City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen submitted this press release.
I heard the City is selling Waterworks Park. Is that true?
The City Council is evaluating what to do with the ground along W. Winfield Street, generally between Florence and Fairway Drive. This area was the site of one of the City’s water wells, and, closer to Fairway Drive, the site of a City-owned house, which was torn down in 2001. The well was taken out of service in 2010. Google Earth Historical Images provides a good look at how this area has changed over the past few decades. [Editor’s note: You will need to download a plugin to your computer, to use this site.]
The City Council is not planning to get rid of the tennis courts, the baseball field, the playground, the picnic shelter, the sledding hill, the dog park, or any of the “lower area” along the creek. Parks in proximity to residential areas are critical to quality of life. [This] is one reason why the new Wastewater Treatment Plant is being constructed on newly-acquired ground south of the community, instead of being built next to the current location. A year from now, the existing plant is scheduled to be removed, and the area will be seeded. This is an extraordinary improvement to not only Waterworks Park, but to a large portion of the surrounding neighborhood.
Relocating the [new Waste Water Treatment Plant] increased the project’s cost by about $3 million, but the City Council at that time felt the benefits far exceeded the cost. Many residents have fond memories of community events and playing games at Waterworks Park. The removal of the Treatment Plant sets the stage for breathing new life into this recreational area, which has suffered from disinvestment in recent years.
Why does the City Council want to do this?
The City’s goal is prudently to manage public assets. The question being contemplated is what land use classification best suits the community. Is it residential lots, designed to fit the scale and character of the neighborhood? Or does the community better benefit by the preservation of green space? Presently, the City Council has indicated a preference for the former.
What is the time frame for a decision?
Although it has been discussed off and on for over a year, land use planning for the upper area, between Florence and Fairway along Winfield is truly in the early stages. The City Council desires to keep the conversation moving forward, but this is a slow-moving, methodical process that depends–to a large degree–on market conditions.
The City wants public input. Residents are encouraged to express comments and/or concerns to their Aldermen or City staff. Contact information follows.
- Dale Eizenga deizenga@morrisonil.org
- Ken Mahaffey kmahaffey@morrisonil.org
- Harvey Zuidema(hzuidema@morrisonil.org
- Mick Welding mwelding@morrisonil.org
- Curt Bender cbender@morrisonil.org
- Vernon Tervelt vtervelt@morrisonil.org
- Dave Helms dhelms@morrisonil.org
- Arlyn Deets adeets@morrisonil.org
- Mayor Everett Pannier mayor@morrisonil.org
- City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen bdykhuizen@morrisonil.org or by phone 815-772-7657.