The Columbia City Council on Jan. 6 approved an amendment to the Gans Creek Recreation Area master plan that authorizes construction of the green and yellow natural-surface trails while requiring a future master-plan amendment and public review before building the blue trail.

Parks and Recreation Director Gabe Huffington told the council the full Nomad Trail Development design presents 10.5 miles of natural-surface trails in the park but that staff and contractors have split the plan into green, yellow and blue segments so they could manage environmental impacts and public uses. "The green level trail is a beginner level hiking and biking trail," Huffington said in his presentation, and the department described protections including a 200-foot center-line buffer around a heron rookery and a self-imposed construction pause during nesting season.

Why it matters: The Gans Creek site is adjacent to Rockbridge State Park and includes sensitive creek and floodplain habitat. Residents and conservation groups urged the council to protect the creek and the heron rookery; recreation and trail organizations argued professionally designed single-track would reduce erosion and expand recreation opportunities, especially for youth. The amendment approved by council allows the city to begin work on roughly 6 miles of trails north of the creek (the green and yellow segments) while staff continue design work on the south-side blue trail and return to council for final approval of that segment.

Huffington said the overall project budget is $405,000 from three sources: park sales tax ($225,000), a $150,000 donation from the Frank W. Morris Memorial Trust specifically for a natural-surface trail, and a $30,000 contribution from the Columbia Trail Association for design. Staff emphasized several environmental conditions in the plan: no trail construction in the rookery area during the nesting season (February–August), no competitions on the blue trail during nesting season, a voluntary 200-foot center-line buffer around the rookery, and coordination with Missouri Department of Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Greater Bonne Femme Watershed Initiative.

Public comment was extensive. Christine Doerr told the council, "Gans Creek is sick due to erosion," and urged prioritizing restoration over trail expansion. Carolyn Ompron, speaking for the Mid-Missouri group of the Sierra Club, said, "We support the yellow and green trails. We also support a portion of the blue trail," but asked that portions of the blue alignment be removed or redesigned to better protect the herons. Representatives of the Como Trail Association and the Columbia Track Club urged approval and said volunteers would help maintain natural-surface trails; Nate Smith of the Como Trail Association said volunteers had logged hundreds of hours and were "committed to maintaining the 10 and a half miles." Dr. Paul Pornaluzzi, an ornithologist who also coaches mountain biking, said timing of construction matters and that the blue trail runs on the opposite side of the creek from the rookery and would be built outside breeding season.

Council debate focused on balancing recreation access and habitat protection and on the mechanics of the design-build authorization the council previously approved. Staff said council had previously authorized design-build for 7 miles; Nomad's design expanded the proposed system to 10.5 miles, adding about 3.5 miles. The amendment the council adopted replaces the master-plan exhibit so the amended plan shows the green and yellow trail alignments and removes the blue alignment from the master plan; staff remain authorized to continue design work on the blue section, but the city will return to council with an updated master-plan amendment and alignment before constructing the blue trail.

Council action: Mayor Buffalo moved to adopt the amendment sheet for Council Bill 31324; the motion was seconded by Council Member Nick Foster. The amendment passed on a roll-call vote (Meyer: yes; Lovelady: yes; Foster: yes; Waterman: yes; Buffalo: yes). Council then voted on Council Bill 31324 as amended and approved the revised master plan and the construction authorization for the green and yellow trails.

Council and staff said the next steps include finalizing construction documents for the green and yellow trails, continuing stakeholder work and design with Nomad Trail Development for the blue trail, and returning to council with the proposed blue-trail alignment before any construction on the south side of the creek.

Ending: The city will begin work on the green and yellow trail components while continuing outreach and additional review of the blue alignment. Staff emphasized the project will include habitat-restoration work and seasonal construction restrictions intended to protect nesting herons and reduce erosion.