The new Fresh Market grocery store in Westlake Shopping Center recently told the City’s Liquor Commission that they intent to open August 25. The store will be 23,000 square feet, with 500 to 800 feet (approx. 2-4%) dedicated to liquor sales. There will be no requirement that they hire an off-duty police officer to act as a security guard from 2:30 to closing, like the liquor commission and City Council requires for south side grocery stores. Surprisingly, this question did come up at the commission meeting: “Liquor Investigator Jordan stated [the security guard was required on the south side] because of neighborhood group requests and there had been no such requests with this [Fresh Market] application.”
Category Archives: City of Peoria
City to comply with HB3785
You may recall that the State passed HB3785, which says political signs can be displayed on residential property at any time. The law takes effect January 1, 2011, but the City of Peoria will be bringing it sign ordinance into compliance this coming Tuesday. The text amendment leaves intact size restrictions for all political signs, as well as the requirement they be removed from public property and commercial property within seven days after an election. Residential properties are excepted from the post-election removal requirement.
We want to celebrate you! That will be $19,500, please.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police wants to showcase the Peoria Police Department’s “best practices and leadership in law enforcement” at its annual conference to be held in Orlando (Fla.) this year. They want to produce a five-minute video that will highlight Peoria’s Armadillo and ELITE programs and show it to an audience of “up to 15,000 police chiefs from around the world.” Peoria would be one of only ten to fifteen communities showcased.
There’s just one catch: It will cost us $19,500.
Yes, it turns out that they want to showcase us, but they want us to “offset the costs of the production and other expenses.” City staff is requesting that we pay it out of Federal Asset Forfeiture funds, which according to staff will have “no impact upon either the City’s operational or capital budget.”
How can this be? Do we have a fund that can only be used for video showcases? Can this money not be used to offset other expenses in the City’s budget? Are these funds not fungible?
According to the U.S. Department of Justice website, “The Attorney General is authorized to use the Assets Forfeiture Fund to pay any necessary expenses associated with forfeiture operations such as property seizure, detention, management, forfeiture, and disposal. The Fund may also be used to finance certain general investigative expenses. These authorized uses are enumerated in 28 U.S.C. §524(c).” Looking through the list of approved expenses, a couple things cross my mind: (a) there seem to be a lot of useful, crime-fighting expenses that could be paid with these funds, and (b) I don’t see where “showcase video” is an approved expenditure, although I’m sure it falls under “training” or some miscellaneous category.
I’m all for celebrating our successes, but we are looking at a $10+ million budget deficit and potentially more officer layoffs at a time when we’re on a record pace for murders. Perhaps this request is . . . ill-timed. While I grant that it’s a relatively small amount, the accumulation of “little” expenses can (and do) make a big contribution to the deficit.
Another murder, but immediate arrests
The Peoria Police Department issued the following press release last night:
RELEASED BY: Lieutenant Vincent C. Wieland – Criminal Investigations Division 673-4521
DATE: July 17, 2010
SUBJECT: Homicide & Arrests –– 10-17329At 0958 hours, on Sunday July 18, 2010, the Peoria Police Department responded to 1215 N. Frink on a reported shooting. Upon arrival officers found three gunshot victims (43 YO male, 28 YO male, and a 40 YO female). All three were immediately transported to OSF Medical Center.
As officers responded, witnesses described to dispatch the suspect vehicle and its direction of travel. This information was broadcasted to responding officers and officers observed the vehicle travelling down Main St. hill at a high rate of speed. A vehicle pursuit ensued and the suspect vehicle then turned from Main St onto Perry and continued on Perry until the driver lost control and crashed at Lincoln Middle School. At that time two suspects bailed from the car and were shortly thereafter apprehended. A handgun was recovered.
Both suspects, Skyler Jordan (24 YOA) and Taurean C Gregory (24 YOA) were brought to the Peoria Police Department where they were interviewed by detectives. Jordan was arrested for First Degree Murder, 2 counts Attempted Murder, Unlawful Use of Weapons, Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, and Criminal Defacement of a Firearm. Gregory was arrested for First Degree Murder and two counts of Attempted Murder.
The 43 YO shooting victim died in surgery and the other two shooting victims sustained non-life threatening injuries. A crime scene was located in the 1200 Blk. N Frink and police are continuing to attempt to locate witnesses.
This case remains under investigation and the Peoria Police Department urges anyone possessing any knowledge of this incident to contact the Peoria Police Department at 673-4521 or Crime Stoppers at 673-9000.
Orange Prairie Road extension: State-funded sprawl
On Thursday night (7/15), the City of Peoria hosted an open house for the Orange Prairie Road Extension project. They distributed a handout which you can see by clicking here (PDF).
