Final trail bid weaves preferred routes

Posted Nov 30, 2007
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Phase 1 of the Waveland Trail route recommended for Waterbury neighborhood

By TOM BARTON • REGISTER STAFF WRITER • November 30, 2007 Des Moines Parks and Recreation officials said they hope they've found a compromise for the alignment of a proposed recreational trail in the Waterbury neighborhood that previously had adjacent property owners worried about privacy. Park staff and landscape architects presented their final recommendation for Phase 1 of the Waveland Trail during a meeting Thursday night. The route combines the two most preferred by residents during a meeting Oct. 23. The recommendation calls for a trail head at the corner of 56th Street and Pleasant Drive, then jogging north and following Interstate Highway 235 west to connect with a current greenway and dirt trail that run south along Ronwood Drive, following Cummins Creek. The project would connect the .7-mile trail with the Walnut Creek Trail to the south and the 56th Street Bridge and bike path overpass to the north. Cost of the project has yet to be determined. A combination of city and federal money will pay for the project. People living along the proposed route have said use of the trail would infringe upon their privacy, attract illegal activity and create traffic safety issues along neighboring residential streets. Others said they were worried about cost, cutting trees and streambank erosion. "The combination of these two options was found most favorable for the planners and the majority of neighbors because it best addresses these criteria," said Laura Peter with Genus Landscape Architects, the firm hired to design the trail. "The trail would run under Pleasant Drive with the new bridge, so it does not cross traffic. The route takes advantage of more open green space on Ronwood Drive to minimize disruption and environmental impact. This route does not require a bridge to run over the creek, which adds cost." Still, there are those property owners worried about how the trail will affect their privacy. "I don't think his position regarding the placement has changed," said Jeffrey J. Andersen of Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen law firm, which is representing William Degravelles, a Ronwood Drive resident. "My client doesn't want a trail near his house. He's worried about losing the privacy and safety he's enjoyed for 35 years," Andersen said at the earlier meeting. Several of the proposed trail routes come within 60 feet of Degravelles' back window. Park staff said they anticipate 300 to 500 people would use the trail a day, "really a low number" compared to thousands a day at Gray's Lake, said Parks and Recreation director Don Tripp. Other neighbors said they're pleased with the plan. "It opens up more nature to the neighborhood," said Rick Doyle, chairman of the Waterbury Neighborhood Association Trail Committee. "If it can be as minimally as intrusive as possible, that certainly would be a goal. If that entails an additional cost, I guess I'd rather see that. Frankly I think it's going to go through despite any protest." Parks officials said they'll use comments from the meeting to develop a finalized trail route to present to the Des Moines City Council. Construction is tentatively slated to begin in late 2008 or spring 2009. Future phases call for the trail to connect further north to the area around Waveland Golf Course and then jog east to Roosevelt High School and Hubbell Elementary School. Reporter Tom Barton can be reached at (515) 284-8211 or tbarton@dmreg.com