State Park Place group pushes to incorporate
BND
Lawlessness upsets residents
BY ELIZABETH DONALD
News-Democrat
"No one wants us."
The residents of State Park Place repeat it with weary anger. Tired of crime and of towns annexing areas around them, they have begun a movement to incorporate as a village and clean up their own streets -- but they need permission from the very towns that shun them.
Jim Wells was raised in State Park Place, and he and wife Karen chose to remain, as do many families living within walking distance of relatives in the neighborhoods where they grew up. Now the Wellses are leading a committee to incorporate the area into a village.
Mitzie Delashmit has lived in State Park Place for 50 years and tends her garden and her neighbors. But she's also had things stolen and seen drugs infesting her neighborhood.
"I'm not sure how it started, but it keeps getting worse all the time," she said.
Said Karen Wells: "The saddest part for me is that good people are moving away."
State Park Place lies between Collinsville and Cahokia Mounds, along the border that separates Madison and St. Clair counties. It is a space in-between and on the outskirts. It redefines "falling through the cracks," and not just in terms of getting the potholes fixed.
'A lawless area'
Burglaries, arson, drugs, violence. There isn't a major urban problem the community doesn't face. For every renovated or newly built home like the Wellses', there are two falling down or gutted by fire.
State Park Place's location makes dealing with such problems difficult. Collinsville Road, which bisects the community, is under the jurisdiction of Collinsville Police. North of the road is Madison County sheriff's department, south is St. Clair County sheriff's department.
Dolly Heil moved in two years ago because she wanted her children in Collinsville schools. She calls it "the worst decision I ever made."
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State Park Place group pushes to incorporate
State Park Place group pushes to incorporate
This area lies just accross the proposed stadium site, and adjacent to Cahokia Mounds. It's heavily Latino... I think.
The 2 newest cities in the Metro East are Godfrey and Fairview Heights. I don't know when Godfrey was incorporated, but I think it was more recent than Fairview Heights, which was incorporated in the 1970's. From what I know, the newest city in the state, is Homer Glen, which is between Joliet and Chicago.
Why I know all of this, is beyond me.
The 2 newest cities in the Metro East are Godfrey and Fairview Heights. I don't know when Godfrey was incorporated, but I think it was more recent than Fairview Heights, which was incorporated in the 1970's. From what I know, the newest city in the state, is Homer Glen, which is between Joliet and Chicago.
Why I know all of this, is beyond me.
^Good point. I hope the Metro East doesn't become a patchwork quilt of 96 fifedoms.
Xing wrote:This area lies just accross the proposed stadium site, and adjacent to Cahokia Mounds. It's heavily Latino... I think.
A lot of it is Latino but I'm pretty sure that its majority white. I know that there's A LOT of conflict between the Latinos and some of the white people(not all), and driving through there you'll notice a lot of swastikas painted on stop signs. Of course, those same whites have a problem with everybody. I've heard stories about State Park gangs and the majority-black Idlewood housing project gangs shooting up each other's cars and property, but that's another topic.
And this whole time I thought that State Park was incorporated into Collinsville, guess I was wrong about that.
Collinsville doesn't want it either - the city annexed only Cahokia Mounds and Collinsville Road on purpose.Grover wrote:Would it be better for them to push to join Collinsville?
Why they are fine w/ the status quo and refuse to cooperate by giving their blessing to incorporate is beyond me. The people of State Park trying to make their community a better place is a good thing for Collinsville - nothing bad can come of it.
News - Metro-east news
Tuesday, Jun. 23, 2009
Collinsville eyes State Park annexation
BY WILL BUSS - News-Democrat
COLLINSVILLE -- City leaders are revisiting the idea of annexing State Park Place.
During a city strategic session Monday night, and prior to the City Council meeting, Assistant Community Development Director Mitch Bair said many have called inquiring about possible annexation.
The city surrounds three sides of the community of about 400 properties on the north and south sides of Collinsville Road. Most of those are on the north side and reside in Madison County, and the rest are in St. Clair County.
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"We'd like to take steps and move forward," Bair said.
He also said the issue was discussed 18 months ago. Few of the area's residents responded to they city's survey, but of those respondents, Bair said most were in favor or conditionally in favor of being brought into Collinsville.
According to city cost estimates, the annexed community would need $129,753 annual cost for police, $120,000 per year cost to maintain streets and $50,133 initially in additional revenue a year. Bair said there would be no immediate costs for water and sewer. He also said the proposed annexation would be voluntary and could take three to five years.
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