The Dallas County Conservation Board held a public meeting in regards to the engineering and design of Raccoon River Valley Trail to High Trestle Trail connector project Monday.
The standing room only crowd included the Perry City Council, Chamber of Commerce Board members, cyclists, concerned citizens.
Snyder and Associates has been contracted to work on a plan for the project. Rich Voelker presented information on the connector feasibility study. The study showed the old railroad grade route and a line down Beaver Creek were not feasible options due to being on private property and portions of the railroad grades being in poor shape. The goal is to route the connector through Perry, Bouton and Woodward. For the Perry connection, Voelker said the railroad grade at 18th Street is a solid option as they have had good luck so far with the property owners. Along 130th Street the trail would then continue along County right-of-way. Over Beaver Creek a new bridge would be required, or expansion of the current bridge. He also mentioned that dust from traffic along a gravel road could also be an issue to keep in mind. Another option is crossing under Highway 169 near Bouton and then continuing along 128th Place. Along areas of that road, Voelker said there is very little room in some areas as the right-of-way is very narrow. There were a few options explored in Bouton as well. This included heading north of town, building a wide sidewalk like trail inside the City or allowing trail users to just travel along City streets. In Woodward, the trail could either curve north or come along the west portion of town.
Voelker said the “trouble area” is between Perry and Woodward, as adjourning property owners have expressed no interest in selling land and the right-of-way does not leave enough room to build a trail. Bike lanes were also considered as an option, though that would require the paving along the road, which would not be cheap, and poses more danger than a separate trail.
In questioning what the right thing to do is, Voelker said issues they are considering include dust control, rocks from traffic, use of farm equipment and snow removal.
During the Conservation Board’s April meeting they conducted a site visit to review the alignment alternatives, explored options and directed staff to review the feasibility of “Alignment C” which travels along Highway 141 east of Perry, connecting along Willis Avenue. This route also would include an “at grade” crossing of Highway 169, much like a crosswalk, where the other option would go under the bridge and avoid traffic along the highway. Voelker then shared crash history for the area between Perry and Bouton and Bouton and Woodward on Highway 141, 130th Street and O Avenue.
In terms of cost differences, Alignment A along the railroad trail on 130th with a gravel cycle track is estimated at $2.41 million. Alignment A with a paved cycle track would be $3.96. Alignment C along O Ave and Highway 141 is $2.34 million and Alignment C cycle track along O Ave and trail along 141 is estimated at $2.54.
Dan Spellman of Perry was the first attendee to speak, representing Perry Industries and Perry Economic Development. He handed the Board a position statement on behalf of the two groups. He stated that they are strong supporters of the railroad route or Alignment A. He said this would be the best route for the communities involved, along with the safest route. He urged the Board to stay with that option. He said Perry Industries and Perry Economic Development would be willing to work with the Board to talk with property owners and find easement solutions. In terms of economic benefits, he also feels the Alignment A option would best benefit Perry and also provide more services for trail users. Finally, Spellman also mentioned that he feels that is the most scenic route for riders. He wants to build a trail as close to the tradition of using railroad right-of-ways as possible, similar to how the two trails that are being connected were built. “This is more than just a trail, it’s a connector to these communities” Spellman said. If money is a concern, he said they could look at helping with local grants and contributions to try and raise money. He said money should not be the final consideration, but rather the best route for all.
John Powell of Perry then asked Conservation Director Mike Wallace if there are specific land owners who have said they won’t agree to sell easements. Wallace said he would not point out specifics but he has spoken with several property owners, some of which are willing to work with the Board others who have said they are not.
Jay Hartz with the Hotel Pattee and Frontier Shack talked about how he has a lot at stake with this project with businesses in both Perry and Madrid. He said personally, he feels patience is crucial and it’s important to stay with the railroad routes. He also agrees that Alignment A is the most ideal and it’s important to get riders into downtown Perry. Hartz said, as reiterated by trail experts, that safety is of the upmost importance and keeping riders off major roads and gravel is
Another attendee then asked to again see a photo that was used in the presentation that showed a vehicle driving down the gravel road. He said if you don’t pave the full road, you’ll never be able to control the dust and even see cyclists on the trail.
