Dayton leaders and 3 Rivers discuss rivergreenway vs. road-route, residents press for clarity

A joint meeting of the City of Dayton Parks Commission and City Council on May 6 centered on the West Mississippi River Regional Trail corridor and whether the route should remain adjacent to Dayton River Road or evolve into a broader greenway requiring additional land acquisition.

Kelly Grisman, planning staff with 3 Rivers Park District, opened the formal presentation by reviewing regional planning support for the corridor and a focus area between Gooden Park and North Diamond Lake Road. Grisman said acquisitions already under way reflect language in the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan and 3 Rivers’ own long‑range plan, and emphasized the agency’s acquisition approach: “We are willing seller basis only and we really recommend that that's how we would continue to move forward in any way, shape, or form.”

The presentation laid out comparative data 3 Rivers used in planning: the focus area is roughly 3.5 miles long and about 330 acres; 250 acres are already in public ownership and about 65 of those acres are islands not generally accessible. 3 Rivers reported it owns 13 parcels totaling about 37 acres in the corridor; about 30 private parcels remaining total roughly 78 acres. Staff estimated that if 3 Rivers acquired all remaining private parcels in the focus area, Dayton would forgo just under $40,000 a year in immediate local property tax revenue; by contrast, comparable developed acreage in newer subdivisions…