Flagpole Must Go, Urbandale Council Tells Resident

The City of Urbandale continues to take back Walnut Creek Hills Park.

First, it was from a couple who elaborately landscaped their back yard onto the back of the dam at the south end of the retaining basin/lake at the park in northwest Urbandale. Now, it's their neighbor's flagpole.

Last August, Kenneth and Suzanna Caldbeck, who had spent thousands of dollars on the landscaping, unsuccessfully appealed to the City Council to be spared from removing it.

The Caldbecks, 4224 162nd St., argued that it improved the park, which is in the process of being developed and was not well mowed or landscaped by the city. 

They eventually were required to take out the landscaping. At the time, Steve Waage, 4228 162nd St. was asked to remove a deck on his property that was built on the lake.

First a Deck, Then the Flagpole

He removed the deck, but still has an 18-foot flag pole on park land. Waage wrote a letter to the City Council on May 14, asking them to overrule a parks department directive to remove it.

City Manager A.J. Johnson, who lives down the block from Waage, recommended that the council deny Waage's appeal.

Johnson noted that city officials met several times last year with several residents who had improvements on park land about removing them.

Johnson said the city's letter to Waage then did not specifically mention the 18-foot flag pole, so he removed the deck, but not the flagpole.

In a letter to the council, Waage wrote "moving it about 6 feet to the east places it on my property, but frankly, that is a lot of work for what appears to be such a benign issue for all." 

"Respectfully, I would be happy to gift the entire flag pole to the city of Urbandale and continue to personally maintain the flag, light and pole for the enjoyment of all…with no cost to the city for maintenance or bother," he wrote.

A $500 Compromise

At Tuesday's council meeting, Johnson offered a compromise position, in which the city would give Waage $500 toward the cost of relocating the flagpole.

The council approved that plan unanimously.