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News :: Miscellaneous |
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King/Crystal Lake Park Neighborhood Planning Meeting (10.03.01) |
Current rating: 0 |
by Eric Hiltner
Email: akaphrates (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified!) |
07 Oct 2001
Modified: 24 May 2002 |
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The city of Urbana hosted a workshop to get input from the King/Crystal Lake Park residents. The workshop is input for the direction the city will move into for the next twenty years. Participants complained about the lack of enforcement of codes, while others outlined a vision of the city in which All Needs Met Within Walking Distance neighborhoods would be connected by pedestrian/bicycle transit corridors lined with fruit and nut trees. |
King/Crystal Lake Park Neighborhood Planning Meeting (10.03.01)
The city of Urbana is updating its comprehensive plan. The plan is the document which guides the direction the city moves into in the future. The city has been taking input from the public. Now is the time to get involved if you want to influence what happens in Urbana for the next twenty years. As part of the process, the city is hosting 6 different neighborhood workshops designed to take input from the public at the neighborhood level.
The comprehensive plan sets general parameters for land use, transportation plans, neighborhood preservation, economic development, and social and environmental guidelines. The plan outlines future directions for developers, landowners, landlords, renters, bicyclers, pedestrians, environmentalists, activists and all people concerned with how the city will function in the future.
The city recently hosted the second of six neighborhood workshops designed to take input from the public. The workshop gave the public a chance to speak on a variety of issues. The first part of the workshop focused on concerns people have in their neighborhood. The second half examined on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and visions for the King/Crystal Lake Park neighborhood and Urbana. Two tendencies were apparent in the group; one tendency expanded designs, priorities and visions for the city, while the other responded to immediate problems within the city.
Concerned citizens, activists and officials voiced their concerns about problems in the King/Crystal Lake Park neighborhood. Traffic and parking problems, especially safety issues for children and the elderly, were specified. Building code and occupancy violations were sited as problems caused by landlords who pay little attention to maintaining their buildings. People complained about the lack of enforcement of existing traffic laws, building codes and city ordinances. Other problems included frustration with the lack of options to counter alleged drug dealing. Speeding cars, wide intersections, and children crossing streets that have cars and buses next to each other, are problems that need to be addressed immediately.
Another tendency of a number of participants was to express a long term vision for the neighborhood and city in general. One idea is gradually evolve into a number of neighborhood centers and popular destinations connected by pedestrian/bike pathways and mass transit. These ped/bike transit ways would be lined with fruit and nut trees and medicinal plants. Within these neighborhood centers would exist the means for residents to meet their needs within walking distance. Participants pointed out the need for businesses that employ people from the neighborhood and sell goods and services that meet the needs of people in the neighborhood.
For information on the next neighborhood planning meeting call the city of Urbana Planning Department (384 2440) or visit the city of Urbana website http://www.city.urbana.il.us/Urbana/. |
Comments
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Thanks for the great article! |
by Peter Miller
peterm (nospam) shout.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
08 Oct 2001
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In case people want to attend the other meetings, here's the schedule. (Urbana contact info and a link to background on the comprehesive plan are at the bottom.)
Neighborhood Workshops Dates & Locations
All start at 7 p.m.
Victory Park Neighborhood Area
Wednesday, October 17
Urbana Civic Center
108 E. Water Street
Yankee Ridge Neighborhood Area
Thursday, November 1st
Yankee Ridge School Gym
2102 S. Anderson St.
North Urbana (generally, north of I-74)
Wednesday, September 26th
Park Inn Conference Center
2408 N. Cunningham Ave.
Country Squire Neighborhood Area
Wednesday, October 10th
Prairie School Gym
2102 E. Washington St.
West Urbana Neighborhood area
Wednesday, October 24th
Phillips Recreation Area
505 W. Stoughton Ave
Final Wrap-Up Meeting/All Areas
Wednesday, November 14th
Urbana Civic Center
108 E. Water St.
To learn more about the workshops and the Comprehensive Plan Update: www.city.urbana.il.us
Contact:
Libby Tyler, Planning Manager
Rob Kowalski, Senior Planner
City of Urbana / 384-2440 |
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We need to do something about unsightly houses |
by George R. Carlisle
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
15 Oct 2001
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Some of the houses in the area, particularly around Leal Park, are dilapidated and littered with junk. One house at southeast corner of Leal Park is particularly bad. There are rotting newspapers on the front porch, a fire hazard. There is also a lot of old lumber and other junk. Old furnace parts by a tree have been there so long, trees are growing through them. A butchering kettle near front porch has stagnant water that harbors mosquitoes. The grass is unmown and an eyesore and partially blocks the sidewalks. Bird seed from bird feeders in front of the house creates additional weed and bird droppings.
