PARKS & STORMWATER SALES TAX


 On Tuesday, November 3, Creve Coeur residents voted to approve Proposition C, a parks and stormwater sales tax to provide funding for local parks and stormwater control in Creve Coeur. The half-cent sales tax took effect on April 1, 2021. All revenue is put into a special fund dedicated to providing funding for improving and maintaining local parks and stormwater infrastructure.

Park ImprovementsPMP image 1

In 2020, Creve Coeur residents voted to approve a parks and stormwater sales tax to provide funding for local parks and stormwater control in Creve Coeur. The half-cent sales tax went into effect in April 2021, and since then, several projects have been completed and proposed for the future. Below is a list of park projects either completed or planned for an upcoming fiscal year. A fiscal year (FY) begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th of the following year.

FY2022

Completed Projects

  • Widened walking trail and added wayfinding signage along trail in Malcolm Terrace Park
  • Replaced and widened walking path, resurfaced tennis courts, and converted one tennis court into two pickleball courts in Conway Park
  • Repainted and restriped tennis courts
  • Developed site survey and design for Millennium Park Phase 1 Project

Total Cost: $662,881

FY2023

Completed Projects

  • Site design for Millennium Park Project Phase 1, including new playground and splash pad
  • Nature trail repairs and site grading at Malcolm Terrace Park
  • Removal & donation of historic cabins in Conway Park
  • Replacement of large playground safety surface at Venable Park

In Progress/Proposed Projects

  • Development of Venable Park Master Plan
  • Preliminary development of Lake School Park Master Plan & evaluation of Lake School repairs
  • Design of park restroom renovations for several parks to convert from seasonal to year round

Projected Total Cost: $543,000

FY2024

Proposed Projects

  • Playground & splash pad replacement, walkway connections, and Tappmeyer Homestead repairs at Millennium Park (Phase 1 Project)
  • Site design for Venable Park Project Phase 1, including design for trail, bridge replacement, tennis court replacement and splash pad construction
  • Installation of commemorative artwork at Venable Park
  • Restroom renovations at Conway Park and Malcolm Terrace Park
  • Cosmetic repairs of Tappmeyer Homestead and structural repairs of Lake School

Projected Total Cost: $2,967,000

FY2025

Proposed Projects

  • Trail, bridge replacement, tennis court replacement and splash pad construction at Venable Park (Phase 1 Project)
  • Development of Lake School Park Master Plan
  • Restroom renovations at Venable Park

Projected Total Cost: $2,135,000

FY2026

Proposed Projects

  • Site design for Millennium Park Project Phase 2, including trail improvements and trail connections
  • Replacement of playground safety surface at Conway Park
  • New playground & site grading at Lake School Park (Phase 1 Project)
  • Nature trail repairs at Malcolm Terrace Park
  • Restroom renovations at Lake School Park

Projected Total Cost: $660,000

Stormwater IMPROVEMENTSWatershed Management Plan 1

The City is working with engineering firm Intuition & Logic to develop a citywide Watershed Management Plan to plan for future stormwater infrastructure improvements. This project is funded by the city's Parks and Stormwater Sales Tax, and will include several opportunities for public input including a questionnaire and a series of open houses. The more information gathered, the more effective the Watershed Management Plan will be at delivering solutions that could reduce flood risks and help protect homes, yards, streams and streets.  

Learn more about the Watershed Management Plan.

Parks and stormwater improvement projects have been historically underfunded, as most capital improvement dollars go toward street repair and replacement, or emergency storm drainage repairs. With the new revenue provided by the parks and stormwater sales tax, the City will have additional funding available for maintaining and improving parks and stormwater infrastructure on the schedule and magnitude envisioned by the City’s respective master plans.

Three citizen-led committees—the Parks & Historic Preservation Committee, Stormwater Committee and Finance Committee—recommended placing this measure on the November ballot. Throughout September and October, Dave McCoy, chair of the Parks & Historic Preservation Committee, and Richard Koch, former chair and current member of the Stormwater Committee, hosted a series of virtual town halls encouraging citizens to educate themselves on this important ballot measure.

The Creve Coeur City Council will work closely with the Parks & Historic Preservation Committee and the Stormwater Committee to establish the top priorities for improvement projects, which will include new park amenities, walking trails, and healthier and more resilient streams.

QUICK LINKS

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