The City of Clive has contacted the CC Board this about the prospect of installing a traffic light on Hickman and Country Club Boulevard. The City’s reasoning is that it will slow down the increasing traffic on Hickman Road and allow Deerfield residents to enter onto Hickman more safely. The City presented this option to the Board previously in 2004, and the Board opposed. The current Board opposes this option now for the following reasons and requests that you support the position by signing this petition:

• Increased Unwanted Traffic in Neighborhood: Installing a traffic light at Hickman and Country Club Blvd will encourage more traffic to enter into our neighborhood. Over the past several years, the neighborhood has seen a marked increase in outside traffic, either by foot or by car, using our common areas for recreation and using CC Blvd as a main thruway for access between Hickman and University. The traffic light will require cars on Hickman to stop at our neighborhood entrance, thereby giving drivers a clear option for cutting through to Hickman, rather than using 142nd or 128th, streets that were intended for this purpose. The green/red arrow will provide an easy way to allow outside drivers into Country Club. Country Club is a private neighborhood with dues-paying members which was never designed to serve as a bypass between 2 major streets.
• Decrease of Property Values: with an increase of traffic coming in, it follows that property values will decrease. There are 66 homes in Country Club that reside on Country Club Blvd or on a corner of Country Club Blvd and a side street. Additionally, several homes reside on “cut through” streets that outside traffic uses as “short cuts” between Hickman and University. More traffic will result in a lower valuation of homes on these streets and possibly the entire community.
• Safety in our Neighborhood: The Board has received increasing resident complaints and concerns over the years about congestion at the Boat Ramp and Sledding Hill, as well as speeding cars in the neighborhood. The question of how to minimize traffic and speeding comes up frequently. More traffic in the neighborhood invites more congestion and speeding. This is a neighborhood with many families and young kids, and we do not want more congestion and speeding.
• Neighborhood Expenses will increase: With more traffic comes more concerns, and with more concerns comes more expense. Due to increase traffic and congestion in the neighborhood, it has been necessary over the years to increase our security coverage and patrol. This will affect residents’ dues, which to date have been only marginally increased.

Proposed Solution: The solution is NOT to transfer the risk/cost from Deerfield to Country Club. At the onset, Deerfield’s design plans included the establishment of a frontage road that serve as an exit pathway for Deerfield residents. This frontage road was to lead to a stop light on 142nd north of Hickman. It is unclear why the frontage road was never completed. Both the City of Urbandale and the State DOT were remiss for not requiring the safer exit/entry. This is the option that should be pursued now so that both Deerfield and Country Club can remain safe and pleasant places to live.

Please sign this petition to signify your OPPOSITION to the installation of a traffic light on Hickman and Country Club Blvd.

Very truly yours, CCOA Board of Directors