mailing pieces is available at http://parkvillemo.gov/community/parks/park-sales-tax/#education.

Does the City plan on spending the Proposition P Sales Tax for the Projects as promised to the voters?

Yes, the City is committed to the projects as promised. Several Proposition P projects are underway or completed (Missouri Riverfront Trail connection). In addition to advancing the sports field project, the City adopted master plans for three neighborhood parks and improvements to Adams Park and Watkins Park will occur this year. New pickleball courts and a new basketball court have opened in English Landing Park. Other projects are scheduled for upcoming years as revenue is collected from the 10-year sales tax period. Plans for the three neighborhood parks and the new pickleball courts are available at http://parkvillemo.gov/community/parks/park-projects/.