City Hall, 50 Second Avenue Bridge, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, Phone: 319-286-5041, Fax: 319-286-5141
Tower Terrace Road Corridor Management Plan
Stakeholder Group:
The Stakeholder Group held its first meeting on Dec. 18th, 2007 at Linn-Mar High School. Approximately 30 metro-residents participated in the meeting including homeowners, developers, business owners, environmental organizations, and school district representatives. The meeting began with a brief presentation regarding the Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization (Corridor MPO) and background on Tower Terrace Road. Property owners raised several questions regarding the proposed planning boundary, the need for the roadway, the past decision-making process, and others. At approximately 7:15pm, participants broke into groups to address two specific questions.
- What do you value most about the area?
- What issues need to be addressed by this Corridor study?
Groups recorded their responses to these questions and each group presented their conclusions after nearly 30 minutes of continuous discussion. The most common and important valued asset for each group was property values. Other important assets included sensitive areas, the residential/rural character, and the overall quality of living. Each group raised several important issues to address including property values, the width of the roadway, the timing of the road’s development, property acquisition, and school safety.
The meeting concluded at approximately 8:30pm with several participants remaining to ask additional questions to staff.
This group provided important feedback regarding:
- Aspects of the Corridor they value most
- Important concerns regarding the future development of Tower Terrace Road
- Possible alternatives and suggestions that need to be considered and addressed
- Questions that need to be addressed
Group Feedback:
Corridor Valued/Important Assets:
- Does not force infill
- Farmland
- Low crime rate
- No street lights (dark, private, quiet)
- Property values
- Quality of living
- Quietness
- Rare- endangered species
- Residential / Rural character
- Rural nature, yet close to the City
- Safety of our children
- Sensitive Areas (environmental, cultural, steep slopes, archeological)
Issues to Address:
- 10th St. by Linn-Mar for turn lanes
- Access to Tower Terrace from local / collector streets
- Avoiding destroying historic homes
- Concerned it will become another Collins Road
- Consider improving north/south access to County Home Rd.
- Contacting those who aren’t aware of Tower Terrace Road
- Current easement does not support 4/5-lane road
- Current plans appears that County should buy our home
- Drainage Issues
- Hop-scotching from west to east with years in-between sections does nothing to reduce congestion
- Impact on adjacent landowners
- Interchange
- Linn-Mar School Safety
- Logistics / fewest neighborhoods affected
- Making our home an island between two busy streets
- Meadowknolls Rd. easement will most likely not be wide enough for 120’ right of way
- Meadowknolls Rd. water system would be interrupted
- Pollution of wetlands & waterways
- Property boundary
- Residential Planning Commission isn’t aligned with your Tower Terrace Corridor because it has permitted new development in the Corridor.
- Safety of our children
- Size of the road coming through Linn-Mar
- Smart Growth (Infill, Density)
- Tower Terrace’s affect on N. Council Street
- Water, retention, etc.
- Width of roadway
Questions:
- How will this impact surrounding streets?
- What alternative projects have higher priorities?
- What are you going to do with East Robins Road?
- What happens to the water supply if we’re in the County?
- What significant alternatives have been addressed, like County Home Road?
- What will be done to Council Street as a result of Tower Terrace?
- Will our property be condemned / acquired?
- Will this road really be needed in 2030?
Comments:
- County Home Road enhancement would help residential growth north, significantly growing tax base.
- Force infill
- Get coordination and get ahead of growth by relocating Corridor to County Home Road.
- Keep already residential 2/3-lane and allow undeveloped areas to become larger
- Make it happen. Sooner the better.
- No interchange
- Widen Boyson Road
Please send any comments on to d.westberg@cedar-rapids.org or call (319)286-5067.
