Weldon Woods is a forested area near the Katy Trail, the Great Rivers Greenway Busch Greenway, and the Busch and Weldon Spring Conservation areas. This blufftop site is publicly owned by the University of Missouri System, but the area is slated to become the site of a private 276 unit subdivision.
In the early 20th century, this land was owned by hardworking Missouri families until it was bought-up and consolidated by the federal government so that the site could be used to help with World War II efforts. After the war ended, the feds sold the land for just $1 to the University of Missouri system as a way returning the property the people of Missouri.
The Sierra Club is concerned about the proposed development on this site due to the potential damage to the fragile terrain as well as the deterioration of the experiences of people using the Katy Trail and the Busch Greenway. Perhaps the most frustrating detail about this proposal, though, is that the public has been completely ignored when it comes to determining the future of this public land.
In the first half of 2018, thousands of Missouri residents wrote to members of the St Charles Planning and Zoning Commission, the St Charles County Council, and the University of Missouri System president.
While the Planning and Zoning commission overwhelmingly voted 8-1 against allowing the proposal for the subdivision to move forward, they were overruled by the St Charles County Council in late June. The County Council’s decision is currently being challenged in court on administrative grounds.