Sequiota Park proposal would double its size

Springfield-Greene County Park Board officials presented a proposal to more than double the size of Sequiota Park.

The proposal, introduced to Springfield City Council yesterday by Director of Parks Bob Belote, would add nearly 16 acres to the Galloway Village greenspace, according to a news release. The park currently spans 12.7 acres, meaning the expansion would increase its size by over 127%.

“Without question, the biggest challenge is the sheer popularity," Belote said in the release of the need for the expansion. "Everyone just wants to be there."

The plan calls on the addition of city-owned land adjacent to the current park. The initiative would add 6.2 acres northeast of East Lacuna Street and South Lone Pine Avenue; 3.7 acres southeast of Lacuna and Lone Pine; and roughly 6 acres northeast of East Barton Street and Lone Pine.

Park officials say the three Galloway Creek flood plain properties were acquired by the city in the 1970s. They're mostly wooded, serving as stormwater management acreage and as a buffer for the Galloway Creek Greenway, according to the release.

Belote said in the release the expansion would include minimal development, such as picnic tables and a possible bike repair station. The acreage would continue to maintain stormwater usage and the greenway corridor, officials say. Parks spokesperson Jenny Fillmer Edwards said via email that costs associated with the project would be minimal but that estimates have not yet been projected.

The Park Board is expected to formally consider approval of the project in the next few weeks, after which council would review the initiative likely in March or April, according to the release.

If approved, the property expansion would be included in the master plan for Sequiota Park and the Galloway Creek Greenway.

Council in 2019 approved a development plan for the Galloway Village area, which included recommendations for projects along the corridor, according to the release. The Sequiota Park expansion idea came out of those discussions.

Galloway Village has been a hotbed of development in recent years, with projects including the $14 million Quarry Town and $7.7 million Galloway Creek developments, according to past reporting.

Approval of a multiuse project from Elevation Development Co. is slated for a public vote this year after neighbors brought forward a petition to overturn council’s prior decision to rezone the land.