
The Yorkville City Council is moving forward with plans to sell a portion of the regional park at Bristol Bay, in order to satisfy a Request for Proposal to develop a community center.
Officials voted 7-0 approving an amendment to the purchase and land use agreements that would’ve allowed the city to sell a 15-acre portion of the regional park to Elevation Investments. A motion to pass the measure for the sale of the land was also approved in a 7-0 vote. Alderwoman Diane Teeling was absent.
City Attorney Kathleen Field Orr said moving forward with the sale makes sense, in part, because any issues with the purchase and land use agreements are perceived as miniscule.
“We want a use agreement to [help us] work together on this property,” she said. “We’re very well aware of the fact of our obligation to the surrounding subdivision and of the public open, etcetera. The purchaser’s absolutely willing to go along with that.”
The matter was last reviewed by the City Council at their June 14 meeting.
As part of the proposal, the city is being asked to sell at a purchase price, in the amount of $250,000, by July 31 providing for a transfer of rights to a portion of the Bristol Bay regional park detention basin.
Of the amount owed, there is a $25,000 escrow payment due after the ordinance’s approval. The proposal also outlines how the space must house a multi-use sports facility using 75,000 square feet,and allow for a 20 percent discount on the rental value for the property in its first three years of operation.
To date, none of the proceeds from the proposed sales agreement have been earmarked.
Alderman Chris Funkhouser said he thinks the council should think carefully when considering the sale of the park, how to proceed and what it will mean to those in the surrounding community.
“I think that since this is part of their park, it is theirs,” he said. “To take these funds and put them somewhere else, I think, that would be somewhat inappropriate, since we are removing 15 acres of land from their community park.”
Alderman Joel Frieders said he holds a different opinion as far as the use of funds for the project.
“The one thing the city doesn’t have anymore is facilities for indoor sports,” he said. “I voted against buying the rec center and I’m still standing by that, but I do agree that we need some sort of recreation center. I don’t think Bristol Bay’s needs are as great as the city as a whole.”
Frieders said city officials should consider the idea of implementing something apart from a recreation center in place of the park property, and consider the importance of looking beyond the location where attention to needs is being centralized.
Approving this measure at the June 28 meeting will allow city officials to aim for mid-to-late July, as a target date to close the sale.
Intergovernmental agreement for Kennedy Road multi-use path approved
The Yorkville City Council recently secured an intergovernmental agreement with Kendall County to accept a Transportation Alternative Program that will fund the construction of the Kennedy Road multi-use path.
The grant program was last discussed by city officials in March, where an agreement was formed with the county to offset the costs of the new construction in the amount of $35,000. Around that time, the Kendall County Highway Commission met and determined that an additional $15,000 in funding had become available; the county then approved it.
The new agreement will allow for the immediate disbursement of funds to cover expenses incurred as part of the project.
Removal of Fox Hill entry sign approved
The city will remove the Fox Hill subdivision entry sign after learning of the Illinois Department of Transportations’ plans to expand westward on Route 34 from Center Parkway to Eldamain Road.
IDOT intends to pay the city for the removal of the entry sign located at the entrance to the subdivision, where it’s currently included as part of the Fox Hill special service area, unto which IDOT’s newly proposed right-of-way will require its relocation.
After approving the measure in the amount of $22,000, officials intend to find a new location for sign.
City administrator to submit annual report on stormwater management to IEPA
Also during that meeting, officials unanimously approved the submission of the city’s annual report on stormwater management to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
In March 2010, Yorkville adopted a stormwater management plan. One of the requirements of the NPDES MS4 permit, or the general storm water permit for small municipal separate storm sewer systems, calls for the submission of an annual report to the IEPA. In it, the city provides information pertaining to developments in the public works department from March 2015 to March 2016.
The city said a new NPDES permit has been issued and there will be a few changes moving forward. More details on the annual report will become available in the next month or two.