One down, one to go
Congratulations, Peorians.
You did it. You stood your ground and demanded that local government conduct business in public and for the public’s benefit. Many, many months ago,
Yesterday, that plan died. The park voted voted 4-3 to not participate. Without the land from the park, there’s no room along the park for the new super-school/community center to be built.
This would not have happened had there not been strident, vocal and consistent opposition from folks who opposed the plan for safety concerns for students, because of the destabilizing effect it would have on the East Bluff and those who opposed it because it would mean loss of green space at the park.
Opponents stood up and used facts, numbers and figures to counter the glib generalities, wild speculation and Utopian fantasies spun by those who wanted the new school built in the park.
The plan was always to wear down the opposition. But opponents stood strong and they packed the park district offices as the final vote was taken.
Enough cannot be said about the work Peoria City Councilman
That being said, I’d like to remind Mr. Manning, other Peoria City Council members and residents of the East Bluff and other Peorians who opposed the
The City of Peoria, Village of Peoria Heights and the Peoria Park Board are at this very moment doing their damnedest to destroy the Kellar Branch rail line and replace with with a walking and biking path that would be a part of the Rock Island Trail. The problem is that this happened against the sage advice of a commission created to specifically advise the Peoria City Council on railroad issues. They said it would stifle development by depriving a section of the city with reliable rail service.
And that’s exactly what happened. Businesses that needed rail moved out and no business that needed rail moved in to replace them. Promises continue supplying existing businesses in a timely and cost-effective manner were not kept. The company hired by the city to operate the rail spur until it was removed simply failed to operate it safely and efficiently.
And exactly like those who stridently and consistently opposed the Glen Oak Park siting, those opposed to destroying the Kellar Branch have never stopped fighting.They kept using numbers, facts and figures — not to mention basic common sense — to oppose glib generalities, wild speculation and Utopian fantasies spun by trail proponents. There is no way that a bike trail is going to generate as many tourism dollars as the property and income taxes that could be generated by one light industry business would bring provided there was viable rail service north of Pioneer Parkway.
That is why I am challenging Robert Manning — who championed the East Bluff and common sense — to take a similar principled position in favor of common sense and make a motion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Peoria City Council to direct City Manager Randy Oliver to direct the city’s attorney’s to drop all legal efforts to close down the
It’s only right. In the simplest terms: The City Council is to the Kellar Branch as Peoria School District is to the Glen Oak Park site plan. It’s long past time the council realizes how arrogant and bullheaded it looks continuing to beat this dead horse.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Agreed.
The power of blogging realized.
FEH, now where is the new school, if any, going to be built? Same old same old.
I know that the Peoria Park District is doing its best to put the trail in place, but I don’t think I’ve read a single statement from anyone in power in either Peoria or Peoria Heights (outside of the Park District, of course) stating that they were “fighting” for the trail. As far as I can tell, the rails can still be used, but no one has the money nor the desire to step up and fix ‘em up.
Therein lies the problem. The longer the rails go looking like hell, the more the people clamor for a trail. If the rail lines would at least take down the weeds along the lines, they might be getting a more sympathetic ear, particularly if they could step forward with an actual plan to show the economic dollars they could bring in if the lines are kept open. As far as I’m aware, no one in any authority position with the rail lines has done so. It’s been left to you and C.J. Summers to be their go-betweens, and my guess is that won’t be enough in either Peoria or Peoria Heights.
First, it will likely be a very cold day in July before the trail gets the money it needs to actually happen. In the meantime, however, as everything continues to go in a downward spiral, looks wise along the lines, it’s a perfect time for the railway lines guys to do something NOW. Clean up the areas… have a public forum to go over the economic benefits… ANYTHING that the public can put a bite into.
I would say that the public CLAMOR (if any) is mostly for the trail. Manning, by himself, won’t be able to do the job. The railway people better come up with something TANGIBLE to PROVE that the lines should stay in, or the public, in sufficient numbers, will NEVER be behind it.
Oh, one more thing. If you think this vote FINISHES the “park land for school” scenario, I’ve got a great set of Pollyanna curls just ready to plop onto your noggin.
Wow, this might mean something if you lived in the city but you don’t. And the school and the Kellar branch aren’t even close
1. What’s 150 going to do with the properties it purchased?
2. The COP likes it’s self-fulfilling prophesies.
Yep, as been proven many times, you aren’t allowed to have an opinion on this blog unless you live in the City of Peoria. Oh wait…
A good start, the park board was slammed, they have stumbled back onto their heals, now one hard on the chin and then a stake through their heart. Don’t let them fool you, they still need to be voted out and Noble replaced. Remember they still have 30 or 40 million more they would like to spend/burn and they may need your help to do it. After all the tigers need a much bigger enclosure to battle in, preferebly one with a view of the crumbling historical structures in the park.
