Councilmember 'Concerned' About Bike Path Next to Chuck Berry Plaza

A Loop newsletter announcing a ribbon cutting ceremony for a bike path next to the Chuck Berry Plaza has peaked the interest of University City Councilmember Lynn Ricci.

"I'm concerned," said Ricci at Monday night's City Council meeting. She expressed worry that the bike path had not gone through the proper channels. The bike path ribbon cutting is slated for Friday, July 29, at 9:30 am. Ricci said the Centennial Greenway Bicycle Path, which goes through Ackert Park, had not gone before the Parks Commission nor the City Council.

"If it's a bicycle path, that is something that should go before the parks commission, and I haven't seen anything. Nothing has gone before council," Ricci told University City Patch. 

"Conceptually I love the Greenway notion. I think it's fabulous," said Ricci. "But I want to know, what is this bicycle path. Is there any impact on the City? Is there any liability? Is there any costs, etc. And that's what I don't know. We don't know." Great Rivers Greenway created the bike path.

Ricci said she's sure everything with the project is fine, she simply wants information to prove that. "It's just dotting our i's and crossing our t's."

"If I'm going to be incurring expenses that my citizens are going to bear I want to know what it is," Ricci said.

The dedication ceremony for the Chuck Berry Statue will be held on Friday, July 29th at 10am - a half hour after the bike path ribbon cutting ceremony.

This isn't the first potential obstacle associated with the bike path project and the Chuck Berry Statue plaza.

Lat month, about 100 U City residents signed a petition opposing the statue's installation on City-owned property. The residents didn't believe the statue had gone through the proper channels - for example to the City Council for formal approval - and also moved forward with little resident input.

However, at the June 28 council meeting, University City Mayor Shelley Welsch defended the Chuck Berry statue, saying it was appropriate and would be positive for the community. She said the statue's placement did not violate the City Charter nor any city ordinances.