Friends of Ada Hayden urge city to use vacant lot for expansion; city says housing is a priority

The Ames City Council will discuss Tuesday the potential $3.7 million purchase of land to extend Ada Hayden Heritage Park. The city manager recommends against it while those in favor say it will protect water quality. 

The Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park say a park would be the best way to prevent contamination of the park's lake from stormwater drainage, but the city already invested money to support housing development in the area.

"We're in agreement ... we want to protect the park," Iowa State ecology professor and president of Friends of Ada Hayden James Pease said. "I think that disagreement is based on what's the best way to do that. I think the best way is to put that land into permanent vegetation of some kind."

The 170-acre parcel is for sale at $3.7 million, an increase of $1.1 million from when the current developers purchased it. Further development of a park — adding a softball complex, bridges, trails and a park road — add up to $7.2 million. 

Rose Prairie's rainwater runoff flows into Ada Hayden, bringing silt and nutrients. The runoff degrades Ada Hayden's wetlands which protect the lake, Ames' backup water supply. 

Pease explained nutrients, used in agriculture and in the suburbs on grass to promote growth, make their way into bodies of water when washed away with stormwater.

The nutrients promote algae growth in the body of water. Once the algae uses all the nutrients, it dies and uses up the water's oxygen. This could lead to fish kills, among other issues.  

A 2017-2018 study found Ada Hayden lake is healthy but the nitrogen-to-phosphorus level trend could lead to blue-green algae forming. The large scale production of this algae could pose a threat to those drinking the water, whether to animals or humans. 

The city does not take water directly from the lakes to the water treatment plant for use, Ames director of water and pollution control John Dunn said. Ada Hayden's water is used during times of exceptional drought to recharge the groundwater supply.

The park also has man-made wetlands that protect the lake from nutrient runoffs from Rose Prairie and nearby housing developments Quarry Estates and Hayden's Crossing. Pease said reducing the amount of runoff would extend the lifespan of these wetlands, but city staff says that is possible even with housing development.

"It's (city) staff's opinion that if the Rose Prairie development occurs the way it's currently envisioned," Dunn said. "It will be satisfactorily protective of water quality in the lakes."

City Manager Steve Schainker wrote in the staff report he recommends not approving the Friends of Ada Hayden request due to the money already invested and the city's belief protecting Ada Hayden's quality is possible without purchasing the land. 

The city received a development proposal for the land and began investing in its infrastructure from 2005 to 2010. From that time, two other developers have purchased the land, but the requirements for stormwater management to protect the wetlands have been too costly for past developers. 

"We think it's definitely marketable. People would buy homes here if they were built," Planning and housing director Kelly Diekmann said. "There's no doubt in our mind about that. It's the financial feasibility side for the developer."

Diekmann said they expect some level of housing to be built on the land. 

The report states the current Rose Prarie developers have expressed interest in modifying their approved master plan to initiate construction of housing in 2021. The developers would need to follow the city's standards which would control unmitigated field runoff. 

Rose Prarie is the largest piece of vacant property in city limits zoned for development, according to the staff report. Using the entire property for a park would put stress on the city's vacant land inventory, the staff report states. 

Pease suggested a hybrid of using the property for housing and parkland. Diekmann said that option hasn’t been discussed with the developer.

"It's not just a simple one answer," Ames parks and recreation director Keith Abraham said. "There's the housing piece, there's water quality, there's the recreation and the park side of it, and how do all those play into the decision-making process for council."

Tuesday's meeting will start at 6 p.m. and will be held virtually. To find the agenda and join the virtual meeting, go to cityofames.org. People can also view the meeting live at youtube.com/user/AmesChannel12.

Danielle Gehr is a politics and government reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached by email at dgehr@gannett.com, phone at (515) 663-6925 or on Twitter at @Dani_Gehr.