Amboy balks at land deal; residents hoped for pond to end flooding

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Residents on the north side of Amboy looking for an end to constant flooding on their properties will have to wait a little longer for relief. The Amboy City Council voted

4-2 Monday against purchasing 24 acres of land near the Burke subdivision at the corner of Metcalf and Wasson streets.

The city had been planning on converting the undeveloped lowland into a park with a retention pond to address the flooding, but ultimately decided the purchase would be too costly to maintain.

"I just can't see it. It is a great idea but bad timing," said Alderman Hank Gerdes who voted against the proposal, citing the city's tight financial situation. "I think it is a developer problem, not a taxpayer problem."

That did not sit well with Gail Dunn, a 35-year resident of the subdivision.

"We were promised this would be taken care of. We are helpless and frustrated," Dunn said.

The city had secured a $140,000 state grant to develop the park and pond, but needed to put up $85,000 to purchase the land and then maintain it.

It is an expense that the city cannot afford at this time, said Mayor Frank Mekeel, even though the Amboy Park Board, Junior Tackle League and Lions Club offered to chip in with unspecified amounts of money to the project.

Mekeel said he hoped the land can be developed into more housing in the future, adding to the tax base instead of creating another expense for the city.

"Paying for the land initially is just the beginning," said Alderman Nancy Kelly, who also voted against the proposal.

Those living in the subdivision were displeased with the decision.

"I have water in my ditch all year long," Burke resident Tony Becker said. "As you develop that north end, it is just going to get worse."

Alderman Tom Nauman, who along with Alderman Daryl Stuckemeyer voted to purchase the land, chastised those who voted against the proposal.

"We have made a major mistake here tonight," Nauman said, adding that the city is missing out on a one-time opportunity for the available grant money.

"If we don't buy the property now, we will never have another opportunity. We had a chance to do something about it and failed."

Mekeel, however, said this vote is not the end of the city's involvement in the issue. He hoped the council could work toward a satisfactory conclusion, which likely would involve upgrading the ditches along Wasson and Metcalf Streets.

"We will take a serious look at the flooding," Mekeel said.

Jerry Grommes, who owns the land, was not so sure anything would change in the near future.

"We have no plans on the table at this time," Grommes said. "We had hoped the city would buy it. That would have worked well for everybody."

Reach Andrew Walters at (815) 284-2222 or (800) 798-4085, ext. 522.