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 was shown as producing about $500,000 annually in local taxes in an illustrative comparison.

Grisman framed route choices as tradeoffs. A road‑based route adjacent to Dayton River Road, she said, “will still provide a safe off‑street multiple‑use trail that connects existing parks along the river” but is a “less desirable option” for many users. An independent greenway corridor, she said, “provides a higher degree of amenity,” higher perceived safety and higher user satisfaction; 3 Rivers’ internal and external research cited by staff showed independent corridors generally produce larger increases in nearby property values than road‑adjacent trails.

Engineering and topography guided much of the discussion. Stefan Sherson (3 Rivers) and associate superintendent Jonathan Blaming described conceptual maps that showed two ends of the spectrum: a road‑based trail that largely follows existing right‑of‑way and a greenway that would require assembling contiguous parcels over time. Blaming told the council: “The most likely scenario for the trail being built to the end will be tied to the road reconstruction.” 3 Rivers staff said the county’s planned Dayton River Road project around 2029 is the earliest likely opportunity to build large stretches of the trail in conjunction with road work.

Residents who directly border the corridor urged the city to provide site‑specific detail before purchases proceed. Josh Farland, who lives on Dayton River Road, asked for parcel‑level renderings showing what an easement or off‑road alignment would look like next to individual homes: “It would be really nice to see if those pieces of land are gone and the trail comes up and around, what would that easily look like,” he said. Tom Lander, another nearby resident who told the commission he is a potential willing seller, described personal health and financial reasons for wanting to sell and said 3 Rivers had offered him a price he judged fair: “They made me a decent offer,” he told the group.

Council and commission members repeatedly distinguished support for trail easements from support for full property acquisitions. Multiple council members said they have no objection to acquiring easements where needed; several expressed discomfort, however, with perceived pressure on isolated homeowners or with broad acquisition efforts that would permanently convert privately held riverfront into parkland. One council member summarized the distinction: easements “all day long,” acquisition of whole parcels only with clear policy direction and public vetting.

The meeting produced several working directions rather than final votes. The council agreed to show the road‑based (bottom) map as an informational option at the city’s upcoming public open house and to gather public comments. Council members requested staff and 3 Rivers return with more detail and asked council members to submit specific questions for staff by Tuesday, May 13 so staff can prepare for a corridor workshop; the council also asked staff to schedule a future joint workshop on corridor vision from border to border. Several council members expressed informal support for two specific parcels whose owners have indicated they are willing sellers, but staff and elected officials agreed that a formal council action would be required to authorize any acquisition or to delegate condemnation authority. 3 Rivers representatives clarified that their board does not intend to pursue condemnation absent city authorization.

3 Rivers staff and council members noted funding realities: 3 Rivers said acquisition funds are partly reimbursable through Metropolitan Council and legacy funding programs, which lets acquisition money stretch further, but staff said dedicated construction funding for additional trail segments is not yet in hand and that building large sections will likely align with county road reconstruction timing.

The discussion closed with residents asking for clearer maps, parcel‑level impact sketches, and a timetable for construction, and with the council directing staff to compile questions and return with more analysis. Councilors and commissioners advised 3 Rivers to continue acquiring land only on a willing‑seller basis and to coordinate closely with Dayton on messaging and a shared vision for the corridor.