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06.19.2008 12:44 pm

Environmentalists poised to fight Danforth’s Arch push

By Jake Wagman
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

As one St. Louis icon remains under siege, environmentalists are concerned about the future of another. John Danforth and the Arch

The Missouri Coalition for the Environment is urging supporters to attend a meeting next week where the National Park Service will be taking suggestions about the future of the Arch grounds.

The coalition is particularly concerned about a push – speared by former U.S. Sen. John Danforth — to bring some of the Arch grounds under local control.

“While we support efforts to solve some of the problems at the site — like accessibility and its lack of connection to downtown St. Louis — we oppose any effort to remove park land from the National Park System,” reads a note from coalition director Kathleen Logan Smith. “Taking America’s treasured public lands away from the authority of the National Park Service is not the solution.”

The meeting will be 5 p.m. Wednesday, at the visitor’s center in Forest Park.

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Blog Comments: Rules of the Road

Let’s not forget Mayor Slay’s vigorous support for the City taking over control of the Arch Grounds.

— RightON
1:39 pm June 19th, 2008

Slay isn’t supporting taking control of the grounds. We need only an acre or less to provide for ventilation systems for the new tunnels created by ADDING GREEN SPACE. More people will visit the grounds and enjoy the park if Danforth’s plan is realized.

“we oppose any effort to remove park land from the National Park System”

Fine. No point in negotiating with you then.

— Reasonable Man
3:45 pm June 19th, 2008

From this paper. Sounds like more than just a slice of the grounds.

Slay and Danforth were careful to say that nothing about their idea constitutes a specific plan. Among the general possibilities, they said, are an amphitheater, cafes and restaurants, fountains, bicycle rentals, sculptures and an aquarium.

Slay likened the idea to Chicago’s newly developed Millennium Park on its lakefront, which opened in 2004 with a music pavilion, skating rink and bicycle rentals.

— RightON
4:43 pm June 19th, 2008

I am all fro protecting our environment but I don’t see how putting one small piece of ground under local control threatens much of anything. These environmental nazis should get a life. These are the same people who are preventing us from obtaining oil in this country and the reason we are paying $4 a gallon for gas. The 60’s are over for Pete’s sake!

— Mike
5:50 pm June 19th, 2008