Public Works projects presented at open house

Citizens were given the opportunity to see projects planned in the public works department at an open house on Thursday. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., city staff was on hand at the Newton Public Library to talk through upcoming projects ranging from new sidewalks and playground equipment to street construction and repairs and work at the airport.

“We had some citizens who are property owners near some of the projects stop in along with people who were at the library,” Public Works Director Keith Laube said.

Among the projects presented at the open house were the new playground equipment and boulder climbing rocks that will be placed at Aurora Park. The park will consist of two large, manufactured rocks that are designed for climbing and traversing in an effort to attract older middle school and high school students.

A variety of sidewalk projects were mapped out for all over the city. Many were new sidewalks bridging the gap between existing sidewalks along with connecting a piece of the hike and bike trail on North 14th Avenue East.

Americans with Disabilities Act rated sidewalks to park shelters and restrooms are also planned for the coming year.

Several street construction and repairs projects were laid out for the coming year along with future projects for years to come. They include various asphalt

street mill and overlay projects, diamond grinding on East 17th Street South, South 11th Avenue West and North Ninth Avenue West, a turn around on West 22nd Street South in the Fountain Hills subdivision and the design of reconstruction projects for Union Drive and West Fourth Street North.

The department will also be working on designs for a concrete overlay on Iowa Speedway Drive and an asphalt pavement mill and overlay and sidewalks on First Avenue East.

Additional miscellaneous projects for the department include the design of a sanitary sewer extension on East 12th Street North and a sanitary sewer upsize east of Maytag Park. The Newton Municipal Airport will also see work with the relocation of existing fuel tanks in the first phase of a project to move the existing taxiway.

Finally, the city will begin work on a pocket park in the 200 block of First Avenue East. The park will consist of a concrete path with benches and greenery, similar to the pocket park between the courthouse and the library.

“What’s cool is we have this old antique phone booth that looks like it should be in 1920s Britain, we are going to try to restore it and put it in there,” Laube said.

Many projects will still need to go before city council for approval or are in the beginning phases of design to be completed in coming years.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com