Concerns raised by the recent request to build 114 houses on a 65 acre plot directly north of the Gans Wild Area underline the challenge of reconciling development with the protection of two of Columbia’s significant natural assets, Gans Creek and the Gans Creek Wild Area. Since this is likely to be the first of several similar development requests, now is the time to address those concerns in a systematic and comprehensive way.
Therefore, we request that the Columbia City Council pause all annexation, rezoning, and development requests in the unincorporated southeast part of Columbia until there is a Southeast Area Plan that protects the sensitive area outlined in the 2013 Columbia Imagined Plan.
While Columbia Imagined outlined a sensitive area based on the recharge area of the Devil’s Icebox and the presence of karst topography, no regulations or guidelines specific to the protection of these areas have been developed. The current stormwater guidelines (and their enforcement) have already failed to protect streams in the western part of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. In addition, developments on the west boundary of the park have affected the public use and enjoyment of the park. It is particularly important that these outcomes be avoided next to the Gans Creek Wild Area, one of only 12 wild areas in Missouri, and Gans Creek, one of only 44 Outstanding State Resource Waters in Missouri.
To this end, we have drafted a new petition which we will submit to the City Council prior to their meeting on June 21st, when they are scheduled to vote on the annexation and rezoning of the Canton Estates property adjacent to Gans Creek Wild Area. The petition can be signed online here and is also available as a PDF for those would like to circulate the petition in person.
Large wild, natural areas close onto cities are essential and invaluable to the health, happiness, wealth, and general well being of all its citizens.
They affect the population physically and psychologically, directly and indirectly through the their immediate presence.
But large wild, natural areas close onto cities are themselves affected by the population immediately adjacent to them.
If we are to keep these invaluable amenities, assets, treasures, and the value they provide our community, we must buffer and protect them from encroachment, exploitation, despoilation, and destruction.
The Gans Creek Wild Area, Rockbridge Park, Three Creeks Conservation Area, all south Columbia are there because of the wild beauty deriving from terrain created by the Karst formations in the limestone bedrock of the area.
The beautiful creeks and rivlets streaming, flowing, and falling through bluffs and wood there are there because of the water collected in vegetation and subterranean caves–the sinkholes, seeps, and springs bearing witness to their presence–beneath and all about.
The roughness of the terrain there about, and the porosity of the limestone bedrock beneath is the reason that those areas have heretofore been rightfully unexploited by development.
The citizenry, and their elected representatives, must take steps to preserve and protect this common wealth, these environmental, geological, and climatic assets from careless despoilation by shortsighted exploitation.
Well said David. Was so nice to get to speak with you at length the other day. You should be getting the invite we discussed soon.
Thanks, Alicia!
After I posted the comment, I wished that there was an edit function so that I could remove a superfluous “the”.
Ah, well…