A public meeting was held Wednesday night at Columbia Middle School to talk about streetscape and intersection improvements in the Sheridan-Loucks Triangle form-based code area. It’s a small stretch of Sheridan road, bounded by the south side of Hanssler on the north, and the north side of McClure on the south.
The process for making changes is outlined on this document that was distributed at the meeting. In addition to public meetings like the one Wednesday where anyone can give input, a Citizen Advisory Group (CAG) either has been or will be established that will include key stakeholders and presumably will require a greater time commitment (i.e., more meetings). I don’t know who is on the CAG, but I will try to find out. Currently, I know that no one from the Heart of Peoria Commission is on it, but perhaps there are plans to appoint someone.
If you can’t make it to the meetings, but would like to give some input, page two of the aforementioned document is a Community Context Audit Form. It needs to be returned by next Wednesday, March 12, which doesn’t give you a lot of time, but it will give you an opportunity to have your voice heard by the design team.
This project is not going to happen overnight. The timetable is spread out so that the final recommendation won’t come before the council until late September this year (tentatively). That may sound like a long time, but it’s only six months, and it will fly by quickly. The important thing is that progress is being made. Everyone’s hope and expectation is that this will be a successful implementation of the Heart of Peoria Plan, form-based codes, and public-private partnerships to revitalize an older area of town, and that it will be a model for the rest of the Heart of Peoria Plan area to follow.
I arrived at the meeting a little late Wednesday, but found the presentations and question and answer time very interesting. There were about 50 people in attendance, including District 150 Superintendent Ken Hinton, which I thought was notable. The best part was after the presentations when we got to interact one-on-one with the consultants and city staff. Throughout the gymnasium, there were several stations set up with maps, engineering drawings, artists’ renderings, etc., that explored different aspects of the planning process, including one station that had a computerized traffic simulation of the area.
I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing as this project moves forward.
My Lord, the world is saved. Crime will cease in Peoria. The heck with the presidential elections we are going to fix that world trouble spot, the Sheridan and Loucks triangle. It has basically been in its current state for almost 100 years and has been a hindrance to peace talks on a global scale.
Meanwhile, streets on the bluffs, and in the south end have broken sidewalks, sewerage is pumped into the Illinois River, we are being told layoffs in the city is possible, they want tax money for a private museum, and the garbage fee is still with us.
I have just one question: Where will the plague with Van Auken’s name on it go?
Emtronics: Did you really mean plague???? or did you mean plaque? with Van Auken’s name on it go?
Either or. I typed to darn fast. You know what I meant. 🙂
Emtronics-
something that might help one of the older hoods and you are still complaining. Here again that old Peoria attitude and the reason why Peoria will always be Peoria.
Emtronics is just jealous of the second district.
Emtronics — just thought it was a possible play on words. Not knowing Emtronics — I cannot speak for him. Nevertheless, I reside in the First District and perhaps some of Emtronics frustration is akin to mine. When one’s councilman tells his constituents that he is 100% solid on your side of a given issue for weeks/months and then switches sides at the 11th hour, you may be disappointed too. No one likes to be left twisting in the wind.
Add Emtronics to the list of folks who oppose EVERYTHING because no ONE thing will solve all the problems of the world.
Billy ol boy, add nothing! While I am sure the Loucks triangle is worthy for those folks in the 2nd, what Ms. Alms has posted is pretty much on target for those of us in the 1st. I most certainly do not oppose everything. What I do think and what happens the most in this town, is that something is planned, something is ordered and something completely different is recieved. Example: museum….Civic Center….Riverfront….and on and on.
While I am all for this triangle thingy, I am afraid of what will not happen when it starts. Why? Because the egos of a few blot the intelligence of many. Besides, I really do believe there are other “projects” (like the Griswold St project which has been on the books for over 10yrs) that are older and more in need than upgrading what is really not needed at Sheridan and Loucks.
What exactly is the Griswold project? Upgrading the streets and sidewalks or is there more to it?
I live in the 3rd district – and am probably a little suspicious/jealous of Barbara Van Auken’s projects, motives, and largesse in general – but was happy with what I saw at the Loucks Triangle presentation this week. It’s a commercial area that hasn’t been completely crapped up (see N. University or Sterling)and it seems like there’s a real potential to turn it around relatively easily.
