City to take over part of Seminary

State to improve area near proposed shopping center

Wednesday, January 4, 2006

By JOHN R. PULLIAM

The Register-Mail

GALESBURG - Tuesday's support by the Galesburg City Council of a jurisdictional transfer of a portion of North Seminary Street and the approval of the preliminary plat of the Seminary Square Shopping Center seemed anti-climactic after some opposition when the development was proposed last spring.

City Manager Gary Goddard said the Illinois Department of Transportation will transfer North Seminary Street - from Walsh Avenue to the south ramp of U.S. 34 - to the city. The council approved a letter of support Tuesday for that transfer.

"That is really not the city's responsibility out there," Goddard said of that portion of Seminary Street. "The Department of Transportation was always wanting to transfer this to us. We were always wanting them to make some improvements first."

When Horne Properties proposed its shopping center, which will include a Wal-Mart Supercenter, a Menards and other as-yet unsigned businesses, the state decided it was finally worth its while to sweeten the pot. IDOT has agreed to pay $776,100 for the city to take over that portion of the street. The city will spend about $550,000 to widen Seminary to three lanes between Walsh Avenue and Carl Sandburg Drive. Horne will pay to widen the street to five lanes between Sandburg Drive and the U.S. 34 ramp.

"They (IDOT) were unwilling to make any improvements to the road," Goddard said of earlier talks. "Now, it can be improved. We'll take it, along with their money."

The balance of the money from the state - $226,100 - will be credited to the city's gas tax fund for infrastructure improvements. Horne also will pay to install traffic lights at Seminary Street and Carl Sandburg Drive and at the main entrance to the shopping center.

Goddard was asked if a sidewalk would be put in on the property west of the Horne development. He said that land is outside the city limits.

"We think with the development of the Horne property, that property will develop and (the developer) will be required to put in the sidewalk," Goddard said.

Kevan Cooper of Bruner, Cooper and Zuck explained the new shopping center will have detention ponds between Wal-Mart and Menards and the water will drain under U.S. 34. He explained that a detention pond only holds rain water until it drains and otherwise is always dry. A retention pond would always contain water.

With little discussion, the council voted 7-0 - Alderman Monte Gifford, Ward 3, was absent - to approve the preliminary plat for the shopping center. In his closing comments, Alderman Wayne Allen, Ward 6, said of Seminary Square, "I think that's just the start of a lot of good things that are going to happen in this area."

Meanwhile, First Rockford Group, which engaged in a tug-of-war with Horne for the Supercenter, remains mum on the future of its proposed Galesburg Commons center at U.S. 34 and Henderson Street. Phil Mackey, a resident of Lincolnshire, presented a petition to the council opposing the center.

"We would support a change in zoning to single family residential," the petitions, signed by 154 people, read.

Mackey said the petitions were presented in anticipation of the council considering First Rockford's annexation agreement in a couple of weeks. He said the signatures "represent 90 percent of the households in the Lincolnshire Subdivision."