The first question to ask is: Why are we building a new road in the middle of a cornfield on the northwest end of town? The handout states that the “primary purpose of this project is to facilitate … development along the Orange Prairie Road corridor….” In other words, they want to incentivize the conversion of more farmland to primarily residential subdivisions, plus a little commercial development.
The next question is: How can Peoria afford this given our current budget woes? The answer is that it’s being funded by the State of Illinois to the tune of $17.5 million. Once the road is complete, the plan is to move the Route 91 designation from its current alignment to the new road. The old Route 91 would become the responsibility of the City. Thus, even though the state is picking up the capital outlay of building a new road, the City picks up the ongoing maintenance expense of the old road. We’re not getting a new road for free.
The conventional wisdom is that Peoria will come out ahead because the land will be developed, which will lead to property and sales tax increases. But the City hasn’t done a cost-benefit analysis to substantiate that belief. The City’s future use plan calls for this area to be primarily residential. Modern residential development means low-density development. That is, houses are pretty far away from each other, connected by meandering streets that all terminate in cul-de-sacs. This increases the costs of maintaining the streets while not raising enough in property taxes to cover the costs of increased services. And land that is developed by non-profit organizations will mean no additional property taxes to the City.
This extension has been touted as sustainable in at least one local magazine. An article in InterBusiness Issues said:
When complete and operational, [the Orange Prairie Roadway extension project] will encourage and support further development in the Greater Grand Prairie area, but in a carefully and thoughtfully planned manner. And, it may serve as a model for how such suburban and exurban developments can be greener and more sustainable. Using the State of Illinois’s new I-LAST (Livable and Sustainable Transportation) rating system, Orange Prairie designers are currently considering such items as protected bicycle and pedestrian pathways along the route, sustainable stormwater detention and wetland creation, introduction of street trees and landscape buffer zones, and energy-efficient street lighting. In addition, efforts will be made to maximize the use of local and recycled materials while minimizing the earthmoving operations in the entire project area.
It will provide a bike lane and sidewalk, which is good. So you can now purchase your Trek road bike online to save gas. Given the low density of development, the area will be unable to sustain public transportation. But these and any other critical issues get little or no discussion in City Council meetings, especially when the State is waving $17.5 million under their noses. We’ll just build it and pay the consequences later.
OSF planning more development; TIF will help
On “Outside the Horseshoe” this week, WCBU News director Tanya Koonce interviewed Ron Jost, Vice President of Strategic and Facility Planning for OSF St. Francis Medical Center. You can hear a podcast of the show here.
The broadcast focused on the proposed East Village Growth Cell and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. OSF has offered to front the money for the required studies to establish a TIF. Koonce asked Jost why OSF would want to do that — what’s in it for them? Jost gave several reasons.
First, he emphasized that OSF itself is a “neighbor” in the East Bluff and Near North Side and, like any neighbor, they would like to see their property value increase and live in a safe, stable, viable neighborhood. He also said that, while the hospital is not-for-profit, there are “certain aspects” of their business that do not qualify for tax exemption, and they do pay about $1.1 million per year in property taxes.
Finally, he explained that OSF is looking at further expansion. Specifically, they’ve acquired the White School and Irving School buildings from District 150, and they’re planning to build a 100,000-200,000 square foot building to house a simulation/conference center for training purposes. They’d like to expand south of Greenleaf Street. Jost also said they would be interested in seeing if there are “other parties” who would be willing to develop and provide housing that could replace OSF’s current dormitory.
That last statement explains why OSF would be especially interested in establishing a TIF. Developers would be unlikely to redevelop this area without tax incentives.
Also on the program was Bobby Gray from the City’s Economic Development Department. He emphasized that the boundaries of the “East Village Growth Cell” represent the study area, and may not be the final boundaries of the TIF.
Liveblogging the City Council Meeting 7/13/2010
Welcome to Council Chambers at Peoria City Hall. Everyone appears to be in attendance except, of course, George Jacob. Councilman Sandberg arrived late. Councilman Turner appears to have someone job-shadowing him tonight. WCBU news director Tanya Koonce appears to have someone job-shadowing her as well. I’ll be updating this post throughout the evening, so refresh your browser frequently.
Here’s the agenda:
Continue reading Liveblogging the City Council Meeting 7/13/2010
Rt. 24 designation may move out of Peoria
U.S. Route 24 and Illinois Route 29 run through the Warehouse District in downtown Peoria, and that’s causing a problem for the City. The City wants to make Washington Street more pedestrian friendly by narrowing it and adding on-street parking on both sides of the road. Property owners in that area say they need a more pedestrian-friendly Washington Street in order to successfully redevelop those old warehouses into loft apartments, condos, retail shops, and restaurants. Because of the road’s designation as Routes 24 and 29, any changes to the street must be approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation, and they don’t want parking on both sides of the street. In fact, they prefer it wide and fast, just like it is now.
