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Commissioners adopt Parks & Recreation open-space master plan for Centerville Road and Canton Lane after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing and comments from residents and the trails committee, Broadwater County commissioners approved the Parks and Recreation Board’s open-space master plan for the Centerville Road and Canton Lane parcels; the plan will guide future grant-seeking and phased improvements but contains no current county line-item funding.
Broadwater County commissioners voted June 25 to adopt the Parks and Recreation Board open-space master plan for the Canton Lane and Centerville Road properties following a public hearing and written comments.
Kevin England of Great West Engineering, the county’s contracted planner, said the planning process began in October/November and included online surveys, an in-person open house and public outreach that generated roughly 500 comments. England said the plan contains multiple concept designs, cost estimates based on research, and an appendix tying the plan to the county trails plan to improve grant-readiness.
Public comment at the hearing raised both support and concerns. Al Christoperson, speaking as a trails committee member and Centerville resident, praised the outreach and urged the plan to explicitly highlight a persistent safety problem: the Highway 287 bridge across the Missouri River. Christoperson said the bridge has a narrow shoulder and high-speed traffic and that pedestrians and bicyclists rarely use it; he urged the plan to note the bridge as a barrier and to support efforts to pursue a separate pedestrian crossing as a funding and safety priority.
Written comments entered into the record by Nicole Brown, county community development director, reflected a range of views: Trevor Reichert wrote that ambitious growth ideas in county plans risk falling on taxpayers because grants will cover only a small share; Carla Stevens suggested exploring Kroc Center funding opportunities; Stacy Sommer urged inclusion of a BMX track, bathrooms and water fountains and questioned the location of an outdoor gun club relative to playing fields; Mary Ellen Schner suggested prioritizing improvements to the city pool or considering a joint city-county project and recommended staging development of one site first; Tracy Maughan noted existing shortages in fields and indoor fitness space and urged the county to publish usage data to inform decisions.
Commissioners and county staff clarified that the master plan is a guiding, living document intended to help secure grants and donor support; it does not currently include a county budget line item for construction. Commissioner comments reiterated that developing a master plan is usually the first step toward grant applications and fundraising and that improvements will be phased over time.
A motion to approve the master plan was made, seconded and adopted by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
Why it matters: The plan sets a county-backed vision for two publicly owned parcels and aims to improve the county’s eligibility for grants and donations; community concerns about access, safety and timing could shape priorities as projects move from plan to funded work.
