West Des Moines council approves consolidation of Grand Experience urban renewal plan, development agreement despite resident concerns

The West Des Moines City Council voted 4–0 on July 10 to approve a resolution consolidating the Grand Experience urban renewal area and later approved a related development agreement with WDM Entertainment LLC and WDM South LLC, even as a nearby resident urged the council to slow its review and require more independent analysis.

Eva Morales, who said she lives at 7490 Rockton River Drive across the road from the proposed project, told the council she was not opposed to economic development but said the package “is essentially a new package that deserves meaningful public review.” She warned that a proposed 6,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, with a stage oriented toward her home, would “fundamentally change the character and conditions of our home.”

Morales pressed the council over several technical issues she said are missing from the packet: an independent noise impact study made public before any amphitheater-related approvals; a traffic impact and parking demand study that considers cumulative peak demand when concerts overlap with hotels, the conference center and a water park; a photometric plan and light-spill analysis; and a clear explanation or relocation plan to support the resolution’s finding regarding displaced families under chapter 403. “Before the city commits public financial incentives to an outdoor amphitheater, nearby residents deserve to know what enforceable protections will be in place,” she said.

Council members thanked Morales for her written submission and asked staff to review her letter and the packet materials. One council member urged staff to provide answers before the next reading; another said they appreciated her “very good points.” The mayor replied that the project has been under development for more than five years, described the TIF structure as a “pay-as-you-go” system designed to protect taxpayers (“If they don't build it, it won't happen”), and said the city will require the studies called for in the agreement.

Councilors moved and approved a resolution to consolidate the urban renewal plan by voice vote and then considered the ordinance on first reading. After separate motions and seconds, the council approved the ordinance’s first reading. The council later closed the second public hearing (item 3b) and voted 4–0 to approve the development agreement for WDM Entertainment LLC and WDM South LLC.

Votes at a glance

• Resolution to consolidate the Grand Experience urban renewal area — motion moved and seconded; approved 4–0.

• Ordinance (first reading) to implement consolidation/related approvals — motion moved and seconded; first reading approved by voice vote.

• Resolution approving development agreement with WDM Entertainment LLC / WDM South LLC — motion moved and seconded; approved 4–0.

• Valley Junction lease termination (Talia Zepeda, TZ Artistry) — approved by voice vote; no outstanding issues reported.

What’s next

Morales noted the packet indicates a second reading and a proposed waiver of the third and final reading on July 20; councilors asked staff to return with answers to the resident’s questions before the next reading. The council received Morales’s written comments into the record and adjourned the special meeting after routine business.

Reporting notes: All quotes and attributions come from the July 10 special meeting transcript. The packet text referenced “chapter 403” in connection with relocation findings; the packet did not include a relocation plan in the material cited by the speaker.