HINDU TEMPLE OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS              NIRVANA GARDENS                          CITY OF WEST PEORIA 

West Peoria eyes 2nd TIF district

City Council also looks at expanding existing zone

Posted Jan 11, 2011 @ 11:23 PM
 

The West Peoria City Council took the first legal steps Tuesday toward expanding the city's only tax increment financing district and creating a second one.

Three unanimous council votes paved the way for a public hearing to be held March 1 on the expansion of TIF District 1 to include St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery and Calvin Coolidge School, Farmington Road and the Sterling Avenue hill. The hearing also will include the creation of TIF District 2, which is property annexed this year by the city upon which developer Prakash Babu plans to build condominiums for the elderly.

"These TIF districts are important tools for economic development," said Gene Pratt, the city's economic development coordinator. "If you're going to compete (for development) with other communities, you got to have one."

While the two TIF districts will remain separate, the school and the cemetery in the expansion connects District 1 from the east of the city to the new District 2 to the west. By being connected, the two districts could share TIF proceeds, according to Pratt.

A TIF district works by distributing municipal property taxes that increase as development comes in between the city and developers. Money becomes available to the developer and to the city for infrastructure improvements.

"Mr. Babu is developing an area that right now is hillside and trees with very low taxes," Pratt said. "When he develops the area, dramatically raising the real estate taxes, those dollars can be divided between the developer and the city for improvements like roads and storm sewers."

The city chose to extend TIF District 1 up the Sterling Avenue hill from Farmington Road to the West Peoria border at Nebraska Avenue in order to help pay for the badly needed rebuilding of that stretch of road.

West Peoria has undergone significant changes in the past year. The city annexed 50 acres of unincorporated land owned by Babu and the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois that was not contiguous to West Peoria property. The city then set about annexing other properties that connected West Peoria with the Babu property, effectively increasing the city's size by about 310 acres.

Notification of residents and businesses inside the two proposed TIF districts is expected to be mailed Wednesday. A Joint Review Board with taxing bodies affected by the TIF district changes, such as school and park districts, will be held on Feb. 1, with public hearings scheduled for March 1.

 

Scott Hilyard can be reached at 686-3244 or at shilyard@pjstar.com.

West Peoria TIF District expansion

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By SCOTT HILYARD (shilyard@pjstar.com)

Journal Star

Posted Mar 23, 2010 @ 11:04 PM

Last update Mar 23, 2010 @ 11:37 PM

WEST PEORIA undefined

West Peoria grew Tuesday.

By an 8-0 vote, the City Council effectively annexed 50 acres of Limestone Township land, clearing the way for developers to build a condominium complex for the elderly on the property.

"This City Council has been terrific to work with - very professional - and driven by its own motivation to see the city grow," said Prakash Babu, who, along with his wife, Ratna Babu, and the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois owns the property west of West Peoria. "This is good closure. It's still a long process, but this is going to be a good project for the community."

The Babus have proposed building up to 179 condos in the first phase near the Hindu Temple at the end of Prairie Lane, which is off Farmington Road. The property had been located in an unincorporated area in Limestone Township, on land between Bellevue and West Peoria. To make the project viable, the Babus believed the land first needed to be annexed by West Peoria, even though it currently is not contiguous.

With certain provisions, state law allows municipalities to annex land that does not share a boundary, primarily if the landowner asks for the annexation.

The project includes a 2,640-foot, 28-foot-wide, $1.7 million access road off Kickapoo Creek Road that would be built by the developer, then turned over to the city to be maintained.

The proposal ran into unexpected difficulty Tuesday when concern was raised by Limestone Township Fire Protection District officials. Chief Terry Capps and Assistant Chief Gary Cantner said the district did not have the equipment to get to the 65-foot, sloped apex of the condo units in order to vent the building in the case of a fire.

"The safety of the condo association occupants is as important to us as it is to the Limestone Township fire department," Ratna Babu told the council. "Instead of grandstanding and coming up with esoteric problems with the plans, it is time to change the tone and come up with viable solutions to make safety happen."

City officials praised the project.

