Ankeny park, trail developers cite progress
By MEGHAN V. MALLOYRegister staff writer
A handful of Ankeny residents and city officials attended an open house Thursday evening to see what developers are calling the first phase of a new park and trail system in central Ankeny.
Ankeny officials have hired Des Moines-based RDG Planning and Design to help plan the green spaces in Prairie Trail, a 1,000-acre development north and west of Des Moines Area Community College. LaQuatra Bonci and Associates, a landscape design firm from Pittsburgh, Penn., will assist RDG with the plans.
With more than 200 acres of parks and green space expected within Prairie Trail, this is the largest parks project Ankeny has ever undertaken, Parks and Recreation Director Todd Redenius said.
Plans currently include two neighborhood parks, a park with a lake, an open pastoral area, trails and other recreational attractions.
"Creating (these parks) has opened up a lot of space and that is very much what Ankeny needs," said Michael Bell of RDG Planning and Design.
Bell said the trail systems in the development would be connected by a trail head. He also hopes one of the parks could be similar to the rose garden on the west side of Des Moines near the Des Moines Art Center.
Residents who attended the open house Thursday expressed excitement about plans.
"I'd like to see this happen," said Inger Lamb of rural Ankeny. "A trail head can better attract people together instead of big box stores."
Lamb added she likes how the Prairie Trail park plans give "a chance for conservation and environmental education."
Council members voted March 19 to hire RDG at a cost of $75,000 to design the parks system for Prairie Trail. Documents provided to the council indicate consultants expect to firm up those proposals by the end of May.
Bell and consultant Fred Bonci, of the Pittsburgh firm, did not get into costs for the various park projects at Thursday's meeting.
"We're still pretty early in the process," Bonci said.
"What we need to do now is take our drawings and sketches, and apply costs to them. We also need to look at funding options, such as grants, for the projects," Bonci added.
"I think (the plans) are excellent," Ankeny Mayor Steve Van Oort said. "This is such a fascinating opportunity for us."
Reporter Meghan V. Malloy can be reached at (515) 284-8065 or memalloy@dmreg.com
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