Group discusses future of Rock Quarry Road

The Scenic Rock Quarry Road Advisory Group met Wednesday night to decide by what guidelines future projects on the road should operate.

The city has some projects identified for the road, but because of its designation as a “scenic” road, a stakeholder group first needs to “determine values and preferences regarding scenic preservation and roadway design,” according to the city’s scenic roadway ordinance.

The group discussed the historic and ecological benefit of the 3.7-mile stretch from Stadium Boulevard to the south end of town. Rock Quarry Road is one of six roads in Columbia that runs north to south across the Hinkson Creek. The Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization called it an important road because of its connection to College Avenue and the MU Campus.

Once the group decides what it wants to see on Rock Quarry Road, it will send those parameters to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Anthony Stanton, the Commission’s representative on the advisory group, said the clearer the vision, the easier it will be for the busy Planning and Zoning Commission to come up with a recommendation.

“If you wait for us to do road design, and this, that or the other, and deal with semantics, and all of that, this is not even going to touch us until next year,” Stanton said.

While public hearings on the recommendations will be held when developed, the group wanted to get public input while developing a vision for Rock Quarry Road. You can email pubw@gocolumbiamo.com, the Department of Public Works’ email address, with the subject line “Scenic Rock Quarry Road” to make a suggestion to the group.