To: Residents Concerned about the Northeast Polk County Beltway From: Stephanie Weisenbach, 1000 Friends of Iowa [log in to unmask] 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 [log in to unmask] 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. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]