Urbandale Finds Access Solution for Townhomes on Meredith Drive

Residents of Summer Ridge Townhomes would have full access to a widened Meredith Drive, under a plan approved by the Urbandale City Council Tuesday night.

The city of Urbandale will buy the property just west of the Summer Ridge townhouse complex in order to extend a driveway out of the complex to allow residents to turn left or right.

A small house at 10112 Meredith Drive, directly across from 102nd Street, will be purchased for $140,580 and will be demolished in order to create a drive from the complex at 102nd Street.

City Engineer Dave McKay said the owners, Mary and Richard Meadows, coincidentally were thinking of selling the home.

The council voted unanimously to purchase the home, contingent on arriving at a deal with the townhome homeowners association to share some of the costs of extending the driveway.

Without the drive, Summer Ridge residents would only be able to get in and out of their complex using the eastbound lane, because of a planned center median along the length of their property.

Medians are planned along the Meredith Drive improvement project, from 86th Street to Northwest Urbandale Drive, to improve safety. However, several residents along the street still will have limited access to their homes as a result.

On May 1, Mayor Robert Andeweg held a special meeting to address resident concerns about the project, which is expected to run into the fall. About 40 residents showed up and many were concerned about limited access to their homes because of medians on the new street.

In a letter to the council on behalf of Summer Ridge residents, resident Roberta Goodman pointed out the convoluted routes residents would have to take to get in and out of the complex.

"Please, put yourselves in our shoes. Would you buy a home with only right in and right out drive. Would you expect your family and friends and even repair persons to drive an extra 2-3 miles to come or leave?" she wrote.

Also at the meeting Tuesday were Sarah and Henry VandeVoort, who live at 9100 Meredith Drive and who have spoken twice to the council about their access being limited.

Sarah VandeVoort said City Manager A. J. Johnson approached them before the meeting, saying the city is looking at improving their access. She did not know the details.