Let’s not write off a trail completely. They do add a lot to a community and perhaps there is an alternative that can accomplish both goals – and I’m not sure it’s building beside the trails but I’d be willing to consider that in lieu of having no new trails.
I still haven’t bought completely into the line of thinking that the rails as they currently exist are any type of economic engine for the Pioneer Park area. Yes, there are a few business that use them but is the cost of maintaining service worth propping up those businesses. If the trail doesn’t go through, I’d like to see the City get out of the rail business – not a CORE service in my mind and let’s see if the private sector makes it financially feasible or not.
No really let’s write off the trail completely.
Prego man writes:
….it’s a perfect time for the railway lines guys to do something NOW. Clean up the areas… have a public forum to go over the economic benefits… ANYTHING that the public can put a bite into.
Exactly, another community issue to be solved. For the clean-up job — I would recommend contacting The Mayor’s Litter Committee, Steve Pierz, Caterpillar Strategic Consulting, asking for his team’s help coupled with the RR group.
Of interest may be the fact that the PPD is paying Richard Carver’s expenses as he travels back and forth helping the PPD secure the existing rail line for a trail.
Some business oriented public officials state that “Some communities would die to have this (now rail)space for community growth”.
On the existing Glen Oak School; visit the school and see show they are handling the additional students spacewise. Ask the teachers about their needs for classroom space. Then ask the district to prove that accurate studies have been made as to growth projections and prove these needs to the majority in the community serviced by this school.
To all board members involved in this fiasco, examine what you did wrong, and you did plenty wrong, and learn from the experience. If those up for reelection don’t believe that they did anything wrong, there is an upcoming election.
My advise to all tax supported bodies; operate openly to the public when you are spending OPM. If sellers then try “to hold you up”, then buy and build only what you can afford. Somehow communities seem to survive and thrive under this policy.
This process strenghtens the growing demand that the top person in school administration should have a sucessful business background. What happened here is typical of mistakes made by successful educators turned business people.
After 5 years I left the education field as did many others and joined the business community. It took me another eight years to gain the business experience to open my own eventually successful business. I have put this experience to work to help establish a very financially stable county.
I have never been opposed to new schools but am opposed to the elaborate and costly plans submitted by the architects whose job is to design what the school board tells them. If a budget and specific priorities are determined in advance, the architects will develop plans accordingly.
When space available is determined, funds secured and needs of students are justified, then the architects will design accordingly.
When you can build without a referendum, public bodies have a tendency to build monuments to themselves under the guise of “we know best how to spend your money”. Neither of the two most recent monuments built in Peoria have come close to living up to projections both in finances and benefits to the community.
Is Ken related in anyway to Valeska?
Vonster: Yes
Widmer: What? No teacher is going to bad mouth their classroom or school to you. Of course they will tell you everything is “honkee dory’.
Prego: you’re right. I got my dress ready for those curls.
As for the trail or rails? As long as I/we taxpayers don’t have to pay for it I don’t give a damn if they turn it into an open sewer.
Peo Proud, it appears you haven’t been following this issue very closely. Pioneer Railcorp has a standing offer to purchase the Kellar Branch line from the City for $565,000 and donate $100,000 in in-kind service to the Park District to help them build a trail next to the rail line. This offer has been on the table for a number of years now. They absolutely believe they can make money on this rail line and they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is.
Right now, the City of Peoria owns the rail line and they have no carrier contracted to run trains on it. That means it’s the City’s responsibility to control the weeds.
The City’s carrier for the western spur, Central Illinois Railroad, has recently decided it too can make money on the Kellar Branch and has asked the STB to withdraw their request to discontinue service on the line.
I say the City of Peoria should sell it. They need the money, and they don’t need to be in the railroad business. Let the private sector take care of the Kellar Branch. If it truly is not financially viable, it will die and be abandoned without any “help” from the City. But that’s not going to happen. There are already two new companies that have located on the line that are interested in rail service. There will be more if the threat of closing the line is removed.
So the first boss of the VH center was what? Her son? Nephew?
Ewwwwwwwwwwwww!!
PEORIA PROUD: “Let’s not write off a trail completely. They do add a lot to a community and perhaps there is an alternative that can accomplish both goals – and I’m not sure it’s building beside the trails but I’d be willing to consider that in lieu of having no new trails.”
If a trail is built, it is increasingly likely it will have be built parallel to the existing railroad.
PEORIA PROUND: “I still haven’t bought completely into the line of thinking that the rails as they currently exist are any type of economic engine for the Pioneer Park area.”
There were once about 20 businesses using rail service that were located on the Kellar Branch, some of which came to the line despite the poor financial condition of the Rock Island Railroad. Unfortunately, the cloud hanging over the line for some 15 years has prevented true economic development of the kind railroads attract to other communities (if you want examples, read my latest blog entries at http://www.wpgrr.com).
