[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6070701,"mediaKeyId","3049977-0bd5344ea3456a527a27dd74b732e0a6","parentId",3049977,"title","Des Moines staff propose loosening right-of-way rules to allow small landscaping features, carriage walks","audioSeconds",802,"startMs",2411000,"endMs",3213000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3049977-0bd5344ea3456a527a27dd74b732e0a6&start=2411&end=3213","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3049977-0bd5344ea3456a527a27dd74b732e0a6/thumbnail_2411000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6070701/Des-Moines/Polk-County/Iowa/Des-Moines-staff-propose-loosening-right-of-way-rules-to-allow-small-landscaping-features-carriage-walks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070701-a4441bd7f64401456d48cffe529b029d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450611&Signature=YomSUPGAEGIb01UID8N4FLDxL5GzGfkp7zYH5wBKhL2NcnrpI~RmJWx3k7WHyvGg~1BiyiZ6KfNSWHTuEg1BqFcRUb54yc-MprEZYuwbUXABTOjxBUdwl234yCpDlK8ybZ1jtzo1MwB1G3FAnRsu25T7xN5JvUuMIag~Pa39xOM94z5I7~dXv0CV7mx8723c8G2LilzYKmAlpJ0tGeUlqDQkTVpSyw83WBl0LXos2Faf2BtY~6pBCfo6vZ3~ejXy8ZTjet2UHbNxU52IRF8lnFONSBcy5-Ezq8FzSseGSgYjicnv561Br3QWlW57zVjFq0QgknoBUEtkA2XzBy5S3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author"," Des Moines City ","date","2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","article","Steve Nabor, Des Moines city engineer, presented draft revisions to section 102.2 of the municipal code governing the border area (the strip between the roadway and private property line) and answered council questions on proposed allowances, permitting and restoration responsibilities.

The proposed changes would allow limited landscaping elements in the border area for single-family and two-family homes. Nabor described the staff approach as balancing public-use safety in the right of way with homeowners’ ability to install modest landscaping: “The border area is typically…between the street and the right of way,” he said, and the city was directed to review the code and return with revisions.

What would be allowed (staff proposal)

- Landscaping ground cover: small gravel or river rock less than 2 inches in diameter and other ground cover (mulch) would be allowed in the border area for single- and two-dwelling properties; large stacked boulders would remain prohibited.

- Landscaping edging: one row of brick or landscaping block at a single level would be allowed; stacked, multi-level edging would not be permitted.

- Carriage/service walks: a paved connection (concrete or brick) from curb to property line would be allowed up to 5 feet wide, but not within 20 feet of an intersection or a mid-block crossing so as not to confuse crossing areas.

- Retaining walls: low retaining walls to hold natural grade could be permitted, subject to a right-of-way license through the real estate division; taller walls may require building-permit review (staff did not set a definitive height threshold in the presentation and said that requirement would be clarified in code language).

Permitting, grandfathering and enforcement

Staff said any work in the right of way would require a right-of-way excavation permit and that the city would implement a licensing or grandfathering process so existing unlicensed walls or carriage walks could be brought into compliance. Nabor said the city would offer to meet property owners whose existing features drew complaints and work to issue licenses where appropriate rather than automatically removing structures.

Restoration after utility or city work

Nabor told the council that when the city or utility contractors perform permanent infrastructure or utility work, they will only restore turf grass in border areas and will not replace elaborate plantings, edging, carriage walks or stacked stone. “They will only restore turf grass in the border areas,” he said, and staff recommended homeowners be notified that restoration would not match pre-existing landscaping.

Scope limits and follow-ups

- Nonresidential properties and projects with three or more dwelling units will remain subject to existing site-plan review under chapter 135; the proposed allowances are limited to single- and two-dwelling properties.

- Council members asked staff to clarify treatment of properties that are zoned single-family but subdivided or converted to multiple units; Nabor said staff will work with the legal team and likely refine the proposal to tie applicability to zoning categories rather than historic occupancy.

