DES MOINES, Iowa — For Jonathan Dowie it’s a dream dwelling. “To have the ability to salvage one thing that has a lot that means to many various individuals,” he mentioned. However after transferring in at 2200 Chautauqua Parkway, in April 2021, he’s shortly realizing the yard is making a nightmare. “A storm sewer that runs by means of and a sanitary sewer that runs by means of,” mentioned Dowie as he reference the yard on his two-acre property.
Jonathan says due to these two easements town of Des Moines has instructed him he’s extraordinarily restricted in the case of flattening the intense dropoff behind his dwelling which is inflicting his property to deteriorate. “I can’t do something to repair the issue. They need me to pay to place in a retaining wall to maintain it away from their easement. You don’t get to place one thing in my means after which say I’ve to pay to repair the issue,” mentioned Dowie. “We’ve been dumping dust to attempt to fill it in. We’ve put railroad ties in to attempt to cease it. We’ve executed the whole lot we are able to to attempt to cease it wanting constructing a retaining wall,” he added.
Controversy is nothing new to the house whose second proprietor was Archie Alexander, the second African-American to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes soccer workforce and first to graduate from the varsity’s civil engineering program. The all white group within the space protested his need to dwell within the dwelling. Alexander received the battle in court docket. An possibility Dowie hopes to keep away from. Dowie mentioned, “Let’s simply do what’s proper. Deal with the individuals who dwell in your group and cease telling me I must go down the authorized route when you recognize you’re going to lose.”
Jonathan says the issue is barely getting worse and it’s occurring shortly. In April he put in two fountains on flat land on his property. By mid-March he awoke and located one among them had tumbled almost 20 yards down the hill. That’s how a lot this erosion is transferring. “If these easements have been modified or moved I may fill it in to the purpose the place it was now not impacting the construction and integrity of my basis,” mentioned Dowie.
Administration officers with town of Des Moines have been unavailable for a direct response. The division is engaged on making town Deputy Director of Neighborhood Companies out there.