"This is the future of West Peoria," said Gene Pratt, economic development director. "This is the way to bring potential growth and potential revenue to the city."

Another hearing will be held next month to annex the sections of property that would connect the Babu property with West Peoria. Those owners include a few private residents, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Greater Peoria Sanitary District. All appear to be ready to be annexed, Pratt said.

Prakash Babu said there was much site work to be done and that actual construction wouldn't begin until 2011, if then.

"Right now we need to see how the economy reshapes itself," he said. "We have contingency plans if we do not see the demand for this."

 

 

 

 

Annexation could grow West Peoria

By SCOTT HILYARD (shilyard@pjstar.com)

Journal Star

Posted Dec 15, 2009 @ 10:01 PM

Last update Dec 16, 2009 @ 08:44 AM

WEST PEORIA undefined

The city hopes to expand its boundaries, and its tax base, by annexing a string of properties to its west and then a 50-acre parcel adjacent to the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois that would allow a developer to build a condominium complex for the elderly.

"This is an exciting opportunity for the city of West Peoria to grow and develop," said Gene Pratt, the city's planning and economic development coordinator. "You don't get this kind of a chance very often."

The city needs only to annex vacant property owned by the Greater Peoria Sanitary District and two untitled parcels owned by default by Peoria County or the state to connect to the 50-acre parcel located in incorporated Peoria County. That property is owned by Prakash and Ratna Babu of Peoria, who want to build up to 179 condo units there, and the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois. The project includes a new $1.7 million access road off Kickapoo Creek Road that leads up the bluff to the new condominiums and improved water and sewer systems.

Discussions with county and sanitary district officials have so far been positive, Pratt said.

"We hope to move this forward," he said.

The City Council approved the concept of the plan, not the actual annexation agreements, at a special meeting Tuesday night. Annexation must come at the request of the property owners and is officially transacted during a hearing at West Peoria City Hall.

The process is in a preliminary stage and no hearing is currently scheduled, nor is there a specific timeframe in place, Pratt said.

The city has its eye on more than just those properties that connect West Peoria to the Babu development. A broader plan would annex two private properties, one owned by James Connaughton and the other, the Peoria Speedway property on Farmington Road, owned by Sherrie Hamilton. The city is only beginning to talk to those property owners. Annexing those properties would bring within city borders a large triangle of land south of Farmington Road. Pratt did not know the exact amount of acreage the annexation would add to the city.

"It's a major change of the city's boundaries," he said.

Once the annexation is complete, the city would extend its Tax Incremental Financing district to include the Babu property and possibly the Hamilton property. The funds generated from the condo development would be available for infrastructure projects in the existing TIF district.

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Faith&Values: Road to karma

By Pam Adams (padams@pjstar.com)

Journal Star

Posted Oct 24, 2009 @ 12:30 AM

Last Saturday, one car after another rolled down a short, dark street called Prairie Lane in Limestone Township, near the top of Farmington Road's hill. The parking lot at the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois begins where the lane ends and in less than a quarter of a mile, a dark street lined with small houses opened into a majestic, brightly-lit, copper-domed structure illuminating the night sky.

Volunteers monitored traffic in the parking lot closely, directing the overflow of cars to a gravel area where they made sure parking space was used wisely.

Devotees at the Hindu Temple are sensitive about the parking lot and traffic on Prairie Lane because tolerance of people and places is the essence of the religion.

"The road was intended to serve a few people, not to take the kind of traffic going to the temple," says Prakash Babu, chairman of temple's board of directors since its inception in the late 1990s.

Babu and the temple's efforts to resolve a fairly simple dilemma, alleviating traffic for the 20 or so residences along Prairie Lane, is turning into development plans with as many plots, subplots and players as a Bollywood musical. But all proposals - which include a new meditation center on temple property and a private condominium development on adjacent land - hinge on building a new road from Kickapoo Creek Lane through the bluffs and up to the temple.

The proposed road is short, only about a half-mile long, but think of getting it built as an exercise in the long and winding road to good karma.

Devotees searched a long time for the right location to build a temple according to Hindu principles. It needed to be on a hill, in a serene setting, with a river nearby and water running east to west.

