Bettendorf delays action on creek reshaping

Bettendorf homeowners along both sides of Stafford Creek near 18th Street remain divided about future landscape of the banks.

The city has plans to remove vegetation around the creek beds to reshape the creek and install a retaining wall.

Residents whose property abuts the southwest side of Stafford Creek on Tanglefoot Court hope the city follows through with the plans to curb erosion. On the other side, residents northeast of Stafford Creek on Kingsway Drive fear losing their privacy and want vegetation to grow without interference.

At Tuesday's city council meeting, aldermen had planned to vote on whether to begin the condemnation process, which wouldbegin by notifying property owners 30 days in advance of a public hearing.

However, after listening to concerns from property owners on both sides of the creek and a recommendation from Alderman Greg Adamson,4th Ward, to revisit the issue in two weeks, aldermen unanimously voted to remove the item from the agenda, allowing city staff time to revisit the properties and issues at hand.

"We'll try and attend to as many concerns as possible," City Administrator Decker Ploehn said.

Four property owners along Kingsway Drive have not been willing to sign an easement for the Stafford Creek Streambank Stabilization Project, while three property owners along Tanglefoot Court have signed the agreement.

Bill McDonald, one of Bettendorfs 24 full-time, paid firefighters on the combination force, lives at 3915 Tanglefoot Court with his wife and three daughters. McDonald moved into his home 10 years ago and said his family didn't have problems in their backyard for the first five years.

McDonald contacted the city when his retaining wall slowly began to sink and the slope leading down to the creek grew steeper, he said Tuesday.

Chunks of our ground kept getting washed away, McDonald said. Its going to get to our retaining wall, and then what? Something is going to happen.

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Bettendorf delays action on creek reshaping