Boone-Hays House, Ag Interpretive Center are Part of County Parks Plan for 2012

The St. Charles County Council-approved Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that sets the groundwork to spend up to $249.6 million on projects throughout the next five years.

That includes nearly $25 million worth of parks capital projects through 2015, including rehabbing two historic 19th century cabins and possibly adding acreage to the county parks system.

Funding for those projects comes from the Parks Use Tax, a dedicated fund that must be used for parks operation or improvements.

The lion’s share of the CIP—$180 million—is to repair, maintain county roads and build new roads through 2015. CIP is a planning tool, not a budget. It provides a blueprint on capital projects throughout the next five years based on revenue projections.

Finance Director Bob Schnur said that some of the money was frontloaded and likely will spill over into 2013 as ongoing projects or some projects get pushed back.

Boone Hays House Rebuilt

One county parks project will use $1.5 to refurbish a cabin in Matson Hill Park in 2012.

Daniel Boone Hays, grandson of Daniel Boone, built the cabin, said Parks and Recreation Director Bettie Yahn-Kramer. The park is in the Daniel Boone Historic District on Matson Hill Road.

“We do want to take that cabin back to the period of time in which it was built, which was about the 1830s,” Yahn-Kramer said.

“First we’ll make sure the house is structurally sound,” she said. “The interest is to then interpret it as the Daniel Boone Hays house.”

Ag Interpretive Center

Another $1.5 million is allotted for Broemmelsiek Park improvements in 2012.

“We hope to renovate a cabin that has been covered over through the years,” Yahn-Kramer said. “We’ll use it as an example of what farm life was like in the mid-1800s.”

The original part of the cabin dates to that period, she said. The area has an agricultural history that dates back to when the area was settled in the 18th century.

“We’re thinking about having a display of more antique farm implements in a demo area,” Yahn-Kramer said.

The $1.5 million also will be used to build an additional roadway through the park and add a shelter and pavilions.

The plan also sets aside $2 million each year to purchase parkland, $10 million all together.

Broemmelsiek is at the intersection of Schwede and Wilson roads off Highway DD.

“Our goal is to be at 4,000 acres of park land, and we’re just shy of 3,000 acres right now,” Yahn-Kramer said.

She said the parks department targets areas where growth is expected and areas with 100 acres or more.

“We’re not out to duplicate city services. We want to preserve large areas of open, green space. We also look at areas that have unique natural resource features or historic features we want to try to preserve.”

Parks Pays As It Goes

Funding on the parks projects comes from the Parks Use Tax, a tax on out-of-state goods that cost more than $2,000. Yahn-Kramer said manufacturing firms pay most of the tax.

“The general populace doesn’t pay into this,” she said.

The parks department also has a pay-as-you-go philosophy, the parks director said.

“We are not in debt for anything. If we don’t have funding on hand, the project gets pushed back. That’s why we do things in phases,” Yahn-Kramer said.

A CIP copy is available at the County Clerk’s office at the County Executive Building, 300 North Third St. in St. Charles.