Jackson County is weighing what to do with Blue River Glades, a publicly owned natural area just south of Swope Park. The county’s request for offers has raised concern among environmentalists, rock climbers and hikers that land long used for recreation and conservation could end up in private hands.
The request for offers came from the Jackson County Legislature last month, according to KCUR. The county has considered the glades best suited to recreation and conservation since Harry S. Truman served as a county judge, the report said. Legislators reaffirmed that commitment in a master plan four years ago, and the Blue River Parkway master plan designates the glades for conservation and recreation.
County Executive Insists Nothing Is Final
Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota told FOX4: “There is no sale. There is no bid accepted. There is no decision to do anything with that property at all.” He said the county is still weighing its options and the land is not for sale.
LeVota said a proposal that makes sense to the county and community could still be considered, and that officials would consult community groups and partners before deciding, according to FOX4. He said ideas discussed so far included trail-building, private trails and nature advocacy, but that no proposal might be submitted.
Accounts differ on the deadline for offers. FOX4 reported the window was open until Nov. 9, while KCUR reported it was scheduled to close Tuesday, Nov. 10, after a one-day extension earlier in the week. Jackson County staff are expected to evaluate the offers before elected officials review options to liquidate the property, KCUR reported.
Golf Course Neighbor and a Suspected Country Club Bid
The glades border the Heart of America and Hillcrest golf courses. LeVota told KCUR that Hillcrest has expressed interest in a portion next to the course, which is undergoing a $30 million renovation. He also said developers had discussed a soccer field and a private bike trail.
Larry Rizzo, who founded Kansas City WildLands, suspects businessman Robb Heineman wants to incorporate part of the glades into a high-end private country club, KCUR reported. Heineman did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment. Rizzo, a former Missouri Department of Conservation biologist who helped identify the glades for preservation in the 1980s, described the area as prairie-like, with grasses including big bluestem and sideoats grama.
A Fragile Ecosystem Shaped by Fire
The glades’ open character is partly shaped by sporadic fires that have limited tree growth, leaving prairie grasses and old chinkapin oaks. The Nature Conservancy’s trail map describes the oaks as nearly 300 years old and rooted in Bethany Falls limestone. The map locates the glades on Blue River Road, about 1.1 miles south of Swope Memorial Golf Course, in a limestone glade community it describes as rare.
Sarah Beier, who directs the Kansas City WildLands program for Bridging The Gap, said the site is already serving its highest purpose for conservation, KCUR reported.
Families Still Use the Land as Parkland
The area also remains in use by local families. KCUR reported that Austin Ricks took his son Felix there for a walk after the Kansas City Zoo closed on a recent Monday, and the family celebrated Felix’s fourth birthday at the glades. Ricks said he valued the natural setting close to the city, despite traffic noise and occasional litter.
In 2022, Jackson County's Parks and Recreation Department was creating a new master plan for the broader Blue River Parkway, a corridor covering more than 2,200 acres that stretches roughly 15 miles from Swope Park to Martin City, according to KSHB. At the time, the department planned four in-person meetings and an online survey to gather public feedback on that plan, the station reported. Whether Blue River Glades itself ends up part of that long-term vision or in private hands remains, by the county's own account, an open question.
A broader parkway plan
The Blue River Parkway combines public access and natural areas: according to KSHB 41, it includes paved and unpaved trails, sports and picnic facilities, and natural areas. The county’s existing master plan designates Blue River Glades for conservation and recreation, while the broader parkway plan was being developed in 2022.