PEORIA PROUD: “Yes, there are a few business that use them but is the cost of maintaining service worth propping up those businesses.”
There is no cost to taxpayers other than grade crossing repairs, and that would be the case regardless of whether the line was under public or private ownership.
PEORIA PROUD: “If the trail doesn’t go through, I’d like to see the City get out of the rail business – not a CORE service in my mind and let’s see if the private sector makes it financially feasible or not.”
I agree. The City of Peoria should sell it to Pioneer Railcorp, which has had an offer to buy the line for many years.
CJ and Mr. Jordan:
I have been following the situation very closely and agree with both of you that the line should be sold. It is not a business that the City should be in. However in selling it, it should be auctioned off on the open market and the City shouldn’t necessarily just take Pioneer Railcorps offer. If they are offerring that amount at this point, it’s probably worth much more than that – hell the tracks themselves probably have significant salvage value. My problem with Pioneer Railcorp is that I don’t like the business tactics of the owner — probably not something that should be factored in, but I’m human. I don’t like him.
Where I disagree in some ways is that many have in their attempt to “save” the line, made the trail out to be a poor investment of funds and not needed for the community. I think it would be one of the most beneficial additions to the park district in a long time and much more so than the Riverplex or the Zoo expansion. In other communities that I’ve visited that have good trail systems, the use is high and the public use is much greater than people anticipated.
Sorry, but I’m still not convinced that rail service is a critical business development tool for the community and that it will entice the type of expansion that others believe will occur. If it happens, great but I don’t see it occurring. I’ll read your blog entry Mr. Jordan and see if it changes my mind.
PEORIA PROUD: “I have been following the situation very closely and agree with both of you that the line should be sold. It is not a business that the City should be in. However in selling it, it should be auctioned off on the open market and the City shouldn’t necessarily just take Pioneer Railcorps offer. If they are offering that amount at this point, it’s probably worth much more than that – hell the tracks themselves probably have significant salvage value. My problem with Pioneer Railcorp is that I don’t like the business tactics of the owner — probably not something that should be factored in, but I’m human. I don’t like him.”
Guy Brenkman retired March 1 and moved to Keithsburg. He occasionally attends board meetings but will someday divest himself of his stock. He is the largest stockholder but does not own a majority of shares. The City should include the “western connection” in any sale. Only those willing to operate the line as a railroad should be allowed to bid.
PEORIA PROUD: “Where I disagree in some ways is that many have in their attempt to “save†the line, made the trail out to be a poor investment of funds and not needed for the community.”
The trail is not NEEDED. It is a luxury; a non-necessity. It ain’t a job, clothing, food or shelter. Almost all of them are built at great expense with taxpayer’s funds and no one pays anythinbg to use it (if they did, few if any would).
Trails are generally built along former (long abandoned) railroad lines in which no shippers nor railroads could ever hope to restore rail service. Exceptions include Peoria, Madison and South Bend, which have succeeded in destroying a viable railroad in spite of opposition or are in the process of doing so.
“I think it would be one of the most beneficial additions to the park district in a long time and much more so than the Riverplex or the Zoo expansion. In other communities that I’ve visited that have good trail systems, the use is high and the public use is much greater than people anticipated.”
The PPD would have had its trail extension by now had it not been for their carelessness in the early days of this issue. They unilaterally decided that the railroad wasn’t viable and decided that they had the right to build their trail in its place. They counted their chickens before they hatched, leading to drawn-out litigation, costing who knows how much to taxpayers. The city, with PPD support, went ahead with the ill-advised “western connection” failing to heed the warnings of nearly a decade ago that it would not be comparable to service and rates on the Kellar Branch. My contention is that retaining the right-of-way for joint rail and trail use would not cost as much as claimed by the PPD. Unfortunately, the PPD’s continued insistence that they have it all, will only result in delays and rising costs.
“Sorry, but I’m still not convinced that rail service is a critical business development tool for the community and that it will entice the type of expansion that others believe will occur.”
It has done this in Pekin; Agridyne LLC, Hanna Steel, Amerhart, Reed Minerals and Aventine’s expansion would not come during the past decade had it not been for rail service. Rochelle, Illinois has attracted several new employers/rail users during the past several years – Boise Cascade, Wausau Supply, Clark Steel Framing Systems and Illinois River Energy. I could go on and that’s just Illinois!
I have written numerous entries on the importance of rail service when it comes to SERIOUS economic development.
I am interested in knowing if anyone is aware of the sale of the old Lee School proptery by District 150. I first heard of this over the Christmas holiday. Is there anyone who can verify this, if so at what cost, and what fund will the money be placed? It is my understanding the building has been cleared of all meterail. District 150 workers were spotted loading trucks with these contents, could the park District be the new owners?