The old lumber yard is an eyesore. When it finally does go out of business, I hope the new owner will remodel or demolish the building for another use.
The School for design of Society sometimes ahs junk strewn around its yard. it does make creative uses of old items, such as TV antennas for training vines, old toilets used as planters, and old tires for garden plant holders. They buit a round structure in back for student productions.
Not in that neighborhood, but in the upcoming Victory park meeting, the house at 502 East Elm has several dilapidated vehicles stored in its back yard. the grass is not mown. There are several bicycles in the yard, scattered here and there, and some old junked children's toys. There is a broken basketball goal backboard illegally attached to the utility pole. It blocks access to the spikes on the pole used for lineworkers to make repairs. There is a newer portable basketball goal just in front of Long's Garage. I do not know if it is being used, since there junked cars are just below it. There used to be an old International Harvester pickup truck, ticketed for being parked on Maple Street, and then pushed into the backyard. It is now gone, but the junked cars seem to multiply.
I was glad to see a 5-plex apartment built at corner of Elm and Grove, as the old pink house had been dilapidated and was an eyesore. It had not been occupied for some time, as the utility meters were removed.
At the corner of Griggs and Woods Street, 209 West Griggs, is an extremely dilapidated house. Parts of the roof have holes in it. The garage is very dilapidated. There are several appliances and other junk stored therein. The meters are missing, and the vines covering house have caused deterioration of siding. A small house just east is in even worse condition.It was shown as code purple, the worst, in a map which was on display the last year, by the City of Urbana.
There is a sign listing the property with Prudential landmark Real Estate. But the house is not presently on their website.
Large trees are blocking sidewalk along Griggs Street.
I can see this property best used for a Habitat for Humanity House, after razing the existing structures and clearing the lto of much of the overgrowth of trees.
We must do something to rid the neighborhood of these dangerous and eyesore properties. |
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Comments on Wednesday October 17 Meeting--Victory Park Neighborhood |
by George R. Carlisle
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
19 Oct 2001
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At the meeting, I brought up about the eyesore buildings as mentioned in my previous commentary. I understand if the 209 West Griggs is not brought up to code, and I do not see how it can be economically, it will be demolished.
People in Victory Park commented about inconsistent zoning. The Auto-Zone on East Main is out of character with nearby historic homes.
Odors and noise from Emulsicoat and Solo Cup are a concern. Some thousht the wind currents should have been studied before locating these industries where they are. Emulsicoat was located where it is, because the Penn Central Railroad sold the land when they closed the yards and shops complex. Emulsicoat receives tank cars of asphalt by rail, so they must be located adjacent to the track. When Conrail abandoned the line, Norfolk Southern agreed to take over the tank car movements thereto, in addition to the covered hoppers of raw material plastic for Solo Cup.
Residents of east Victory Park Neighborhood comment about the incessant hum of machinery at Solo Cup.
Some of the houses, particularly rental properties, are in deteriorating condition. However, there is relatively little multifamily rental property and its attendant congestion and parking problems, as West Urbana is currently facing.
The proximity to the Farmer's Market and Schnuck's Urbana Crossing, and what downtown shopping is available, are all pluses.
More open green space for parks is needed. How about the currently-for-sale land on the south side of East Main Street near junction of Smith Road? That has some forested areas and could be developed into park area.
Better bicycle pathways and more frequent Mass Transit service to University of Illinois campus would be desired by a number of the residents of the area.
Better steeet lighting and better maintenance of remaining brick streets and sidewalks would be desirable also. The new mercury vapor pedestal street lights are improvements over the old crumbling series-wired incandescent lamps, but still, streets are relatively dark at night.
These are generally the comments and suggestions for improvement for this portion of Urbana.
--George R. Carlisle-- |
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Additional Comment--beautification of railroad viaduct |
by George R. Carlisle
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
13 Nov 2001
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One thing that was mentioned at the meeting, that I neglected to mention in the commentary, was that someone suggested that the wooden trestle of the Norfolk and Southern Railway over Vine Street should be decorated and perhaps sport a sign reading "Welcome to Urbana" or some such message. This would have to be cleared with the railroad before anything could be altered on the viaduct.