- Staff suggested the code rewrite and supporting language could be ready for council review in May (staff said the review and drafting process will take time). Nabor also recommended identifying a single contact point in public works for residents to report poor restoration after utility work.

Council discussion

Council members raised concerns about communications to residents before utility crews arrive and suggested mandatory notice language on door hangers specifying that utility crews will restore turf only. Several council members said they frequently receive calls about disturbed yards and asked whether the city can hold contractors to higher restoration standards; Nabor said the city can pursue contractors or utility companies on complaints but emphasized the scale of nearly 900 miles of streets and multiple fiber crews working concurrently.

Ending

Staff will draft code language to reflect the council’s direction, include clarifications around applicability for converted multi-unit properties, and return with a formal ordinance and implementation plan for council review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle"," Des Moines City Council Work Session 3-10-25","oneSentenceSummary","Steve Nabor, Des Moines city engineer, presented draft revisions to section 102.2 of the municipal code governing the border area (the strip between the roadway and private property line) and answered council questions on proposed allowances, permitting and restoration responsibilities.","taxTitle","Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa","taxId",4694,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6070706,"Des Moines reports safety gains in Vision 0 and Complete Streets updates, $13M federal grant not yet in hand",0,1202000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3049977-0bd5344ea3456a527a27dd74b732e0a6&start=1202&end=1202","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3049977-0bd5344ea3456a527a27dd74b732e0a6/thumbnail_1202000.jpg","/articles/6070706/Des-Moines/Polk-County/Iowa/Des-Moines-reports-safety-gains-in-Vision-0-and-Complete-Streets-updates-13M-federal-grant-not-yet-in-hand","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070706-05b7b274f476b25982972bb61e83558f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450611&Signature=QffzoyTIJ0a2D-8vNzgcqVdcBmLHd9nmN-QuMfu1Cj90zZh7ofSrKZAKt-qsLfzzkiDfHue7Kni4GibBH7seR0PJ5fTpC-pENroTUWJZe3en9HUhGJD2i70Iho3T84iAkv2Rp4Jd1ZwkB4qQmCVoAAuF7dJxA6Fv-Zg0awEC9-4JlKZMCHSPGJeC2Ua2fJD723s-5F~KMWWP9kZ~vhTh2Pq68mym~zhnJ-GY8A4D5qI4liUczUX4yZqdPjCrdIhyRf0L1pPy-Jo6zLSvPcFhABC1FpELOH8eN6EmTu9rrVO~YHj7Vcqb9OfqywPB~O93bJxz790hGmKzXuipAIKk~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Corey Bogenrich, principal traffic engineer for the City of Des Moines, and Jeff Wiggins, transportation planner, told the City Council work session that the city’s Complete Streets and Vision 0 annual reports document progress on infrastructure and safety targets while identifying funding and staffing gaps.

The reports track progress on fatalities and serious injuries, summarize before-and-after evaluations of safety projects, and list action steps from the Vision 0 plan (adopted by council in June 2023). “Vision 0 … is based on the safe systems approach,” Bogenrich said. “It works by building and reinforcing multiple layers of protection to both prevent crashes from happening in the first place and then minimizing the harm caused of those crashes when they do occur.”

Why it matters: The two reports guide multi-year investments to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Des Moines streets, including sidewalk infill, bike facilities, curb ramps and speed-management changes. Staff told the council the city has documented measurable reductions at specific treated locations and is preparing a fuller 2024 report due in mid-2025.

Most important findings and numbers

- Sidewalks and curb ramps: Over the five-year reporting window staff said crews and capital projects delivered about 21 miles of new sidewalk and replaced roughly 25.5 miles; private development added about 22 miles. Move DSM identified 180 miles of priority-1 sidewalk gaps; staff said 15 miles of those gaps were filled in the last five years.