Aaron Holtz said he lives on 120th Street and the dust is very much a problem. He said he would never allow his children to bike on that road. In addition to dust issues, he talked about drivers that travel too fast and erratically. Others also mentioned a large number of beer cans in the ditch, people driving between 60 and 70 miles per hour on gravel and not watching where they are going. Community members also expressed concern with having more people cycling near their home, potentially opening up the possibility of theft. One person said they are located along the route used for the Bike Ride to Rippey and riders are loud, rude and yell profanities at their children, so they don’t allow their kids outside that day.
John Hanson stated that Alignment A is the smartest route, though there are issues. He said BRR is a party ride that happens once a year, where trails attract families and small groups of users that ride on weekdays and for recreation.
Chuck Schott with the Perry City Council said the popularity, approval and appeal of this connector will effect every town on both of these bike trails. He said if the connector is great, popular, attractive and safe it will help everyone. If it’s not done right, he says it will negatively impact all communities. He also agreed that Alignment A is the best route for both scenic views and safety, and urged the Board to spend the money to do it right.
Flooding concerns were also brought up along Beaver Creek. Though usually short lived, a resident said the road would be under water several times throughout the year, which would assumedly lead to repair costs.
The question of imminent domain was then raised. Voelker said the state legislature took the ability to use that right away when it comes to agriculture land and recreational trails. He says that’s why they focus on using public right-of-way as much as possible.
Another attendee then said he spoke with cyclists who ride between Ames and Slater who said they prefer to ride along the shoulder of a road instead of on a cycle trail because they have less safety concerns.
Bethany Wicks then asked why the Board voted for Alignment C instead of A at their April meeting, citing another media source’s article. Board Member Mark Powell said the only action that was taken was to direct staff to look into the C option because the majority of the focus previously was on the A route. Jim Miller then summarized the public’s comments in saying that the majority of people do not want the route along the road. He said tonight was the first time he heard of the road paving being an option. He said if they go along Highway 141, the trail will not be on the shoulder of the road, but instead far on to the shoulder and away fro m traffic. He said landowners have to agree in order for any route to move forward.
Perry Mayor Jay Pattee then thanked the Board for what they do and thanked those who had the foresight to build this trail system decades ago. He said Perry’s in-town trail was built in alignment with the A option. He worries that riders may avoid downtown Perry, the trailhead and the resources that have been put in place if the C route along Highway 141 is chosen. He says every cyclist he has talked to is eager to have this connection, but maybe not at all costs or in a rush.
Spellman again said a potential route along Beaver Creek could be a positive option to look at. Voelker said their concerns with that have to do with property owners along the route not wanting to sell land.
Niebuhr asked the Board to be open to all avenues. He said there are several issues along Highway 141 that he knows of that may not have been discovered yet. In terms of gravel roads, Niebuhr said they have the tendency to grow and widen as time goes on. He said the Supervisors should be looking at paving these gravel roads as a farm to market route. He said this is a huge deal and a lot of people are coming to down to ride both trails. Overall he said maybe the Board will find the costs are not much different between the two options. He and Pattee urged people to speak with the Supervisors and get them involved in the process.
A citizen then said he looked at property values along a trail, stating that property prices increase and time on the market decreases the closer you are to the trail.
The Board was then asked if it would be possible to subsidize with donated money to help facilitate the purchase of property. Voelker said they have to follow fair market value requirements and exceeding that would disqualify them from grant funds.
It was then asked if the appraised value of the property was the concern for property owners who have not expressed willingness to sell. Wallace said he had not heard that the price was the problem, rather other issues.
Matt McDevitt then said he too was informed that the Board had already chosen Alignment C and was glad to hear that was not the case. He reiterated the importance of getting people into Perry and the preference of Alignment A. He said he does not want to see trail riders traveling along Highway 141 past the trail in Perry so that they can bypass businesses in town. He said there is a housing initiative in place that will hopefully continue to draw people to Perry. He urged the Board to take the hardest possible look to make Alignment A work.
Councilman Phil Stone then said the option that scares him most is the route south of Bouton, or Alignment C. He says that would be a tough route because of the ditches, narrow blacktop and getting people on either side to agree to an easement.
Board Member Powell thanked the crowd for coming and sharing their input. He hopes the community’s involvement will continue and people will stay engaged. Powell said he’s confident in the Board and the fact that they will not make a quick decision but instead look at things rationally and review all possible avenues.
The public hearing came to a close shortly after 8:30pm. A second public hearing in regards to this issue will be held at the Waukee Schools Administration Building on May 28th at 7pm.