There used to be two adjacent timber trestles when the Wabash branch line was in place, which started to leave the adjacent then-Penn Central track to go southeast toward Sidney. Newcomers wondering why Philo Road goes on a diagonal from Cottage Grove eastward, the railroad line used to parallel the street there. At what is now Tri-Star Marketing, Stewart Oil used to have a tank car siding. Where the power line goes north, and the gravel former ballast may still be seen, the track went straight north past Solo Cup. The railroad diagonal track was removed in 1980-81. The entire line was removed in 1991. Norfolk and Western operated on Illinois Central trackage from Tolono to Champaign, primarily serving Solo Cup and The Andersons grain terminal, until they purchased the former Peoria and Eastern from ConRail and abandoned the line east of a point near Smith Road where the "Urbana END TWC" sign is by the end of the track. Norfolk Southern agreed to serve the Emulsicoat plant with inbound tank cars of asphalt after ConRail abandoned the line to Danville.
If the line were fenced off, although it now sees only one or two train movements per week, and fewer in winter when Emulsicoat is not operating, it might be possible for a parallel bicycle and pedestrian path. There is such a sidewalk along the former Wabash right-of-way from Fourth Street to near Oak Street in Champaign, a linear parkway near the Boneyard Creek area, where houses have been removed to expose more of the stream for a linear parkway, Skelton Park and others.
Some of the vegetation along the track is unsightly and needs to be removed. There are still some telegraph poles and wires to connect railroad crossing signal approach circuits. Unneeded wires and crossarms should be removed.
There are a lot of junk and structures, such as an old sand elevator for a former cement-block plant, long since out of operation, east of Maple Street. This area needs to be cleaned up. When Schnuck's was built, that cleared up a dilapidated section of Urbana bounded by Vine, Main, Maple and the railroad. The old drainage tiles were moved to east side of Maple Street. Junked trucks sat for years but have finally been removed.
The old yard office at 117 North Webber has been sold to a private individual. While a new overhead door has been installed, and the area has been cleared of debris and vegetation, the boarded-up windows are an eyesore.
The railroad has removed unused yard tracks and cleared vegetation in what is left of the yards this year. Emulsicoat leases some of the remaining tracks to store tank cars for asphalt. I understand that tank cars will be stored there this winter, even if cold weather prevents operation of the plant.
The railroad has declined in activity and importance in downtown Urbana, but it could be made in a more presentable state if the viaduct were improved and vegetation and unused structures were removed. |
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Attractive Nuisance old Ready-Mix plant remains near University Avenue |
by George R. Carlisle
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
14 Apr 2002
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I was out walking along University Avenue, and the wooded area behind the new Pho Tran restaurant piqued my curiosity. I noticed a dilapidated concrete structure among the trees. When the leaves are out, the structure is less visible.
Upon closer observation, I discovered the crumbling concrete foundations of an old Ready-Mix cement plant. I remember that there was one in the 1950's and 1960's. Those plants were set up along railroads, as the incoming sand and gravel and raw cement were shipped by rail. There was also one where the parking garage is behind the Mobil-Super Pantry station on University Avenue. Central Materials has since moved to west Champaign, along the rail spur off West Springfield Avenue.
The old Ready-Mix plant foundation, I feel, poses an attractive nuisance safety hazard to children and should be removed. Its east wall is crumbling and has sharp rusty piece of reinforcing rods. The old concrete foundation is filled with debris: many tree limbs, an old sofa, many old tires, rusty metal, scrap lumber, old bicycles and the like. This is very dangerous if children should play there. Old tires collect rainwater which harbors mosquitoes.
I do not know who owns the property, but they should be notified and appropriate action taken.
I am so glad the fire-gutted houses on west Main Street and Griggs Street have been demolished. These were such eyesores and posed a safety hazard.
We need to improve the defects in the buildings near downtown Urbana, as indicated on the maps that were displayed at Lincoln Square for some time.
I hope that soon another anchor store will be found for Lincoln Square. There is little activity there now, except for the scheduled weekend events in the mall. The Farmer's Market will soon be active, and that should bring more people to the area.
The March 31, 2002 concert of Handel's "Israel in Egypt" by the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana (BACH) was successful. We need more musical events in Lincoln Square to attract the public. We need shuttle bus service from the Lincoln Square parking lot to football and basketball games. Perhaps some of the eating and drinking establishments could go together to sponsor this service.
