To: Residents Concerned about the Northeast Polk County Beltway

From: Stephanie Weisenbach, 1000 Friends of Iowa
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Regarding: Next week's meetings to tell Congressman Boswell that people don'
t want the beltway

Congressman Boswell placed an additional $500,000 in the federal
transportation bill to continue planning the beltway, at the request of the
Polk County Board of Supervisors. It is essential that he hear from
residents in his district that this beltway is not what the citizens want.

Congressman Boswell is sending a member of his staff to the area next week
to listen to residents' concerns and answer questions. If his staff comes
back to him and says "I didn't hear anything about the beltway on these
visits" then we will have missed an opportunity. If his staff comes back to
him and says "People are really against that beltway. You'd better remove
that funding" then we will be celebrating a victory. It's all up to you: the
citizens, and the voters holding him accountable.

The meetings will be:
Wednesday, July 7th from 9-11 am at Ankeny City Hall
Wednesday, July 7th from 1-3 at Polk City City Hall
Thursday, July 8th from 9-11 at Bondurant City Hall.

You can still contact Boswell by phone at (202) 225-3806 or email at
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Background information about the beltway: Five central Iowa cities and Polk
County are planning a northeastern Polk County beltway. The beltway would
begin at I-80 near Altoona and run north, parallel to I-35. It would turn
west at Elkhart, ending up at Polk City.

Talking points:

.        The importance of protecting the Four Mile Creek watershed, prime
farmland and the area's overall quality of life.
.        Development in the Four Mile Creek watershed has already caused
tremendous flooding in both Ankeny and Des Moines. A new highway will lead
to paving thousands of additional acres, and that will cause further damage
to homeowners and businesses downstream.
.        Northeast Polk County has some of the best soils and farmland in
Iowa. Development in Ankeny, Alleman and Elkhart can prosper without
compromising the integrity of this irreplaceable resource and without
pushing farmers off their land.
.        Residents of northern Polk County value their communities'
small-town flavor and the high quality of life that a rural area affords. A
new beltway will lead to massive development that will ruin this quality of
life forever.

The need for better public participation in the planning process.
·        The public has not been involved in the discussion about whether
the beltway is needed. The few public meetings held led to a vote on the
preferred corridor with no discussion of the road's necessity - and no
opportunity to make the case for alternatives and better use of existing
roads.
·        Information on cost projections of the proposal or cost-efficient
alternatives has been unavailable to citizens.
·        A citizens' committee appointed to provide input on the proposal
was hand picked, again without any input from the public.

The beltway's effects on local taxpayers and the area's economy.
·        This project, estimated to cost well over $400 million, would
amount to a huge public subsidy for big-box stores, chains and other
businesses with deep enough pockets to afford to buy land along the beltway.
·        Development along the beltway is likely to attract additional
taxpayer subsidies, including Tax Increment Financing (TIF), tax abatement
and infrastructure, which will inevitably lead to decay and abandonment in
older parts of Ankeny, Des Moines and nearby small towns.
·        Cost of Community Services studies repeatedly show that the cost of
servicing new residential development falls heavily on existing residents
and businesses. The new residential development enabled by the beltway will
inevitably consume more in services than it generates in taxes.

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