The state’s Building Up Illinois Development proposal is rubbing many local communities the wrong way.
Add Palos Heights to the list of those who are not in favor of the BUILD initiative, which will take away zoning power from the local government and give it to state officials.
At the April 20 city council meeting, Mayor Bob Straz showed the council members a short video from the Illinois Municipal League that explained it. While BUILD’s idea is to allow the state to have accessible and affordable housing, Straz doesn’t like that the decisions on how to parcel the city to be in the hands of the state.
“People should be vehemently opposed to this,” Straz said. “This takes away cities’ zoning codes and parking regulations and puts it all in the hands of the state of Illinois, which, we know how that works.”
Straz said that communities are different and that it’s the local government that knows their towns the best.
“We are not Evanston and we are not Oak Park,” Straz said. “We have different needs and we have different lot sizes. Every town is different and this shouldn’t come from the state. It should come from the residents upward and we handle it as a whole.”
The bill has not passed yet but there could be some big decisions made on it in the coming weeks. Straz hopes residents can contact their representatives – Bill Cunningham and Mary Gill to urge the state against passing bills that would help create BUILD.
Big Lake Katherine numbers
Lake Katherine Director Gareth Blakesly gave an update on the state of that facility.
He said that lake’s events drew 142,000 visitors over a year’s time and 5,805 people took advantage of educational programs.
He added 5,283 participated in youth events and there were 3,150 hours of volunteer time dedicated to the park.
He also said the facility brought in $458,936, a 9% increase from the previous year.
“That allows us to have a net income of $91,000 and we put that into an endowment fund, which helps the growth of Lake Katherine in the future,” Blakesley said. “That’s money that will be locked away and we’ll be able to use the interest from that and be able to help with operational funds in the future.”
Other news
- Alderman Jack Clifford said that this year’s Memorial Day program on May 25 will feature more speakers and musicians and hopes to draw more younger residents than in the past.
- Clifford added that in honor of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 the city will place a new plaque at its memorial area in the fall.
- Clifford is also inquiring about bringing the Vietnam memorial wall to Palos Heights.
- Gia Cozzi was sworn in as an officer in the Palos Heights Police Department.