Residents set project goals for St. Charles strategic plan
Recent surveys of St. Charles leaders and residents show local taxpayers want city officials to continue pursuing many of the same goals they already have been in recent years. The feedback came Monday night as aldermen consider a strategic plan to guide projects for the next five years.
The city contracted with an outside firm to host interviews and eight focus groups with a total of 112 people earlier this year in preparation for the plan.
City officials received praise for making tough budget decisions but also maintaining a high level of city services during the recession. Participants also said the city must pursue the realization the First Street project and revitalization of the Charlestowne Mall into The Quad. Aldermen are already awaiting the fruits of new seeds planted on both those projects with developers.
In terms of what needs work, high on the list is developing the Old St. Charles Mall site. That may prove a challenge. The owner of the site, Shodeen, already failed to win city council approval of one plan. A second plan, pitched to residents just a couple weeks ago, was soundly booed by neighbors of the property for the amount of apartments involved. Focus groups called on the city to be more aggressive in filling business vacancies downtown while also not meddling in what types of businesses want to fill those spaces. Driving those decisions may also be support for making the Fox River a focus for both business and recreation. Several respondents said dams up and down the river should be removed so the river can be as much of a draw to the town as the waterfront is in Naperville.
Such a change could be attractive to drawing younger residents to the city, respondents said, as well as using the Fifth Third Bank Ballpark for more concerts and bringing more acts to the Arcada Theatre that people in their teens and early 20s want to see.
Despite the call for a more vibrant downtown, respondents roundly bemoaned the amount of traffic on Main Street. They said the number of trucks and congestion make for an un-walkable and noisy downtown, which hurts core businesses rather than helps. A widening and/or better traffic light timing would be an improvement, residents said.
Aldermen will take this information as background information for two upcoming meetings on June 23 and June 27 when residents are invited to provide more input on the city's strategy.
"We're going to use this information to help us understand what St. Charles should look like in the next five years," said City Administrator Mark Koenen. "This will tell us what projects, programs and services that we, as a community, would like to advance."