|
|
Informing the Public of Ethical Concerns in the Ankeny Area |
|
|
Hypocritical and
Inept Planning by the City of Ankeny
First
we're
going to review some of the recommendations in the 2040 Ankeny
comprehensive plan that will be ignored if the N.E. 18th overpass
project is constructed:
INTRODUCTION
In a
fast-developing community, understanding
the existing environmental conditions will help
guide sustainable growth and development.
Care should be taken to ensure environmentally
sensitive land is being left undeveloped. This
can include land in the floodplain, on or near
wetlands, some areas of prime agricultural
land, tree cover,
areas with steep slopes,
streams, or areas within stream buffers. The
presence of these natural features should
merit special consideration when planning for
future land use. In the following chapter, areas
worthy of special environmental consideration
in Ankeny and the planning boundary will be
identified and described. Using best practice
approaches, a series of standards and
recommendations will be outlined to help
protect Ankeny’s environmental resources.
Steep slopes are
important environmental
features sensitive to development and erosion.
Some sloped areas are associated with
beauty, others with harsh, unattractive terrain, especially if
vegetation has been removed. If
improperly maintained, slopes can become
a hazard.
Given the scarcity of
trees in Ankeny,
measures should be considered to protect the
remaining tree cover when possible. The areas
of plentiful tree cover are attractive places for
parks and trail system development. The tree
cover also correlates well with the existing
streams in Ankeny.
Development in the
floodplain is generally
discouraged because of the environmental
and financial impacts. From an environmental
perspective, the floodplain serves an important
role in the water cycle by providing adequate
areas of inundation during high water events.
If the floodplain has permeable surfaces and
vegetation, it can better handle occasional
flooding events. These areas are often viewed
as important environmental buffer areas
housing a more diverse number of species of
flora and fauna.
The city is ignoring the
following recommendations by its own Comprehensive Plan:
Review the map below
 The
overpass will destroy the unique habitat shown below including the natural
oxbow pond and the sloped hillside. It will also infill
substantial amounts of floodplain.
 The application the City of Ankeny submitted to the MPO for funding indicated there were no existing trees (download here). Do the two images above look like there are no existing trees?  So
much for the City of Ankeny following its own Comprehensive Plan and submitting an
accurate application for federal funding
Damage to property values Severe
damage to property values and a reduction in the safety of residents
will occur. The approach of the overpass bridge on the east side
of I-35 is elevated in excess of 20 ft. Note how ridiculously close the
bridge approach is to one of the houses (see below). Remember their
will be a steep
and wide embankment projecting out from the road bed since the
approaches are elevated. The elevated approaches will overwhelm and
block the natural habitat, destroying the aesthetics of the wooded area
it passes through, especially near the interstate. The increased
slope of the driveways entering onto the the street will reduce
safety. A third house at the corner of N.E. 18th and Frisk will
have a bike path 10 feet from the garage door. The construction appears
to violate setback rules in several places, with the road bed getting
too close to the houses. It is ill advised for the City of Ankeny
to try to force through a roadway that is not compatible with this
area. Review the map below.
 The proposed N.E. 18th overpass project is dangerous, expensive and unnecessarily routes traffic through a residetial area. The
proposed N.E. 18th overpass project will unnecessarily funnel traffic
into residential areas. Traffic on residential streets is particularly
objectionable. It introduces noise and pollution, and most importantly,
it poses a safety hazard. Notice the elementary school on N.E.
18th west of I-35 (see map below). Do we need to substantially
increase traffic through a school zone?
The overpass will not significantly relieve traffic since there is no interchange, thus no access to I-35. The buildings on N.E. 18th on both sides of I-35 are residential, not commercial. It would be best to use 1st street and 36th street for east/west traffic since these streets are four or more lanes, are heavily commercial and have interstate interchanges unlike the proposed N.E. 18th street overpass bridge. Of course the construction of the overpass would represent millions of dollars in unnecessary expenditures and the taxpayers will foot the bill, even the portion that comes from the federal government if it is approved by the MPO. See map below.  Lets all attend the MPO meetings concerning
the N.E. 18th overpass and voice our concerns.
Below is an email reply from the MPO concerning meetings. The MPO is the agency that approves some of the funding for the proposed N.E. 18th Street project:
MPO committee meetings are open to the
public. We have a standing item for public comment for meetings of the
MPO Policy Committee. You can find a calendar of MPO committee
meetings here:
dmampo.org/events. We
anticipate the STBG applications and funding recommendations being
discussed at the April 18 meeting of the Policy Committee, though the
agenda has not been finalized at this time. Most likely, the project
you reference will not be discussed in detail; the likely discussion
would be on whether to accept a recommendation to fund a package of
projects, of which this one may or may not be included.
I |
||
|
|
||
|
Documents/Downloads:
Click here for Ankeny
application asking for funding with the maps submitted to the MPO.
Click here for document submitted to MPO discussing some of the numerous issues with the proposed N.E. 18th Overpass If you have additional information or suggestions that can be integrated into this website let me know. |
||
|