City Councilman Chris COLEMAN Unable to Desist from Development of Rice Field
The "done deal" at Rice Field goes back as far as COLEMAN's reference* for plans for Rice Field to be developed before Byron Rice Public Elementary School was demolished and continued as COLEMAN disregards the following facts:
*See quote below
** Steps are presently being taken to reform the neighborhood association to ensure a democratic process of representation for the residents of Des Moines.
- Rice Field is located in a protected residential corridor identified by the City.
- Tax payer money had been spent to grade Rice Field for a sports field after the school was demolished.
- Rice Field had been designated by the school board as park land for the community.
- In a land swap between the City and DMPS Board Prospect Park field--which was paved--was exchanged for Rice Field as parkland.
- One-cent sales tax had been passed to protect the neighborhood schools and grounds.
- The northwest quadrant falls extremely short in parkland.
- The northwest quadrant had already lost two sports fields (at Prospect Park and Franklin Field)
- Athletic practices at the parochial school in Beaverdale take place on recreational fields outside of the Beaverdale neighborhood association limits.
- Parochial and public school families have had a vested and historical use of Rice Field as publicly held land.
- More dense development and population increase is expected in the already densely populated quadrant.
- Scientific polling proves that majority of residents wanted Rice Field preserved.
- In 2006, the bid for senior housing was flatly rejected as not a good fit for the neighborhood; in 2015 senior housing is under construction.
- The Neighborhood Association--in the community where COLEMAN lives--which speaks for the residents before the City and School Board did not represent the majority will to protect Rice Field from development. **
*See quote below
** Steps are presently being taken to reform the neighborhood association to ensure a democratic process of representation for the residents of Des Moines.
Coleman working against the wishes of the majority concerning Rice Field: 4 examples
Councilperson Chris Coleman argued for the development proposed by his best friend and benefactor, Edward Boesen and brother Tom.
1. Although he knew that Essman Research had determined that 65% of Beaverdale residents preferred Rice Field be left alone, and 75% would accept enhancement for a public gathering area, Coleman had the gaul to respond to objection by friends of Rice Field, thusly:
"..if I lived next door to this property, like many of the people here, I probably wouldn't like it either. I totally understand why they don't like the fact that development would happen. They have the public, other tax payers paying for a private park next to them and that's a very nice advantage..." He also commented, as reflected in school board minutes, “This [development] has been talked about and planned for since just before the Rice building was torn down.” City council member Chris COLEMAN, Oct. 17, 2006, DMPS board meeting when board approves recommendation from Rice Site Review Committee to sell Rice School property Rice Development Partners, LLC [Tom Boesen and brothers]
(Coleman's statement at the October 17, 2006 School Board meeting).
2. Coleman took advantage of his position as a city council member to launch unsupported criticism of statistical research by friends of Rice Field whihc showed that Ward I is the most densely populated quadrant of the city; that Ward I has only 20% of the recommended parkland for its population, and has the least parkland in the city, thusly:
“I have seen the statistic before that you are passing around. . . . but you don’t use the cemeteries. Nor do you use any of the green space that is part of the green belt along the river... If we are going to compare green space we ought to do it fairly. If you are going to publish this, then put a little *asterisk that just says that you realize this is incomplete.
(Coleman’s remarks on park/recreational statistics, city council meeting, Monday, August 20, 2007)
So, your at large Councilperson thinks Beaverdale families should be content to kick, bat or throw a ball in the swamps bordering Des Moines River, and commune with the homeless.
3. COLEMAN'S treatment of Peter Harnik from the Trust for Public Land (TPL)" Center for the conservation EMAIL EXCHANGE
Peter Harnik
Director, Center for City Park Excellence
Trust for Public Land
660 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
202-543-7552
www.TPL.org/CCPE
September 29, 2009:
"From coast to coast -- and everywhere in between -- urban parks are gaining tremendously in importance and public attention. With many people's economic problems, near is the new far. And in the parks world, that means accessible, high-quality urban parks for everyone. Rice Field appears to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the residents of northwest Des Moines to get high-quality parkland for all the many benefits that it will provide the community."
