From the opening of the Iowa River Hospice Home in the year 2009, the prevailing comment from patients, family and visitors has been, “this is such a nice, peaceful place.”  

The Hospice House was situated in such a way, and built with a veranda that allows access for patients and their families to a beautiful pastoral setting for visits at this very sacred time in their lives. The strip of woods with its small stream running through, was a perfect place for turkeys, pheasants, fox and even a deer with her twin babies to feel safe and secure.  They would occasionally be seen coming out toward the Hospice Home. As the baby deer became more adventurous, they would come right up to the veranda on the south side before darting back to the corn field when momma called.  

It would be a shame to see this tranquility even more shattered by this ill-conceived Fifth Avenue street project that encroaches on the west side of the Iowa River Hospice Home property.

The vision put forward by Mid Lander with her very generous matching gift, to the funds raised by the entire community to see the Hospice Home be realized, is indeed a special, much needed addition to Marshalltown and the surrounding area. It would be a shame to see the legacy of this vision lessened for want of more concrete and less green space.

I stand against this proposed Fifth Avenue street project, and ask the Marshalltown City Council to abandon this particular goal of the strategic plan being considered.