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Residents and council spar over Dodge Park golf course and proposed streetcar; mayor seeks studies and proposals
Summary
Public commenters and councilmembers debated Mayor Walsh’s proposals for a possible streetcar and future plans for Dodge Park golf course. The mayor said studies and proposals — some funded by Iowa West Foundation — are underway and emphasized the city is not ready to make decisions.
A series of public comments at the Council Bluffs City Council meeting focused on two interrelated subjects: proposals for a streetcar/street-rail to link Council Bluffs and Omaha, and Mayor Walsh’s suggestion that Dodge Park golf course be studied or considered for redevelopment.
Multiple speakers urged councilmembers to preserve Dodge Park and to allow a public vote if taxpayer dollars would be used. “If you elect me, which is in November, you can vote for me or against me,” Mayor Walsh said in response to public requests for a referendum; he also said bond-funded spending would be subject to reverse referendum rules. Several residents said the golf course is well used and generates income; others argued the site is a high-value development opportunity that could expand the city’s tax base.
Mayor Walsh and several councilmembers emphasized the proposals are at study or evaluation stages and that the city has asked Iowa West Foundation to fund feasibility studies so taxpayers are not immediately asked to pay. Walsh described federal and other funding possibilities for a streetcar and characterized streetcars as “an economic development play” that can increase multifamily housing and commercial activity along a corridor.
Speakers expressed a mix of concerns: potential higher taxes, loss of a public recreational facility, traffic and drainage impacts, and the process used to inform the public. Councilmembers said they have asked for more information and will hold further public hearings. No council action to sell or repurpose Dodge Park or to build a streetcar was taken at the meeting; the mayor asked the council to consider declaring property surplus (a first step toward soliciting proposals) so the city can gather options for public review.
Public commenters also raised related infrastructure and development concerns, including the effect of multifamily housing on schools, perceived flooding in certain neighborhoods, and the need for transparent public engagement on major redevelopment decisions.
