ANKENY CITY COUNCIL DECISON
Oct 14th 2013 5pm
It was close, but our voices DID make a difference... The Ankeny City Council voted 3 to 2 IN FAVOR of purchasing the Union Pacific rail-bed corridor that will extend the High Trestle Trail through Ankeny to Des Moines.
There is no timeline on when this new trail will be completed, but at least the land is secured. So sometime in the future this extension will be a major artery in the Central Iowa Trails System.
Three of the City Council members actually made statements about "all they emails they got today showing support of the land acquisition..." !
Voted YES
Mark Holm - mholm@ankenyiowa.gov
Wade Steenhoek - wsteenhoek@ankenyiowa.gov
Dave Kissinger - dkissinger@ci.ankeny.ia.us
Voted NO
Bobbi Bentz - bbentz@ankenyiowa.gov
Jim McKenna - jmckenna@ankenyiowa.gov
If you want to sendThank You emails to Mark Holm and Wade Steenhoek as they had some great commentsabout the bigger picture plan. Dave Kissinger was for it too, but did not make comment.
Additional Information by Bobbi Bentz
This is the first in a number of hurdles in order for an actual trail to be built. The vote tonight was to support the purchase of the old railroad bed and the right-of-way (approximately 6 miles) on each side of the rail bed. This purchase is a collaboration between Ankeny, Polk County, and the Iowa Heritage Foundation, with the support of a state matching grant. Ankeny's piece of the purchase today is $600,000. Right now, the state has only approved one half of the funds to match the Ankeny and Polk County dollars, and it is not guaranteed that the state will come through with an additional ~$750,000 next year via a second grant application to complete this right-of-way purchase. Once and if all of that is finalized, the next step would be to actually lay concrete for a paved trail - that is estimated to be an addition $1,000,000+ which is not currently accounted for in the city's 5-year Capital Improvement Project budget.
THANKS to all of YOU who sent comments!
THANKS to Andrea Chase and Lisa Hein of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF). They have been working over a year and a half on this project and they got all the land appraisals, worked with Union Pacific and put together the maps and thecommunication piece you see here. We would NOT have near the well-thought-out Central Iowa Trails System if it were not for the INHF.
THANKS to Polk County Conservation for their diligent efforts and teamwork to pull all the details together and take on a good chunk of the dollars needed to acquire this land.
Scott Sumpter
Biker@BIKEIOWA.com
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HELP
We need YOUR help TODAY by providing input to the Ankeny Mayor and City Council for a workshop on Monday, Oct 14th. This trail corridor was thought to be a done-deal. Now Ankeny is not sure of the plan and is having meetings to discuss other options.
If you know the area, you know this corridor will be a vital link from the High Trestle Trail to Des Moines.
PLEASE get involved TODAY and at least send an email stating your support for this extension!
The Vision
Let’s extend the High Trestle Trail through the heart of Ankeny and under Interstate 80, connecting to the Des Moines metro! The extension will begin at Ankeny Market Pavilion Project (AMP) at Uptown, then travel through commercial, residential and business neighborhoods.
This future greenway corridor can provide a high-quality, scenic walking/biking experience. This will help diversify the economic opportunities for the community.
This connection is possible, as the option to purchase a six-mile stretch of discontinued railroad corridor has been negotiated by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Besides providing a trail route, this purchase provides a portion of the land needed for AMP project site.
Laying the Groundwork
Staff from the City of Ankeny and Polk County Conservation have been working with INHF over the last year to develop this project concept and funding scenarios.
Significant land value will be donated by Union Pacific Railroad. (This will provide matching funds for trail construction grants.)
$780,000 is committed by the State Recreational Trails Program
$600,000 is requested from the Ankeny City Council. This is less than 10% of total project costs.
The purchase must be completed by December 5, 2013. The trail will be owned and maintained by the City of Ankeny and Polk County Conservation.
Your voice is needed now
The Ankeny City Council has not committed to the project yet, because they want public input.
The mayor and council members need to hear from you now.
- On October 14th they will discuss the project in a work session (5 PM at City Council Chambers).
- On October 21st, the City Council will decide whether to support this project.
The council must support the project on Oct. 21 in order to keep the trail opportunity alive. If not, the land purchase cannot be finalized by December 5, 2013, as required. After the land is secured, there will be more opportunities to create the vision for the project and its connections to neighborhoods and the regional trail network as a whole.
How YOU can help!
#1 To support this vital trail connection, please contact the Ankeny Mayor and City Council now!
#2 - Show up to the City Council at 5pm on Monday, Oct 14th 2013 at Ankeny City Hall - City Council Chambers. 410 W. First Street MAP. Let's show them that there is public support for this trail corridor!
It is too late to send a letter, so PLEASE send an email to one or all member's of the City Council TODAY.
Mayor Gary Lorenz - glorenz@ankenyiowa.gov
Dave Kissinger - dkissinger@ci.ankeny.ia.us
Wade Steenhoek - wsteenhoek@ankenyiowa.gov
Mark Holm - mholm@ankenyiowa.gov
Bobbi Bentz - bbentz@ankenyiowa.gov
Jim McKenna - jmckenna@ankenyiowa.gov
All Members for ease of Copy/Pasting
glorenz@ankenyiowa.gov, dkissinger@ci.ankeny.ia.us, wsteenhoek@ankenyiowa.gov, mholm@ankenyiowa.gov, bbentz@ankenyiowa.gov, jmckenna@ankenyiowa.gov
Suggested wording for Ankeny residents or trail users
Dear Mayor and City Council Members:
As a resident of the City of Ankeny I fully support the proposed extension of the High Trestle Trail through our community and encourage Ankeny to participate in the acquisition. The High Trestle Trail, which barely crosses our community, has demonstrated the support and enthusiasm for trails. This proposed extension along the Union Pacific Corridor will bring the same park-like quality with minimal crossings that a side-path along a highway doesn’t offer.
Your support and involvement in this project is essential and will be well supported throughout the community.
Please don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity for Ankeny to become an even better place to live, play and grow.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Suggested working for Ankeny Business
Dear Mayor and City Council Members:
As the owner of ___________________, I strongly encourage the City of Ankeny to participate in the acquisition of the Union Pacific Railroad corridor connecting the High Trestle Trail through our community to Des Moines and the Central Iowa Trail Network.
Your approval will be well supported not only by the Ankeny citizens but also the businesses that will directly and indirectly benefit from the increased traffic to the Uptown area. Trail count data from 1st Street for the past nine months has indicted over 270,000 visits to the High Trestle Trail. Each visitor translates into economic growth to the city. The AMP project and the Uptown neighborhood will greatly benefit from the proposed extension.
Opportunities to provide our community with attractive and healthy amenities do not present themselves very often. We should greet them with enthusiasm when they knock at our door.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,