I have read your letter to the Mayor, City Council, and others.   How can you possibly say the things you say?  How can you possibly send this garbage to our  Honorable Mayor and Des Moines City Council?  You are impersonating a true Beaverdalian. Residents here love our community. Most here can afford to live in the new homes in the west suburbs.  We choose to stay here in a community of churches, family, friends, trees, and friendly people, less traffic and less crime to mention a few reasons.  Mr. Miller, you are in no way speaking for the majority of Beaverdale residents.  Mr. Miller, you are NOT a long time Beaverdale resident, so do not pretend to be one.   

It has been reported that more than 70%, probably much closer to 90% oppose the proposed development. That is the overwhelming majority.  Who are you representing anyway?   It is not the people of Beaverdale.  You should have sent a letter stating that a small group, a very small group, of power brokers want to take over the neighborhood. 

If you were so concerned about “vigorous” schools, where were you when they were tearing down Rice School?  Oh I forgot, you did not live in the area at the time.  You are new here, and have no clue what the history is here. As one member of the Plan and Zoning Commission explained, “this is a nice project, just not for here(Rice School Site)”.  Put this development concept in the Waukee side of West Des Moines or another location in the western suburbs.

The BNA is comprised of a few key people playing integral parts in this endeavor; Examples are Boesen, Boesen, Boesen, Boesen and more Boesen’s, Jongewaard (Economic Development), Boesen, Coleman(City Council Member), Lawson posing as save the green activist  in the Des Moines Register, Van Hemert (Des Moines Schools, John Kline and  Randall Walters.  This Boesen group also gets grants from Prairie Meadows, Economic Development (Jongewaard), to supplement the endeavor.

Boesen says he cannot make any money unless he gets retail on the site.  You have got to be kidding yourself if you think this is going to fly long term.  Merle Hay Mall has  21 empty stores.  Roosevelt shopping center is closing shops.  Strip malls have many empty slots all over town.  Just what we want in Beaverdale, a ghost building of empty retail shops. What is your big plan when that happens? Boesen is like a big crybaby, If I can’t have it my way I am taking my marbles and going home. Go home!!!

Traffic is going to be a major problem.  Mr. Miller, are you going to put on a little florescent jacket and direct traffic?  I bet not. This is a major concern and needs to be addressed.  The traffic converges into a dangerous knot at the intersection of Beaver and Adams, of vehicles, both passenger and commercial, people walking of all ages, including children from Hoover, Meredith and Holy Trinity. 

Keep this in mind, Boesen does not want to help Beaverdale, Boesen wants to help Boesen.

Concerning neighborhood-sensitive development in Beaverdale, you state, “Our failure to do so would be contrary to our mission and the best interest of our neighborhood”. You took it upon yourselves on your “mission” to do this expensive and exhaustive study to find out what would work in Beaverdale to satisfy your “political” motivations, NOT what residents wanted or needed. The key point is “OUR” which is comprised of only a few individuals in your little organization.  You do a self serving job of representing the interests of the people of Beaverdale.  Yes Mr. Miller, I am livid.

Even the BNA website banner describes  Beaverdale as,”Well-built, distinctive brick homes, tree-lined streets, and community spirit characterize Beaverdale, one of Des Moines' finest neighborhoods since the early 1920's”. I ask, how does this proposed project fit into that description?

The Planning and Zoning Commission is the ONLY group so far that  has seen the entire scope of this.proposal.

First, the P and Z questioned why the School Board was involved in this.  The School Board’s job was to sell the land, not determine to whom and for what reason.

The School Board was a total fiasco.  Lawsuits are pending on that issue.

This entire project has been railroaded from the beginning.  The P and Z are puzzled why the School Board was involved in the selling to Boesen interests. 

Reminds me of a Mark Train quote:

In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made School Boards.
- Following the Equator; Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar

The P and Z also was concerned about the design, traffic, potential water issues, emergency crews getting into the area, to mention a few.

I have lived in Beaverdale for over 30 years.  I have been very proud of my community just like other Des Moines residents are proud of their neighborhoods.  

But then there is an underground movement, a cancer if you will, trying to change the entire facade of Beaverdale. It all started with Witherspoon and Van Hemert.  We got rid of one, lets work on the other. Great ideal…tear down all the smaller schools, tear apart neighborhood pride. Who cares about the neighborhoods?

When Rice school was torn down, it ripped the heart out of Beaverdale. Then Rice School served as a soccer field, baseball field, and football field for thousands of kids, flying kites.  Byron Rice I am sure would be proud to be of service to the area children. 

This entire project just stinks from the beginning.  We have Connie Boesen on the school board.  We have Boesen’s and Christopher Coleman as cork popping buddies for City Council. Mr. Coleman was at every School Board meeting boasting his support of the Boesen proposal with such flair. Seems like a conflict of interest does it not? By the way, Mr. Coleman was at a designers planning meeting and it was stated that Mr. Coleman said he would not want this Boesen project in his back yard.  Mr. Coleman said, “I did not say that”. Then one of the Save the Green members said “yes you did, we have it on tape”.  Would you like to see it?   Funny deal, Mr. Coleman soon slipped out of the building.   Boesen has all his pawns in place.  School Board, City Council, Economic Development and others.

And you Mr. Miller are being led right along.

Row houses, townhouses, apartments and retail space. Egad. How does that fit into the Beaverdale landscape? 

If you feel this letter is a direct attack on you, you are damned right it is.  You signed the letter.  You sent the City Council invalid, inaccurate, untrue, misleading information.  Shame on you Mr. Miller.  Shame on you!!