Wentzville Park Board Hears Outline for Project Parks

One year ago today, Wentzville voters approved a half-cent sales tax to fund three new parks in the area. Today, after months of work to the best team to develop the parks, the project is on the cusp of moving forward.

The Wentzville Park Board heard a presentation from Planning Design Studio Monday at its meeting. Planning Design Studio is the city selection committee's choice to shepherd the project from design to completion.

The city's Board of Aldermen will hold a vote Aug. 10 to approve a contract with Planning Design Studio and its partners JACOBS and Water's Edge to begin work.

"The constituents spoke that night (one year ago)," Parks and Recreation Director Mary Jo Dessieux said. "They approved this tax, which was quite a feat in this economy."

The half-cent sales tax was approved Aug. 2, 2010 and the city began to collect the tax Jan. 1. The parks sales tax generated over the next 20 years will pay the financing bond debt and the operational cost of the new facilities.

Dan Bochert spoke on behalf of Planning Design Studio and its partners. He outlined plans for moving forward as soon as a contract is approved to get the parks and pool open in 2012 and 2013.

The development firm will handle discussions with the public, design, planning and will assist with the hiring of construction firms to do the work.

Bochert noted the most time consuming part of the process is the planning and drawing up of exacting specificiations for the contractors.

"We are on a very definite budget with this — there is a pot and that is all we get," Bochert said. "We know that and we are working with that."

Within that defined budget, the city also is working within its own promises to the voters. 

"The city made a promise to this community when it voted on this measure," Bochert said. "Our feet will be held to the fire with the list of things promised to the voters in the first phase of this project."

Bochert said his team would work to ensure that all promises made to the people of Wentzville regarding fields, parks and other structures in Phase 1 of the project would be completed.

"If we can get a few more things in there, all the better," he said. 

The first phase list supplied to voters is as follows:

Peruque Valley Park

Peruque Valley Park will be located at 1335 South Point Prairie Road. Construction costs are estimated at $11,093,180 for full park development. The phases and costs are as follows. 

Phase I — $5,950,790 funded through sales tax.

• Develop park entry and drive to the four-field node, 
• Develop four ball fields with shelter
• Bridge over central water feature
• Environmental meadow
• Utilities
• Restrooms
• Concessions
• Develop one trail with paved perimeter loop trail on the south side of Peruque Creek
• Begin bio-detention lake site
• Three single table shelters

Heartland Park

Heartland Park will be located at 100 Dierberg Drive, just off Wentzville Parkway. It is estimated to cost $8,339,525 for full-park development. The phases and costs are as follows. 

Phase I — $4,384,400 from the sales tax. It includes:

• Entry signage and landscaping
• Parking adjacent to the shopping center
• Two fields on west side and water service for irrigation
• Internal park loop trail
• General landscaping
• Aquatic feature
• Pier and shelter on water
• Boardwalk on aquatic feature
• Riparian landscape and wildlife enhancement at aquatic feature

Splash Station

The new aquatic center was sought by Wentzville residents in the 2004 master plan. The new facility will be located at 1141 Peine Road. To see a video on the project, click here.

Because the aquatic center is being created from the ground up, there were no specific promises made regarding what would be completed in each phase. The design firm will seek public input on what features should be in the facility later this fall. 

The pool in had over 53,443 users in 2010.