--- Peter Harnik
From: Chris Coleman
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 10:13 AM
To: '[email protected]'
Subject: FW: Nation's Expert on City Park Excellence Weighs-in on Rice Field
..in our conversation, you mentioned that CCPE had studied nearly 80 cities, but not yet Des Moines. If this is a recommendation, I am interested in having some information so I can creditability use this recommendation - specifically, what information did you use to make this conclusion and what information compelled you to make a public recommendation on the Rice Field site.
Peter responded from his Washington office:
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 11:52:21 -0800
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Thank you for writing and calling, Chris. In response to your query:
I have not been invited to inspect the Rice Field site, nor have I carried out a professional investigation of parkland availability and need in northwest Des Moines. As I said in my statement, based on my long-time study of cities and parks, as well as the extensive research I've done for my forthcoming book, Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities, Rice Field appears to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for high-quality parkland for all the many benefits that it will provide the community.
My statement is based upon:
* the significant size of the property,
* the fact that it is located in a built-up community and thus would strengthen an existing neighborhood rather than contributing to exurban sprawl,
* the fact that it would most likely add considerable value to the surrounding properties up to a distance of 500 feet or more,
* the fact that the land is vacant and no buildings would have to be demolished,
* the fact that the field has been serving the community as a defacto playing park for some time now and is well-used,
* and the fact that northwest Des Moines appears to have less greenspace than other wards of the city.
My statement reflects the fact that urban parks are being increasingly recognized for the important roles they play in fighting obesity, adding property value, reducing air and water pollution, stimulating tourism, building community cohesion, strengthening the cores of regions, and reducing the need for automobile use and energy use (and their impact on climate). Obviously it is up to the local community to make a decision on this specific property, and TPL does not have formal position on what should happen with this opportunity.
Sincerely, Peter Harnik
Director, Center for City Park Excellence
4. Coleman's conflict of interest.
According to the Des Moines Register:
Coleman said he had no financial stake in Rice Development Partners, Boesen's company that planned an $11.6 million project in Beaverdale and stood to benefit from a council decision to approve the area as part of an urban renewal district, making it eligible for tax breaks.Coleman, who is head of the Better Business Bureau, also said he didn't know until Thursday that his name was consistently misspelled on documents filed with the Iowa secretary of state.
A handwritten document signed by Boesen in February 2000 lists two officers: himself and "Chris Cobeman, 3600 48th Place, DM, IA 50310." Other typed documents also spell Coleman's name as "Cobeman." Over the years, Cobo Investments filed new records with the state updating addresses, but the misspelling of Coleman's name was never changed.
Coleman said Thursday that he was involved in no other deals with Boesen. Was Cobeman?
Coleman goes on to say he never tried to hide the fact that he had owned property with Boesen at one time. However, all but one of his fellow City Council members told the Register they had no idea of that relationship.
Coleman should have disclosed business dealing with Boesenby: desmoinesdemSun Aug 10, 2008 at 10:02:19 AM CDT
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. . . I was troubled by the way the Des Moines School Board agreed to sell the land to Boesen's group, which didn't submit the highest bid. School Board member Connie Boesen is Ed Boesen's sister-in-law.
... It turns out that Des Moines City Councilman Chris Coleman did not disclose a prior business relationship with Boesen at the time the council approved a tax-increment financing district for parts of Beaverdale.
...The ... misspelling of Coleman's name on several official documents is a huge red flag to me. It suggests that whoever filed the papers was trying to make it more difficult to identify the participation of Coleman, who was elected to the City Council in 1998, in this partnership.
...I agree with Drake University Professor Rachel Caulfield, who told the Register that the misspelling of Coleman's name on documents is "certainly worthy of a deeper investigation."
Coleman should have disclosed business dealing with Boesen by: desmoinesdemSun Aug 10, 2008 at 10:02:19 AM CDT
.
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