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Fenton committee votes against reconnecting Unger Park trail to Cassens Drive after business and safety concerns
Summary
After weeks of design work, the committee voted not to pursue a trail connection from Unger Park to Cassens Drive, citing limited parking, heavy truck traffic and business liability concerns raised by nearby property owners.
Fenton's board committee voted in February 2026 to stop pursuing a trail connection from Unger Park to Cassens Drive, rejecting a proposed alignment after public comment and council concern about parking, truck traffic and safety.
Great Rivers Greenway project manager Brian Stith briefed the committee on the Unger Park realignment, saying the project is approximately 90% designed and focused on rebuilding flood-damaged trail, improving resilience and creating new overlooks. "Are we connecting to Cassin's Drive, or are we not connecting to Cassin's Drive?" Stith asked the committee as staff sought direction to reach final design.
Several members of the committee and residents pushed back on a Cassens Drive connection. Councilors and residents described Cassens as an industrial corridor with heavy tractor-trailer traffic, no sidewalks and little to no legal parking; they said those conditions raise safety and enforcement problems for pedestrians and bicyclists. One business owner's letter read into the record warned of parked cars interfering with large equipment deliveries: "We already have had walkers and park goers parking on our driveway without our permission," the letter said, signed by Bob Wolfers, president of Continental Equipment Company.
Designers said a historical asphalt connection existed but that county and railroad records are unclear; Great Rivers Greenway reported it has submitted a request for a public trail crossing but that railroad permitting and lease issues remain unresolved. The design team said a connection would require additional permitting and could not easily accommodate vehicle turnaround or added parking without substantial changes.
After discussion, Alderman Hill moved, and Alderman Lang seconded, a motion that the city not proceed with the Cassens Drive connection. The motion passed on a voice vote.
Great Rivers Greenway will continue with the Unger Park realignment design that focuses on the lakeside trail, overlooks and connections to the regional Merrimack Greenway. The presentation and the council's direction leave open other regional connection options, including eventual crossings further downstream that project staff said could tie into plans in neighboring municipalities.
