The recent sale of Lincoln Grade School to the Washington Park District brought to light a decades-old oversight that needs to be corrected.
Platted — not actual — streets and alleys near and in the 77-year-old school on city-owned rights-of-way had been dedicated to Washington Grade School District 52, but never vacated.
It's the Washington City Council's responsibility to finally approve the vacation, which must be by three-fourths super majority, and transfer ownership of the rights-of-way to District 52.
Alderperson Brandon Moss asked during this week's council meeting what brought the issues to Washington's attention.
City Attorney Mark Walton, whose law firm also represents District 52, said work on the sale of the school to the park district showed a platted street and alley each ran through the school building.
Other platted streets and alleys make up a portion of the school parking lot, and are sites for ballfields, playgrounds, sidewalks, vehicular access and greenspace.
"At some point, [the city's rights-of-way] should have been vacated," Walton said. "That point was 90-some years ago, so we're a little late getting to it. But we're better than never, right?"
An ordinance approving the vacation and transfer of the city rights-of-way to the school district will come up for a vote at the council's Aug. 3 meeting.
A new Lincoln school and new District 52 offices are being built on the grounds of Washington Middle School on North Main Street.
The park district purchased the "old" Lincoln on Jackson Street for $500,000 a few months ago and will use it for its offices and activities.
It will leave and close its current building, the former Washington Middle School on South Spruce Street.
Pay hike for police chief
The council approved a 4% wage increase for Washington Police Department Chief Jeff Stevens, upping his annual salary from $140,000 to $145,600. Other department heads received 4% pay raises earlier this year.
Stevens' annual allotment of personal days was increased from two to three, the same number that police department patrol officers received in their recently passed contract.
"I've worked with many police chiefs in my 23 years in municipal government. Jeff is one of the top two," said City Administrator Jeff Fiegenschuh.
Dispensary set to break ground
Here are highlights of department heads' reports to the council:
- A building permit for the Key Cannabis dispensary at 2691 Centennial Drive was issued last week. Groundbreaking for the $2 million, 2,800-square foot building at the intersection of McClugage Road could take place by the end of the month.
- A ribbon-cutting for the refurbished historic Candlewood Bridge is tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. on Aug. 25.
- Lisa Snow, retired Peoria Police Department assistant chief and college-level instructor in law enforcement, is doing volunteer work for the Washington Police Department. Her first assignment is assisting with a policy update project.
- One of the items on the Planning and Zoning Commission's August agenda is a variance request by East Peoria-based Civic Digital Displays to allow placement of a 10-by-30-foot digital billboard along Centennial, about 650 feet southeast of the Centennial/McClugage intersection.
Sign, church requests approved
In other action, the council approved:
- A variance request by Civic Digital Displays to attach a 7-by-21-foot digital sign to the Washington Plaza shopping center sign on Washington Road. The digital sign will replace 10 individual tenant panels.
- Requests by Greg and Heather Longfellow, on behalf of Where Two or Three Are Gathered, to rezone 640 N. Cummings Lane from light industrial [I-1] to general retail [C-2] and have a special use so a church can be located in a building on the nearly five-acre property. The building was home to Washington Landscaping from 1979-2006. It had been used by Mosquito Joe for office and storage space since 2023 until the property was sold in May to Where Two or Three Are Gathered.
- The purchase of rectangular rapid flashing beacons for a busy school crossing for a not-to-exceed cost of $50,000. The beacons, requested by Washington District 50 Schools, will be placed at the intersection of School and Grant streets in front of Beverly Manor School. Beverly Manor is a grades 4-8 school with about 400 students.
- Requesting permission from the Illinois Department of Transportation for the partial closure of the downtown square and Illinois Business Route 24 for the Washington Autumn Fest from 4-9 p.m. Sept. 26 and Candlelight Stroll from 4-9 p.m. Dec. 3.
- The appointments of Matt Collins to the Economic Development Commission and Kregg Soltow to the Police Pension Board. Soltow resigned from the EDC, creating the vacancy that was filled by Collins.
'Let's Talk' at the American Legion
Mayor Lilija Stevens announced her next monthly "Let's Talk Washington" informal discussion session will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at American Legion Post 100 at 211 Legion Road.
