To the editor:
If you have taken the bike trail south of Iowa Highway 141 and going towards the Forrest Park spur trail lately, you may have noticed the heavy equipment clearing trees in the wooded area to the right of the trail just north of the power lines.
Granted, this is on private property, but none of us were happy about the loss of more habitat here. As for myself, I was not nearly as upset when I learned who was doing this and what that person’s plans were. I will leave it to that same business person to make public his plans, which I’m not entirely uncomfortable with.
I knew that at some time this area would be developed, and I’m quite glad that if anyone was going to do something with the place, he is. I wish him good fortune here. Better him than anyone else.
That being said, I am seriously concerned about the potential use of land east of Hy-Vee to the bike trail, the city land south of Hy-Vee and the protection of Spring Creek, which runs there, as well as the woodlands adjacent to it. With all this in mind, I’d like to propose a wish list of sorts.
My first wish is that a safe bike lane be built to Hy-Vee and the other retail outlets located there. At this time, there is no safe route to this commercial zone for anyone on a bike. Bicyclists takes their lives in their hands trying to get there.
It seems to me there could be some way of paving a small spur trail from the main trail to the back side of Hy-Vee. This would not only give local bike enthusiasts safe access here, it would also provide at least two more options for shelter and refreshment to all making use of the main trail. I realise things like this are not cheap, but it’s not as if we’re talking about a long distance either. I think this could and should be done.
My second wish is that the city do absolutely nothing to the land it owns south of Hy-Vee. There should be no use of this land for commercial or residential purposes. I would consider paving the bike trail here but other than that, I want all this city land protected in perpetuity.
My third wish is for the protection of Spring Creek and the woodlands at the very far northern tip of the farm property that is adjacent to the bike trail. This would not necessarilly entail the loss of tillable acres. Using the northern boundary line of the county land east of the trail as a reference, and drawing a line west from there and ending when it reaches the open farm ground, I would like to see all this privately owned wooded bottomland protected as well.
I don’t know if any of this can be done or how complicated it would be. This is just what I think would be the best use of all the land in question. Perhaps if all the public and private parties worked together on this, the interests of both could be served well.
Nick L. Eakins
Perry
