September 2015
PRIORITY: Phone / Email Your City Council Members
Click here for the revised site plan.
The last chance to influence Peoria City Hall on their plans to sell our green open space at the north end of the downtown Riverfront Park is September 22nd at the City Council meeting, 6:30 p.m., fourth floor City Hall, 419 Fulton Street.
We need your calls/emails to Peoria City Council members weekly between now and the 22nd (list is at end of this article). 5.8 acres of public park along the riverfront will be lost from public use and enjoyment for now and future generations. There are many concerns with this project starting with the issue of selling public open space to a private developer for private profit.
While the city is proposing to add more public park land just to the north along the river, including the area currently known as the Peoria Boat Club, this does not answer the loss of public open space in closer proximity to downtown. Ideally the city could add the additional park area without selling the public out on the larger open space.
Questions remain that proper procedures have not been followed:
- No current appraisal for the land was obtained.
- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Federal Park Service are to approve any land replacement and that has not been done.
- The city is now talking about relocation of the public sand volley ball courts but nothing is confirmed although the courts disappeared from the park site plan for the Zoning Hearing September 3rd.
- Safety for this site with two chemical plants nearby and an active railway hauling flammable chemicals near the residences has not received any real response.
At the September 3rd Peoria Zoning hearing this issue took over three hours. 31 people gave public comments after the developer’s presentation and only four of those were in favor of the zoning change: Marty Helfers speaking for the building trades; Pat Sullivan, owner of Kellehers; a downtown business organization spokesperson; and the attorney for the developer. The Zoning Commission at first voted down 2 Yes / 4 No for subdividing the area so the new road, termed “driveway” for the apartments by one of the apartments project staff, could be built (with city bonded funds to be paid back from the TIF). Zoning board member Michelle Anderson then amended the motion to remove the road and that issue passed 4 Yes / 2 No. The vote on the change of the zoning to R-8 for the high density multifamily development then received a tie vote: 3 Yes to approve: Chairman Mike Wiesehan; Mark Misselhorn; and Michelle Anderson. No votes on the motion were Winsley Durand Jr., Richard Unes, and Nick Viera.
Your calls and emails are needed to keep informing Peoria City Council members that this project does not fit with the Peoria Comprehensive Plan mapping which shows green open space. This project could do a lot of good in the Warehouse District or other places downtown that are in huge need of new buildings to fill in for derelict existing structures. Peoria can do better. Please urge your City Council member to vote No on the revised Zoning Plan for the River Trail Luxury Apartments.
Peoria City Council members listing:
Denise Moore, 1st District Council Member
723 W. Spring Hollow Lane
Peoria, IL 61605
Cell: 309-213-6628
EMail: dmoore@peoriagov.org
Chuck Grayeb, 2nd District Council Member
419 Fulton Street
Peoria, IL 61602
Cell: 309-213-662
EMail: cgrayeb@peoriagov.org
Timothy Riggenbach, 3rd District Council Member
521 W Stonegate Road
Peoria, IL 61614
Home Phone: (309)688-5149
Cell Phone: (309)369-5233
Voicemail: (309)494-8991
E-Mail: triggenbach@peoriagov.org
Jim Montelongo, 4th District Council Member
419 Fulton Street
Peoria, IL 61602
Cell: 309-213-1581
EMail: jmontelongo@peoriagov.org
Casey L Johnson, 5th District Council Member
6120 N Hamilton Road
Peoria, IL 61614
Cell: 309-363-3488
EMail: cljohnson@peoriagov.org
At-Large Council Members
Beth Akeson, Council Member at Large
Cell: (309)573-1117 or (309) 696-7530
Voicemail: (309)494-8689
E-Mail: bakeson@peoriagov.org or bethakeson@comcast.net
Elizabeth Jensen, Council Member at Large
Cell: (309)863-0160
E-Mail: bjensen@peoriagov.org
Ryan Spain, Council Member at Large
6502 N. Post Oak Rd
Peoria, IL 61615
Home: (309)550-5071
Cell: (309)256-2414
Voicemail: (309)494-8691
E-Mail: rspain@peoriagov.org
W. Eric Turner, Council Member at Large
6212 N. Tealwood Circle
Peoria , IL 61615
Home: (309)339-8896
Cell: (309)253-2489
E-Mail: weturner@peoriagov.org
Chuck Weaver, Council Member at Large
Cellphone/Voicemail: (309)360-4779
E-Mail: chuck@chuckweaver.us
Website: http://www.weaverforpeoria.com
Mayor:
Jim Ardis, Mayor
City Hall:
Office of the Mayor
419 Fulton St, Suite 207L
Peoria, IL 61602
City Hall Phone: (309) 494-8519
Email: JArdis@peoriagov.org