HomeMy WebLinkAboutA035 - Email dated June 8, 2021 from Jeri Neal to the Mayor and City Council June 8, 2021
City Council Agenda 34. Hearing on Master Plan Amendment for 5571 Hyde
Avenue (Hayden's Preserve - formerly known as Rose Prairie)
Mayor and Council:
After reviewing the latest master plan changes, I want to recognize and support
staff- and council - for keeping non-motorized accessibility, trails and paths a
priority in development negotiations. I'm really encouraged that the trails and
paths are being prioritized in ongoing development, and not simply tacked on for
some vague future investment. Thank you for that effort.
I'm also pleased to have the larger park space, although I hope that is gets done
sooner than later (2028 seems far away to me). And I hope that, in the new
northern location, the park will be able to function robustly in managing the quality
and quantities of water moving through the development and down into the lake.
Relative to that point, I've read the local expertise letter Dr. Jim Pease has
submitted on behalf of the FAHHP. There are so many robust options presented in
the letter: I am strongly in favor of staff and council discussing and negotiating
our way forward with attention to several of the geographic/landscape scale issues
and solutions that are highlighted in that letter.
As you know, I've commented previously as a community member who felt quite
strongly that the acreage-formerly-known-as-Rose Prairie should be a full-on green
space investment. I was hoping more for a nature preserve than a human preserve,
but here we are. As we move forward into a climate-challenged future, we need to
continue to increase our prioritization of conservation design and aggressive green
space practices in this and all infrastructure and growth design, negotiation and
decision making.
Jeri Neal
916 Ridgewood Ave
Ames, IA. 50010