The Journal Star is reporting tonight that Peoria’s Historic Preservation Commission is not in favor of designating Glen Oak Park as an historic landmark, but is willing to consider landmarking some individual structures, such as the pavilion.
That’s a reasonable approach. Designating the whole park as a landmark would be overreaching, in my opinion, and would challenge the sovereignty of the Peoria Park District. It would almost certainly have ended up in litigation, needlessly draining taxpayer dollars as the city and park district played tug-of-war.
That said, the park district does need to do a better job of maintaining Glen Oak Park, as well as the other parks under its stewardship. That’s the underlying reason this is being brought before the historic preservation commission in the first place. The parapet has been falling apart for years, and the foot bridge has also been undergoing “demolition by neglect,” to name two very visible examples. There seems to be no end to the resources the park district can dole out for new projects like the zoo expansion and rail-to-trail conversion attempt. Some of those resources would be better used maintaining what they already have.
UPDATE: Here’s Jennifer Davis’s full article from Thursday’s Journal Star. I was interested to read this statement: “Until [March 28], the park remains as if it was landmarked, which park officials protested because it stalls their plans to remove the old stone fort by the lagoon.” It seems their lack of maintenance over the years has caused the parapet to deteriorate to a point that it would cost over $800,000 to fix it, according to the one bid they received.
I don’t know what they’re so worried about. If the commission finds that it’s not an historic structure, they’ll be able to proceed with removing it; if it does get designated an historic structure, I would imagine it would make it eligible for grant money that could be used to repair it.
Ever notice that since the RexPlex was built that almost all the parks have slid down the toliet or have been given away to soccer clubs or Bradley to use?
Glen Oak park is a real sad mess. The Park Board and Ms.Noble should be bounced out on their ears by the voters. I spent so much time there as a kid growing up in the East Bluff. Where is the maintenance, where is the beauty of this once proud queen park? I am saddened every time I drive through the park – closed roads, lack of flowers, no kiddyland amusement park, no wading pond, the lagoon area not what it once was. I have absolutely no respect for these people that have ruined this park. All this park Board wants to do is add-on to the district, things for the few and neglect it’s past. It is time for a change!
Although I voted for Gary S., his landslide surprised me. Like I mentioned before, most people I talk to wonder how certain politicians representing Peoria interests manage to stay in office [LaHood, Noble....]. What am I missing? The HPC is lame. The PPD has gone mad with power.
CJ: Do you have any aerial photos of Glen Oak Park that would give a better understanding of locations of historic structures, statues, et al that you would be able to post?
I’m not sure which structures they’re considering for historic designation. The only one explicitly mentioned in the article was the pavilion building.
Although historic preservation designation can be restrictive for private property owners, in this case it seems to be a necessity. The Park District Board has neglected their responsibility to maintain the park and its historic structures. It is time for a change.