Kim Norvell

knorvell@dmreg.com

A scenic, tree-shaded portion of the popular Great Western Trail would be preserved under West Des Moines' latest plan to extend Veterans Parkway.

The city proposes shifting the roadway's path to the north, leaving the trail and surrounding trees intact.

The adjustment is expected to please cycling enthusiasts who balked at earlier proposals that encroached on the trail. But it comes at the expense of six homes that would be razed to make way for the road extension.

"We essentially don't touch the bike trail through this whole entire stretch," said Brian Hemesath, principal engineer for West Des Moines. "The trail itself and the trees themselves will remain as they are."

Cycling and conservation enthusiasts packed meetings to protest initial plans that would have displaced about two miles of the 17-mile trail between Southeast County Line Road and Southeast 35th Street. The city planned to build a new bike path along the road, but bike riders said it would pale in comparison to the canopied trail that exists there now.

"I'm pleased with (this) option, and I hope others are also," said Carl Voss, co-founder of the Des Moines Bicycle Collective. "There was a lot of angst in the beginning."

The city plans to extend Veterans Parkway, a diagonal route that begins at 63rd Street, south and west past Highway 5 to a point about 3 miles west of Interstate 35.

West Des Moines originally planned for the extension to open about 20 years down the road, but Microsoft's announcement that it would open a third data center on 200 acres just south of the Dale Maffitt Reservoir accelerated the project's timeline.

Two lanes of Veterans Parkway should be open by the end of 2018. It will be expanded to four lanes at a later date.

West Des Moines chose the original alignment after meeting with property owners, who wanted a route that had the least impact to their homes. It developed other alternate routes after meeting with trail preservationists.

Hemesath said the city came up with the latest — and hopefully, final — version after meeting with property owners in Norwalk, West Des Moines and Warren County who agreed to give up more of their properties for the project. The original route would have affected two homes. Now it affects six.

"We came under the assumption that we were going to lose our house no matter what option they chose," said Tim Hugunin, whose Norwalk home sits directly in the path of Veterans Parkway. "I think they could have come to an agreement that had less impact to the property owners, but for whatever reason that didn’t work out."

Some homeowners have requested to stay put until Veterans Parkway is expanded to four lanes. Others will sell their homes and land to the city now.

Hugunin and his wife, Jenny, built their home five years ago. They moved there because the Great Western Trail goes right through their backyard. They didn't find out about the plan for Veterans Parkway until construction on their home had already began. At that time, city officials assumed the road wouldn't be built for another 20 years. The Hugunins thought that would give them enough time to retire and move away before construction started.

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The city has worked one-on-one with Hugunin and the other property owners to keep them up-to-speed on the latest plans, he said. The Hugunins agreed to sell their property from the beginning. Negotiations with the city to purchase their 0.7 acres of land will start after the city approves the route, Hemesath said.

"I didn't think there was a lot we could do to stop it," Hugunin said. "It is going to create a lot of opportunity for the city to expand and create a lot of opportunities for new families to come in."

Hugunin and his family plan to stay in his wife's hometown of Norwalk.

The City Council will be asked to vote on the latest route this spring. Construction is expected to begin in the summer. Hemesath said it's crucial to build the first stretch of Veterans Parkway — from Southeast Maffitt Lake Road to I-35 — so that Microsoft can begin construction. The road will serve as a path for underground water, sewer and power lines.

"The road is important, but the water and power are essential," Hemesath said.

Veterans Parkway and the related infrastructure is expected to open about 5,000 acres for development in that corner of West Des Moines, city officials have said.

Grand Prairie Parkway, the second portion of the so-called Southwest Connector, will extend from Interstate 80 — where the new interchange recently opened — south to the Raccoon River, where it will connect with Veterans Parkway. It includes a bridge over the river, making it the only place to cross the Raccoon River for a six-mile stretch between I-35 and Booneville.

The City Council will vote on an order for construction of Grand Prairie Parkway on March 20. Hemesath said that road should be open by the end of the year.

Veterans Parkway open house

West Des Moines will hold a public meeting about the new Veterans Parkway proposal and its impact on the Great Western Trail. It will be an open house with no formal presentation. Tables will be set up for the public to view the proposed route and city employees will be on hand to explain the changes or answer questions. It will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 4200 Mills Civic Parkway, in West Des Moines.