65th/67th St. Expansion
Discussions have been in the works and proposals have been brought forward for the Eastward expansion of 65th/67th St. during the past few months.
The idea is to expand 65th/67th St. from Brady, North of Prairie Hts., Past Jersey Ridge, Past Elmore, over I-74, to Utica Ridge, and onto a connection with Forest Grove at the Davenport/Bettendorf city limit.
The main three proposals, by the development company, take Northern routes through some farms (North of Crow Valley neighborhoods) and over to Bettendorf. A fourth option would be to connect to Utica Ridge (following the current road configuration) and not to connect to Forest Grove. A fifth option would be to do nothing.
I think it is important to spur development on North Brady by expanding eastward. I am undecided about the final leg: terminate 65th/67th at the Utica Ridge connection or take one of the Northern routes to Forest Grove. I am afraid of creating an "expressway" out of town and creating more sprawl versus an enhanced road with primary use for Davenporters. Both could spur residential and commercial development. The "expressway" route might lead to larger commercial developments, while the other might cater more toward smaller developments.
What are your thoughts? Pros/cons? Feel free to log in, thanks - Ian
posted by Ian Frink @ 11:25 PM
14 comments
14 Comments:
I don't think we can afford to sprawl at this time. Our city isn't growing significantly our cost to service these areas are outweighing the tax benefits. We need to concentrate on the heart of our city. The money for building a tax base is better spent in already established areas.
I agree Ian - how about helping those of us in the central city instead for a change.
Please respond. Please object to this waste of money. We have other parts of town that need much more help from you guys.
Thanks for the comments. I agree with the need to re-invest in the central city. I also, recognize the need to breath life back into the North Brady corridor. I'll continue to look for a balance, to the best of my abilities.
The further the city sprawls out without the population growth to support it, you will have a harder and harder time finding that balance. We know it now. I think you are dreaming that Davenport can have it all, do it all, all at the same time. Time to pick priorities and the Central City is not a priority for you or the whole council. The Central City has consistently come in last. North Brady is not the Central City.
Downtown is not the central city either.
Thanks for the comments. I will continue to do my best to explore options for the central city. I think some of the neighborhood programs, we have been discussing, can come to fruition. These plans need to be well thought out and need buy in. This will take some time.
To learn more about what has been discussed recently, feel free to visit:
http://www.ianfrink.com/QCT070306.html
or
http://www.ianfrink.com/NUSA.html
Thanks, Ian
We have been waiting forever Ian, time to act. Start by confiding in the neighborhood leaders, hold the landlords accountable, force them to clean up or sell, nuisance abate and track the bad tenants, enforce our codes and give us some money for structural improvement. Period. We are tired of waiting.
Think and look globally. Urban sprawl hurts the central city. it takes people and resources away from it. We should be spending time and energy getting rid of bad propert owners and the reinvesting here.
Take us seriously and back it up with more then just CDBG money and other free money.
Clean up the ravines, clean up the garbage all over, fix the alleys and streets, improve and enforce our housing codes, get rid of bad landlords and tenants, give up more cops, etc etc etc etc.
We are waiting and have been waiting, while the NE part of Dav gets a million dollar park. It isn't fair and it is all about private interests. We all know that and it makes us mad. We pay taxes and get garbage. They pay taxes and get a million dollar park and clean neighborhoods.
To Anon. 1:43,
Thanks again for your comments. I will act and take action, but not until a well thought out plan is pulled together for the short- and long-term. If you have any additional comments or ideas, please feel free to call me at 563-508-2842 - thanks.
Okay Ian, then when is this well thought out plan going to start. Who gets to sit at the table? Will you lead this discussion? Will it be actualy implimented?
What do you think needs to happen?
SOLO residents are tired of meetings with no backing, plans with no funding, ideas with no support. How will this change and when.
We want you to say publicly, "hey,let's put the NE stuff on a slower track and start to pump some money into the central city for infrastructure". We want you to get with the neighborhood people (not the not for profits or outside investors) and listen to thier plans ans then work you tail off to make them happen.
We want action. Not meetings and planning. One start would be for davenport One to make serious plans for the Harrison street corridor between 12th and Locust and then IMPLIMENT the plans. Let's go, we have been talking long enough.
But what if "the NE stuff" brings in new tax revenue that allows more money to be spent stabilizing SoLo?
To Anon. 11:43 & QCI,
Again, I think a balance needs to exist. We have to be able to work on both fronts concurrently. That doesn't mean a super highway in NE Davenport, but perhaps improving what already exists on that roadway. This could open up North Brady and create some new tax base.
1. Anyone can sit at the table for central city planning. I have regular open city meetings and am always available to meet with neighborhood groups or discuss issues one on one.
2. I believe a plan could be implemented, but a lot of that depends on the specifics and the level of support from my colleagues.
3. Time frame -- sometime in the next four to six months would be a ballpark guess. The worst thing that, could happen, would be to pull together some haphazard plan that hasn't been thought through and doesn't have funding in place.
Thanks, Ian
Ian:
I have reported this complaint many times recently to no avail. I drive in the area of 14th Street and Gines daily. 14th between Gaines and Warren and then Vine and Brown betweeen 12th and 14th is full of major garbage. The tenants and slumlords do not pick it up and it is making our city look terrible and our neighborhoods devalued. Can you PLEASE get the city to clean this are up soon. It is a disgrace. Thanks.
Anon. 9:56,
I passed along your report. Thanks, Ian
We need another east-west corridor like a hole in the head. 53rd st. is gardly what I would call a stable commercial corridor and has contrivuted greatly to Brady St. demise. Another big vommercial corridor will only further negatively impact Brady. Besides what big box that we dont already have would locate there? Ebough sprawl. Lets take care of what we got.
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