May 2019
Peoria City Council to Vote May 14th on Purchase of Simantel 1.3 Acres of Contaminated Land.
Why is the City of Peoria going to spend $200,000 for 1.3 acres of contaminated land at the foot of Spring Street which has had a taxable value listed as $10,460? Could it be that no one else will buy it or pay such an inflated amount? The property is to be purchased to correct shortages in land values that the City made in earlier public park land swaps under the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Wouldn’t a park in south side and east bluff neighborhoods of Peoria be better investments for the public? What else could be done to provide quality recreational open space for $200,000? Please phone and email your Peoria City Council members to oppose the purchase of the Simantel parcel. This issue will be voted on at the May 14th Peoria City Council meeting which begins at 6 p.m. at Peoria City Hall.
The City Administrator has been paying thousands of dollars to keep the City purchase option on this land. Over $50,000 of City funds have already been spent without a vote of the Council. Ask Council members to stop throwing more money away on this problem property. Part of the lot floods and another part is sodden with standing groundwater and unusable when the river is high. The location is on the state listing of contaminated properties that must be remediated. Costs for this were estimated at over $40,000 in 2016.
Check the City of Peoria website to find contact information for Peoria City Council members.