The Knox County Board held a discussion Wednesday night regarding the City of Galesburg pursuing the possibility of expanding Lake Storey.
Several residents of Henderson Township whose family farmed land would be affected by the expansion spoke before the board asking them to reach out to the city to stand against the expansion.
During the period of discussion, board members overwhelmingly voiced their support to the landowners in being against the expansion.
Board member David Amor said that the city has had several projects, including the logistics park and higher-end developments, that have not worked out and doubts the “soundness” of this one.
“So I think this is something that we should be concerned about within the county. And I would support the request from Nikki Mally that we communicate as a body to the City of Galesburg our concerns about the project.”
Board member Todd Olinger called the idea of taking farmer’s land “absurd” and supported standing with the landowners.
“I think they’re living in a pipe dream if they think they’re going to go out there and expand the lake, believing that it’s going to turn into a second Oak Run. I believe Oak Run is successful because of its location and close proximity to Peoria. And, I just don’t think this will be successful and I don’t think it’s fair to those landowners to come in and take their property for their project. Particularly those lands and farms that are generational.”
Board Chair Jared Hawkinson said that while he supports economic development in the city and in the county he does not support the lake’s expansion.
“This project I do oppose just because the city would take, I believe, 91 parcels of land. So, once those parcels are annexed into the city, the county loses that tax-base revenue. I haven’t done the calculations but my guess is its several hundreds of thousands of dollars. So those several hundreds of thousands of dollars in my brain however equal jobs.”
Board members discussed drafting a letter to the Galesburg City Council to oppose any plans to annex farmland and expand the lake.
