| September 2021 |
By Ted Tourlentes
In February 2020, several Galesburg city officials began advancing a proposal to expand Lake Storey so that 500 expensive houses could be built (five times as many houses as Soangataha Country Club). Fortunately, community opposition steadily grew from January through June, 2021, and on June 7th the proposal was officially cancelled by the Galesburg City Council.
This project would have had devastating inequality, environmental, and climate impacts.
On April 6th Knox College environmental studies professor Peter Schwartzman won the election for Galesburg mayor over pro-expansion two-term incumbent mayor John Pritchard.
Thank you very much to everyone who helped oppose expanding Lake Storey! The Heart of Illinois Sierra Club newsletter was one of the first, in October 2020. Also, there were several Letters to the Editor, many people who made statements at Galesburg City Council meetings, and many more people who emailed the City Council. And there were signs in yards all around Galesburg.
More information about the project can be found on the opposition website.
And a big thank you to the Knox County Board, who on May 26th voted 13 to zero for a “Resolution Opposing the City of Galesburg’s Project to Expand Lake Storey.”