Well the northern end of Griswold was updated a few years back on we got big bright iodine orange street lights instead of ornamental lighting. They widen the street and installed sidewalks. This was to go all the way to Adams but never did. Gulley asked about funding since the plans are already paid for but the council blew him off.
Emtronics,
I understand your frustration, but this part of Peoria has age also, some of our homes date back to the 1800’s as they are the original farm houses in this neck of the woods. Additionally, our neighborhood has worked our butts off attacking crime, etc. Including things such as residents putting themselves in harm way (not adviseable), taking on things directly, entering drug houses to take pictures, etc. We have the same problems as the south end, shootings, robbery, loud music, kids in the streets, decaying slum rentals etc, but not yet to the same severity. It will come if we allow it. The difference is that we haven’t waited for others to come in and save us. We have done a significant number of projects without city tax dollars. We have gotten some funding from the county, and the rest from private sources. We have worked directly with the front line city staff to get things done. If you don’t think our sidewalks aren’t crappy enough, take a stroll along McClure. If you don’t think we have problems with drugs hit the alley behind Sheridan Liquors running Parellel to McClure. Come meet some of our slum lords who are only concerned about how fresh the ink is on the Section 8 voucher. Ironically some of these landlords live in the better West Bluff Neighborhoods. We struggle with getting city funding here. The bulk of the funding and attention goes soley to the West Bluff in the Second District.
You talk about this project replacing others. I agree with that problem, and in fact, am deeply concerned that the pittance of city funding going into this one is spread over five years, meaning the likelihood of this project being bumped is pretty high. If the entire council supported this project the funding would have been stepped up. More broken promises from some of them.
Additionally I would like to note that the funding for this area deliberately starts, one property north of our boundaries, meaning our association will not see a dime of redevelopment monies, yet we do support the project in hopes that in combination with our own efforts, things might get better around here. Perhaps we will fail, who knows.
Em, we have strongly supported the south end neighborhoods. We have picked up trash there, we have stood beside those who have needed support. We ask nothing in return. We have believed that if one area in the older parts of town gets better, we all do on some level.
Regarding sidewalks: The city council had a chance to not only change the funding for sidewalks, but the process which, quite frankly discriminates against the areas that need it most. There are simply too many hoops to jump through to get a special assessment for sidewalks, yet this was not addressed at all during the policy session. The obsticles increase with poor, high rental and dangerous sections of town. It was discussed that the process “weeds out” applicants during the policy session. Additionally, I sent an email to the council members suggesting that a long term strategic plan and funding be developed for the city’s sidewalks. It was initially picked up by BVA and then echo’d by Spain, yet when staff came back with the recommended changes to sidewalk policy, there was no mention of it. Was it tossed aside? who knows, All I know is that it didn’t surface during the discussions. No one else follows this stuff, yet it continues to be a significant source of complaints and frustrations. Where were all the protesters deeply concerns that their waifs were ticketed for walking in the streets “because there were no sidewalks”. No where around for the policy session. Why, because it wasn’t about sidewalks or kids safety, it was about power and control. Keep the people stirred up and then you stay in control and in power. No one ever wants to talk about that either. No one shows up to discuss where our tax dollars are going during the budget sessions, yet people gripe about how the money is spent. Hummm no input, goes for pet projects and the expansions of the city boundaries out north. Extensive plans there in place for years.
Regarding getting things done in your district. There are several neighborhoods who could band together and ensure that your voices are heard. There are six representatives for district. Find ways to make them come to your areas and shame the hell out of them when they don’t. Make your reps listen to you, or organize and find ways to do things for yourselves. We realized a long time ago that we will not get much done through the city representation, money, support and resources go to the areas with larger houses actually the exact quote is “family sized houses, not starter homes”, so we look to county, state and hopefully federal representatives to fill the gap. We explore grants of all types. I wrote several this weekend, and have a resource through Joan Krupa, running for Schock’s office, to complete more. We have also had significant numbers of promises made to us that have not nor will be followed through on, and ironically we are one of the first spots people seek support for (re-)election. We will be screen candidates more carefully and offer our voice and votes to those who follow through with their commitments to us. (We don’t formally endorse anyone, but do offer personal support). There are no easy answers. I was in the south end today and saw a lot of litter, observed some strong areas of poverty, saw several boarded up houses that need to be torn down. Saw a lot of dejected people walking the streets, hope absent from their eyes. With in these area are pockets of resistence, small areas of hope, that need our support–city wide. If they fail, we all do.