St. Charles mayoral race stays hot heading into development hearing
The candidates in the St. Charles mayoral race positioned themselves on opposite poles of the development map Monday as city residents gear up for another session of likely heated questions regarding a potential major reuse of the old St. Charles Mall property off Randall Road.
Mayor Don DeWitte and challenger Jotham Stein agree the city must welcome development, but they strongly disagree on what should be done to lure new business growth to town. That includes the St. Charles Towne Centre project that is the focus of a public hearing at 7 tonight at the Pottowatomie Community Center, 8 North Ave.
DeWitte said the project is a blend of residential and commercial development similar to what the city hoped to usher in with the ongoing First Street development project. The relatively dense residential component is one of the aspects of the project residents have expressed the most concern about so far. But DeWitte said the residential portion is necessary to provide the base of potential employees and customers of the businesses that will go into the commercial side of the project.
"That's why there is such a long, drawn out plan review process that we're in the midst of," DeWitte said. "There's a significant amount of information that has yet to be presented. For instance, I would be very surprised if the traffic study for this project shows any more significant traffic volume than what was being generated when it was the St. Charles Mall."
Meanwhile, Stein has submitted an eight-page letter citing a litany of concerns not only about the project, but the review process.
"We need to look to the entire community to decide what to develop on that property," Stein said. "I don't think the city has asked any of the right questions so far."
The project has also given rise to questions about campaign ethics. DeWitte has said he'd like to avoid an attack-laden campaign, but has already found himself on the defense and publishing letters rejecting any notion that he stands to gain personally from the Towne Centre or any development project in the city. DeWitte acknowledges he has taken campaign contributions from companies that have done business with the city, but said Monday it's all been legal and never on a pay-to-play basis.
"I have always conducted my campaigns in a straightforward and legal method," DeWitte said. "Some people just support good, open government."
Stein counters that he will not even take campaign contributions from past or would-be developers in the city, nor, in his opinion, should anyone else.
"It may be legal, but it's not right," Stein said.