Gates Park Property

Year Property Acquired: 2016

Purchase Price: $360,000 – 60.81 acres Donation – 5 acres

Acquired From: Gates Real Estate, LLC (Michael Tompkins)

Park staff first became aware of the availability of this property in early 2013 during Columbia Public School District’s site selection process for their new southwest elementary school. One of the tracts considered included a portion of the land that now represents The Gates subdivision. During this period, the potential for a combined school/park proposal was in the works. Ultimately, the school district selected property located at the corner of Scott Boulevard and Route KK for their school, which has been named Beulah Ralph Elementary School, and the possible land acquisition proposal was withdrawn.

In an email dated February 8, 2014, developer Mike Tompkins contacted Parks & Recreation Director Mike Griggs about the purchase of land for a natural area in his new subdivision called The Gates. Ongoing negotiations from that first email to now eventually led to a tentative agreement to purchase 60.81 acres for $360,000 and accept a donation of approximately 5 acres. Staff has requested that Mr. Tompkins submit the property for platting; and during the platting process, easement for the future widening of High Point Lane accounts for approximately 5 acres. This explains why the platted acreage is shown as 54.76 acres.

The property was appraised by Moore & Shryock on May 13, 2015 and as valued at $460,000 for the 60 acres and $17,000 for the 5 acres. The parcels are undeveloped and will be primarily used as land preservation, with a small area that in the future could be developed into a small neighborhood park. The Greenbelt Land Trust was asked to evaluate the property based on their land scoring matrix, which was developed as part of the implementation plan of the Our Natural Legacy: A Plan for Columbia and Boone County. (Land Acquisition Scoring Evaluation Form: Gates propertyopens PDF file ) 

The property includes a portion of the Little Bonne Femme Creek and will provide future access for the development of the Little Bonne Femme Trail as shown in the department’s 2013 Trails Master Planopens PDF file . There is a small area that pending input from the future neighborhood residents could provide small neighborhood park amenities, such as a playground, walking trails, and a small shelter.  The park development is on the list of projects to be funded by the 2021 Park Sales Tax.