We need to find ways to preserve the Elite Diner, to find a place to move it to if the building must be demolished to make room for parking for the new Champaign County Courthouse.
We need to make sure litter is picked up in downtown and disposed of properly. We must not allow the homeless to camp out in the parking garage.
There are many ways to improve and beautify downtown Urbana and to remove dilapidated eyesore structures which pose a safety hazard. But we must act on them to make our community a better place to live. |
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Neighborhood cleanups |
by George R. Carlisle
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
24 May 2002
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The old cars in a backyard on Elm Street will soon be there no more. The owner is trying to make arrangments for their storage inside a building. These car bodies were being cannibalized for parts to restore others.
This household participated in the May 4 Neighborhood Clean Up Day and hauled as much as they were allowed to, one pickup truck load.
This household took advantage of grant money for low income households to repair the property. New roofing and tuckpointing of the foundation was completed in 2001.
Other houses are removing litter and are mowing their yards. Flowers and ornamental plants for sale at the Market at the Square help beautify the community.
Meanwhile, the old Helmick Lumber Mill and surrounding properties remain eyesores. We hope that they will be restored or razed to make way for new developments.
The new sidewalk and streetscapes rejuvenation is taking place in Lincoln Square Mall and Downtown Urbana. The work is expected to be completed in time for the Annual Downtown Urbana Sweetcorn festival.
We need more stores in the vacant Spaces in Lincoln Square mall. That will help it retain its focal point in the downtown area.
The railroad appears unkempt in the summer. The small amount of traffic appears not to warrant better mowing and removal of weeeds and vegetation between the rails. While unused telegraph poles have recently been removed in Champaign; as of this writing, the old poles, some with dangling wires, are still standing between Maple and Coler Streets in Urbana.
The old junked truck bodies have been removed along Maple Streeet east of Schnuck's, but some unsightly old culvert tiles and buildings still remain.
The old building, used a a bus garage for Canaan Missionary Baptist Church, across from Strawberry Fields, is also an eyesore.
The dilapidated house at 207 West Griggs was recently destroyed by fire and razed. And a house at 417 West Main was also burned and razed. We need new homes to go in these locations and to restore surrounding homes, that they too not become deteriorated.
We are making progress, but still there is much work to be done in and around Downtown Urbana to make it beautiful and functional and a place businesses will want to locate. |
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Re: King/Crystal Lake Park Neighborhood Planning Meeting (10.03.01) |
by George Carlisle
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
23 Sep 2004
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I found this article still on website as of September 23, 2004. The 209 Griggs Street house has been razed and a large apartment building is under construction, taking its place. The area south of Main Street has become a park, Stanley Weaver Park, as yet undeveloped. Plams are to make athletic fields and a wetland area passive detention basin for the adjacent Scottswood Neighborhood, which does not have a good drainage system.. Other concerns mentioned still need to be addressed. |
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Re: King/Crystal Lake Park Neighborhood Planning Meeting (10.03.01) |
by George Carlisle
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
23 Sep 2004
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The old Helmick Lumber Mill has been sold to Allen Strong to expand the Silver Creek Restaurant complex. Urbana loaned him $50,000, but it took that and then some just to clear the deteriorated sheds and their contents. Plans are to demolish thewadkacent rental houses just north. The Schoolfor Design of a Society building was razed May 2004. The Schoolstill meets in various locations, as Allen Hall on Campus, homes of the instructors, etc., while they try to find a location. of their own. The railroad still needs improvement. A mini park is below the eyesore billboard at corner Main and Vine. The Elite Diner is gone for good as itsnew location in Homer failed to materialize. |
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Re: King/Crystal Lake Park Neighborhood Planning Meeting (10.03.01) |
by George R. Carlisle, Jr.
carlisle (nospam) soltec.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
24 Sep 2004
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The old cars at 502 East Elm are gone. There was a Ford Aerostar van that finally quit running and was back there. It is gone, and so is the basketball goal that was on utility pole. The portable goal is also gone. The yard has some gardening paraphernalia in it, but that is about all.
Many of the other eyesores, such as alley between High and Illinois Streets in 400 Block East, ahve been cleaned up as well.
The house at 505 South Urbana is controversial, as they would like to put in a duplex but lot is three inches too narrow. There isn't room for the four-plex as originally planned. House currently there is vacant and dilapidated and needs to be razed. HEUNA group is fighting to allow only a single-family house on that lot. |
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