Following a discussion contemplating removal of a tree line between a Wright City neighborhood and a future park on Westwoods Road, city leaders now say there’s a way to have the best of both worlds.

At their July 8 public meeting, members of the Wright City Board of Aldermen were confronted with the possibility that trees on the east side of the park might have to be removed to make room for several baseball fields and stormwater drainage. That would remove a visual and noise barrier between the park and the adjacent Spring Hill subdivision. At the time, the board directed City Administrator Jim Schuchmann and project engineers to look for a way to preserve the tree line and still build the planned park facilities.

Residents of the subdivision turned out to the July 22 alderman meeting to express their displeasure at the prospect of losing the trees, saying many of them supported the proposal for a park with the promise that the barrier would remain. Mayor Dan Rowden reassured them that in the two weeks since the initial discussion, engineers had redrawn their plans to save the tree line.

“If anything, we’ll put up additional trees if we need to, to help that barrier,” Rowden said. “I’ve been assured that the architects have found a way to adjust the fields just enough that we can keep the field length we need ... but still give a barrier and tree line.”

For anyone who wants to ask more questions about plans for the park, the city has set up an Aug. 2 public meeting with project engineers to display current plans and provide information.