- Bike facilities: The city reported 84 miles of the Move DSM core bike network were in place as of Dec. 31, 2023, of the 156-mile core network identified as a target. Staff said the community’s bike-facility inventory rose about 17% in the last four years and that roughly 11 miles of on-street facilities and about 18 miles of off-street facilities were added over the five-year span.

- Curb ramps and ADA work: Staff reported roughly 9,000 curb ramps completed over five years and said the 2020 work finished the backlog identified in the city’s consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.

- Crash trends and targeted project results: The Vision 0 update shows a decrease from 2022 to 2023 in fatalities and serious injuries, with motorcycle fatalities notably overrepresented in preliminary 2024 data. Bogenrich and Wiggins reviewed two before-and-after examples: a turn-lane restriction and pedestrian crossing installed on Keyway at Crocker (implemented in 2021) reduced crashes at that location from about seven per year (with five injuries) to about two per year with zero injuries; East 30th and University (completed in early 2022) saw a 63% reduction in crashes after intersection reconfiguration and pedestrian improvements.

Funding, staffing and implementation status

The Vision 0 action plan enumerates five focus areas, 19 actions and 70 action steps. In the limited 2023 reporting window the city completed 12 action steps, listed 6 as on track and recorded several that were not completed; staff said about seven steps required additional staffing and operating or CIP funding. Council members were told the recommended budget includes funding beginning in fiscal 2027 for Vision 0 initiatives.

Staff also told the council the city won a $13,000,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant awarded in September 2024 to fund corridor projects, school-zone upgrades, reflective backplates on signals and other countermeasures. Bogenrich emphasized the federal agreement still awaits signature by the Federal Highway Administration: “We’ve been awarded it, but they have not signed the agreement to say go,” he said, and the funds are not yet in the city’s hands.

Planned projects highlighted for SS4A funding include corridor work on Forest Avenue (Beaver to Ninth), MLK Jr. Parkway at Nineteenth Street and Southeast 14th Street at Maury; upgrades to school-zone flashers with speed-feedback signs; and reflective backplates for signal heads on the high-injury network.

Operational details and next steps

- Reporting cadence: staff said the two annual reports will move to a calendar-year basis so Vision 0 and Complete Streets reporting align; the 2024 report is likely to be available in August (staff estimated August but then said mid-2025 in response to other questions).

- Oversight and coordination: The Transportation Safety Committee is the custodian of the Complete Streets policy and provides oversight for Vision 0; staff meet every two to three weeks on implementation issues.

- Data lag: crash statistics rely on Iowa DOT reporting and can lag by two to three months because traffic fatalities are counted if a death occurs within 30 days of a crash and investigations affect final coding.

Council discussion and questions

Council members pressed staff for follow-up materials on costs per mile for sidewalks (staff provided a per-linear-foot range of $75–$350, with a typical figure around $200 per linear foot, reflecting differing right-of-way and retaining-wall costs) and asked about school-zone speed reductions, automated enforcement and conversion of four-lane undivided roads near schools. Bogenrich said staff are analyzing school-zone options and expect a briefing back to council in about two weeks and that reducing four-lane undivided streets in school areas will require coordination with the Iowa Department of Transportation and budget resources.

Ending and public materials

Bogenrich and Wiggins asked council members to send questions and said the city will provide the 2023 report and the Complete Streets data dashboard to council members. Staff recommended continued data-driven deployment of countermeasures and noted that several Vision 0 action steps remain unfunded or require additional staff time.","City staff presented the Complete Streets annual report and the Vision 0 Transportation Safety Action Plan update, citing sidewalk and bike-facility gains, fewer serious-injury crashes at treated intersections and a $13 million Safe Streets for All award that remains unsigned by the federal agency.","actionData","errors"]

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Des Moines staff propose loosening right-of-way rules to allow small landscaping features, carriage walks

Des Moines reports safety gains in Vision 0 and Complete Streets updates, $13M federal grant not yet in hand