NW 26th Street Public Meeting 11.27.07 5:30 pm

Tue November 27 2007
Posted Nov 26, 2007
2,041

Greetings, Many of you are cyclists, hikers, fisher-people, boaters, cross- country skiers and/or paddlers who enjoy the Des Moines River Greenbelt between Saylorville Dam and Des Moines, including the Neal Smith Recreational Trail that runs from downtown Des Moines to Big Creek State Park on the east side of the river; the new Trestle to Trestle Trail on the west side of the river; the river and public areas. There is a continuing effort by the Metropolitan Planning Organization that proposes building a new intersection at NW 26th Street (Currently Morningstar Drive bridge over I-80) and extending ML King from Euclid north through the Des Moines River Greenbelt. Some of us have worked together to successfully oppose this in the past, however the "powers that be" continue to pursue this crazy proposal to build a 4-lane "elevated" road through the greenbelt, wetlands, and across the river, to connect to I-80. As printed in East/North Des Moines Register 11.23.07: "Two public sessions will be held to discuss future road construction affecting Ankeny and east and north Des Moines: - A proposal for turning Northwest 26th Street into a four-lane connector street between Ankeny and Des Moines will be discussed at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the North Side Senior Center in Park Fair Mall, 100 E. Euclid Ave. The project would expand Northwest 26th from Southwest Oralabor Road in Ankeny to Interstate Highway 80, build an interchange at I-80 and create a new road from I-80 to Euclid Avenue in Des Moines. - An open house on the northeast beltway project will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at American Legion Post 356, 396 Second St. N.W. in Bondurant. The project calls for building a highway that would go north from U.S. Highway 65 in Altoona to near Elkhart before cutting west to Polk City to connect with the Mile Long Bridge over Saylorville Lake." Here is the link from the Des Moines Register MLK FLYER I'm attaching a brochure that we put together earlier this year to respond to a previous meeting and planning session. I urge you to attend the public meeting to express your support for continuing protection of this critical greenbelt and all that it contains from any development. Thanks for your attention, Kent Newman, Chair Iowa Rivers Revival 515-883-1230