That leaves only one option if the City is going to move forward on its preferred Washington Street makeover: move the route designations and take over jurisdiction of the street from the State. Under a proposal that comes before the Council next Tuesday night, routes 24 and 29 would be rerouted to East Peoria, bypassing downtown Peoria. Specifically, Route 24 traveling northeast would cross the river on the Shade-Lohmann (I-474) bridge instead of the McClugage, effectively bypassing Peoria altogether. Route 29 traveling southeast would cross the river on the Murray Baker (I-74) bridge instead of the Cedar Street bridge, bypassing downtown.
Those changes come with a cost. Because of the route designations, Peoria receives $45,000 each year from the state to help with maintaining those streets. In addition, the State does all the resurfacing work at its own expense — for the work they’re doing this fall, that comes to about $5.44 million. Including routine maintenance and periodic resurfacing, the Public Works Department estimates that it will cost the City an average of $563,669 per year over the next 20 years to take over maintenance of the street.
There had been talk in the past of moving 24 off of Washington Street, but keeping it on this side of the river — perhaps moving it to Adams and Jefferson. However, even if IDOT would agree to it, it would only be a temporary fix, as the City would inevitably run into problems changing those streets in the future. Caterpillar has also made it clear that it does not want the route moved to Adams street, which passes by the front door of their world headquarters.
It is unfortunate that IDOT is being so inflexible on this issue. Since 2003, they are supposed to have been embracing “context sensitive solutions,” “an approach that uses many tools with one goal in mind: plan and design transportation projects that ‘fit’ into their surroundings – what is known as ‘context.’ It involves: Striking a balance between safety, mobility, community needs, and the environment . . . Addressing all modes of transportation in the planing and design of the project, including motor vehicle, mass transit, pedestrians and bicyclists . . . Applying the flexibility inherent in our design standards to fit the project into its surroundings . . . [and] Incorporating aesthetics as part of basic good design.”
A portion of Illinois Route 83 travels right through downtown Antioch, Illinois. This section of state highway carries an average of 12,300 vehicles every day — slightly more than the 11,600 that Washington St. carries through the Warehouse District — yet, take a look at IDOT’s Illinois Route 83 Project page:
…the downtown segment typical section will have one 11-foot through lane in each direction separated by an 11-foot striped median with 8 foot wide parking stalls. The Village of Antioch was involved in the development of geometry of the “downtown” section.
Now, why is it okay to have three lanes of traffic and parking on both sides of the street on Route 83, but we can’t have the same thing on Route 24? Why the inconsistency?
I’ve asked that question in the past and been given two answers. One is that on-street parking has been “grandfathered in” on state routes in some communities; so, if you already have parking, you get to keep it, but you can’t add it if you don’t already have it. This only goes to show that the no-parking requirement is arbitrary and baseless. If it were a vital safety issue, there would be no “grandfathering in” since it costs nothing to remove parking from a route. The other reason I’ve been given is that IDOT divides Illinois into different regions, and each region has its own engineer who sets the rules for his or her area. We’re in Region 3 and Antioch is in Region 1. Thus, the Region 1 engineer allows parking, but the Region 3 engineer, Joe Crowe, does not. In other words, there’s no consistent policy for the State.
No matter how you look at it, the State of Illinois is bent on frustrating Peoria’s plans to improve its downtown, and the only option left is for Peoria to give up the route designations and pay for the street maintenance itself. But can Peoria afford it? The City is already looking down the barrel of a $10 million deficit for next year. More drastic cuts to basic services are being contemplated. Will development of the Warehouse District produce enough new revenue to make losing the route designations worth it?
There haven’t been any studies (that I know of) yet, but consider that the City figured two hotels and three restaurants on one block (the Wonderful Development) would raise enough revenue to cover $37 million in debt service over twenty years. Surely a mixed-use residential/retail development in the Warehouse District with multiple developers over ten blocks will raise enough revenue in property and sales tax increments to cover $8.3 million (in today’s dollars) over the next 20 years, especially since there would be no bond issue and thus no debt service costs. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to get a commitment from the Warehouse District developers before moving forward.
Landscape waste pickup may change to pay-as-you-go
The City estimates it could save $1 million by passing the costs of landscape waste pickup to users. Under the proposal that heads to the Council next Tuesday night, landscape waste pickup the first two weeks of March and the month of November would still be “free.” But the rest of the year, those wishing to dispose of landscape waste would need to purchase a sticker (“tag”) for each bag of waste they want picked up. Alternatively, they could rent a special landscape waste cart that would include pickup as part of the rental fee.
