Another $1 million investment at Kenagy Park will replace restrooms, update the skate park, and upgrade ADA access on trails and playgrounds. Turner’s approach is to create niche amenities that deliver maximum impact and community appeal. The city’s BMX track has hosted multiple national events and is one of only two of its kind in the metro. Partnerships broaden reach: a recent “Get Outdoors Day” with the Missouri Department of Conservation drew 3,500–4,000 people from across greater Kansas City. Trails remain both heritage and future.The National Park Service’s push to interpret and restore the Santa Fe Trail—which crosses the Rock Island Trail in downtown—will help Raytown tell its unique story through signage, programming, and tourism. “It’s a no-brainer to connect our history to our present,” Turner says. “The trails literally meet in the heart of our city.” The community has responded in kind.A recent parks sales tax passed by 73%, giving the department long-term confidence to plan and deliver.“For a city our size, that’s a mandate,” Turner says. “People see the value.” 57 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 11 RAYTOWN, MO
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