Let’s start with a summary of events. — The group now known as Preserve Our Neighborhoods (PON) was formed last spring in response to concerns that residents were not being included in DeKalb-NIU redevelopment plans that would directly affect them. — Misty Haji-Sheikh of PON received unsigned documents from an anonymous sender regarding a corporation…
Category: Plans & Surveys
College Town Partners Agreements are Kind of Cray, but Still Important
I’ve read the College Town Partners documents that were leaked to the Preserve Our Neighborhoods (PON) group. (Want copies? Send an email to preserveourneighborhoods@gmail.com.) The agreements, which were never signed, lay out a corporate partnership between City of DeKalb, NIU, a local developer and two banks. They strike me as kind of nuts, actually, being…
Observations: Yesterday’s Town Hall Meeting with NIU
NIU president Baker and the mayor each spoke to the group, as did NIU vice-president Bill Nicklas and an architect who explained the process involved in the development of the Bold Futures Thesis. In a nutshell, NIU wants to transform the thesis into a real plan for better use of the physical campus in nurturing…
Traffic Studies
A new police station on Route 38 is in the works, and a proposed expansion of the DeKalb Public Library would involve closing a portion of North Third Street. Clearly, each of these projects/proposals if built would impact traffic patterns at their respective locations. Mac McIntyre brought up the need for a traffic study at…
Survey for DeKalb Residents
Have fun with this . . . http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/kayshelton_survey
Taj Mah-Library
[Updated 7/18 with links to more coverage, at bottom.] Dimensions, features and amenities planned for the new DeKalb Public Library have been lifted from “A Building Program for the DeKalb Public Library,” September 19, 2009. The plan is to build an 89,000 square foot facility that serves 70,000 people, based on projections of 2% growth…
Ethics & Downtown Revitalization
All we know for sure is this: DeKalb Mayor Frank Van Buer cast a vote against Gavin Wilson’s candidacy as 5th Ward alderman. The mayor is now found to have close political relationships with Wilson’s opponent in the race and with the man who challenged Wilson’s ballot petition. Van Buer’s campaign manager, Don Floyd, says…
New Plan for the Keating Property
The 343-acre Keating property southeast of DeKalb–encompassed by Route 23, Gurler Road and Crego Road–was sold months ago to developer Jerry Krusinski. This week, Mr. Krusinski unveiled his plans for the land at the Plan Commission meeting.
National Citizen Survey: DeKalb may be a college town.
Yep, DeKalb did another survey last fall, this time the National Citizen Survey administered by the National Research Center at the University of Colorado. About 400 towns, cities and other jurisdictions take the same survey each year, so we not only have ratings given by our own residents but can see how DeKalb stacks up…