The East Village Growth Cell is born
The City of Peoria is taking steps toward establishing another growth cell and tax increment financing (TIF) district. There’s even a website devoted to it. The website is very informative; it includes a map, a frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) page, and a timeline.
Here’s a brief overview of what’s happening: The City has been using a “growth cell strategy” to expand and develop the north and west fringes of the City. They now want to “apply the City’s Growth Cell Strategy to the heart of the City; taking advantage of existing infrastructure and building upon existing public and private investment.” So, they’ve carved out the following area to redevelop:
As you can see, they’re calling this the “East Village Growth Cell.” Already, there is “increase[d] interest in redevelopment,” they say, as a result of the new Glen Oak School and Neighborhood Impact Zone, but “additional public guidance and intervention are needed to further spur growth within the area,” according to the website. So, they want to get this area designated as a “Redevelopment Project Area” and classified as a “blighted area” or “conservation area” so they can create a new TIF. The growth cell and TIF would be coterminous.
That’s it in a nutshell; there’s more information at www.EastVillagePeoria.com.
Of particular interest in this whole process, though, is OSF’s involvement. They’re putting up the money for the study, the website explains: “As one of the larger investors within the East Village, OSF has agreed to advance the cost for the Consultant that will be reimbursed to OSF out of first proceeds if, and only if, Council approves a redevelopment project.” And the Catholic Diocese (specifically Patricia Gibson, Chancellor/Diocesan Attorney) issued the following press release today:
On behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, I would like to express my overwhelming support for the proposed East Village Growth Cell. This creative and progressive initiative will advance the quality of life of individuals living in the study area and make essential improvements to our most historic and traditional neighborhoods.
Our most precious resources are the families who live throughout the City of Peoria. It’s particularly important that we engage these families throughout the process and demonstrate the City’s commitment to provide resources to reinvest and revitalize the heart of our community. This study area can be the stepping stones to a new beginning for the neighborhoods located within the East Village Growth Cell.
“The proposed study area will be a tremendous blessing to the Peoria community,” says Patricia Gibson, Chancellor/Diocesan Attorney. “The Catholic Diocese has made major investments within the proposed study area including the ongoing restoration of Spalding Institute and a new Pastoral Center. Additionally, St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Bernard’s Parish are uniquely located within the proposed boundaries. We believe that this neighborhood will continue to grow and flourish, and we are confident that an investment of this magnitude will open the door to future development.”
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center has lead the way in providing the highest quality of health care for our city. They continue to show their commitment to the community with the expansion of their campus. We trust that the continued involvement of OSF will greatly enhance future development.
And the City of Peoria also issued a press release that quotes several community leaders; here’s part of it:
A new strategy will ensure that these projects are completed in a consistent manner, thereby becoming a catalyst for future investment.
On July 13, 2010, Members of the Peoria City Council will be asked to approve a request for proposals to conduct a study in the East Village Growth Cell. The study will determine if the area is eligible for redevelopment. A residential TIF has the potential to create opportunities for major improvements in the study area. This initiative marks the first time that the City of Peoria has done a study that includes housing.
“This could be a unique project in that it incorporates opportunities for residential re-development in the heart of one of our older neighborhoods. I believe the council will be anxious to see the study move forward and have an opportunity to discuss the findings. Perhaps it will generate a model we can use in other more mature areas of our city,” says Mayor Jim Ardis.
Development in the proposed East Village Growth Cell will compliment the ventures currently undertaken in the area, including investments by OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and District 150 in the surrounding neighborhood. The study will also provide the opportunity to develop businesses within the Growth Cell.
The East Village Growth Cell presents an opportunity for a major collaboration between Peoria School District 150, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, and the City of Peoria.
Dr. Grenita Lathan, Superintendent of Peoria Public Schools said, “We look forward to partnering with the City and OSF on this potential growth opportunity for Glen Oak School and the surrounding neighborhoods.”
“OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is pleased to support the East Village redevelopment project. We believe the stabilization of the neighborhood and the increase in home ownership will have a positive impact on the area,” says Sue Wozniak, Chief Operating Officer, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.
The study area has the potential to provide for future growth, improvements to the surrounding neighborhoods, and redevelopment of affordable housing.
So, let’s see, the Mayor, the D150 Superintendent, the OSF COO . . . . I do believe this is a highly coordinated effort. All these press releases, the website, a surprise public meeting with residents, and the City Council agenda came out on the same day at the same time. Sounds like yet another deal that has been brokered behind closed doors and rolled out to the public with great fanfare, ala the Wonderful Development.
I hate to be cynical, but this just looks like a typical “done deal” with public input solicited after the fact for window dressing. It bothers me that there’s been so much apparent coordination by public officials out of the public’s eye. The public doesn’t have much time to look into this project before the City votes on pursuing it. That’s generally how the Council likes it.