"This is a very unique place, a sacred place," Babu says.

The land was zoned for agricultural use so they got a special permit from Peoria County to build the temple, which opened in 1999. Even then, they realized traffic flow would be an issue but the Illinois Department of Transportation intended to make improvements on Farmington Road that would have eliminated the problem.

With IDOT's plans on hold, Babu says, they had to search for other solutions. Originally, they approached Limestone Township about widening Hilltop Road and Prairie Lane, the two small roads that lead to the temple. But that wasn't a practical solution for property owners along those two roads, he says.

The bottom line was if temple devotees wanted better access to the temple, they would have to build a new road - and building a new road would not only require raising money but jumping through an increasingly complicated series of governmental bureaucratic hoops to get the land rezoned - including the unusual, but legal, moves toward annexing land to West Peoria, though it's not within West Peoria's boundaries.

A new road, Babu says, would allow practical access to the temple, taking traffic off Hilltop Road and Prairie Lane. It would also benefit residents throughout the area with improvements to water, sewer, and fire-protection services to the entire area. Finally, it would allow development along the bluffs of Kickapoo Creek Road, which would help offset the estimated cost of $1.7 million for the road and infrastructure improvements.

Obviously, the temple would benefit from a new road. They would proceed with plans to build a meditation center, priests' headquarters and lakes needed for certain worship ceremonies on 25 acres of land owned by the temple. But benefitting the temple cannot be the only justification, Babu says.

To those ends, he and his wife, Ratna, bought the adjacent 25 acres, where they want to build a 129-unit condominium complex designed to accommodate baby boomers as they age. The concept, known as aging in place, would provide the amenities for empty nesters who want to remain independent as they age. But it would also provide revenue to help build the road and additional tax revenues for the area without burdening the school district, Babu says.

The land has sat vacant for decades because of its land-locked situation, he says.

"Some people say this has been saved for God's home for a long time."

Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, takes center stage during Diwali, which celebrates the coming of a new and prosperous year, especially for businesses.

But lately, Babu jokes, he's spent a lot of time praying to another Hindu deity, Ganesha, the elephant-faced god of knowledge. "He removes obstacles."

Pam Adams can be reached at 686-3245 or padams@pjstar.com.

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West Peoria OKs pre-annexation of land

By SCOTT HILYARD (shilyard@pjstar.com)

OF THE JOURNAL STAR

Posted Aug 26, 2009 @ 10:33 PM

Last update Aug 26, 2009 @ 10:37 PM

WEST PEORIA undefined

Can they do this?

West Peoria planning commissioners agreed on Wednesday to recommend the change of a 50-acre parcel of land from an agricultural zone to a residential one.

That's easy enough. The vote was a necessary step to help developer Prakash Babu build a condominium complex for the elderly on land adjacent to the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois at the end of Prairie Lane off Farmington Road.

There is, however, one seemingly obvious problem:

The property is not in West Peoria.

"Illinois law allows a city to enter a pre-annexation agreement about property that is within 1.5 miles of its planning jurisdiction but not within its borders," said Bill Connor, the city's attorney. "It's a process much more common in the Chicago area and less common around here."

The property, 25 acres owned by Babu and his wife, Ratna Babu, and 25 acres owned by the temple, is in unincorporated Limestone Township and within 1.5 miles of three incorporated areas - Bellevue and the cities of Peoria and West Peoria. At a distance of four-tenths of a mile, West Peoria is the closest of the three. Bellevue is not interested in annexation, and on Sept. 8, the West Peoria City Council will vote on a boundary agreement with the city of Peoria, an act that would in effect give jurisdiction over the 50 acres to West Peoria.

That would allow Babu to move forward with his proposal, which would be developed in several phases, beginning with three 12-unit buildings, with plans to expand to as many as 179 units. The project also includes a new $1.7 million access road off Kickapoo Creek Road that leads up the bluff to the new condominiums and improved water and sewer systems.

"The land is not annexed at this point," Connor said. "When and if it is contiguous, then the planning board's action tonight has already prepared it to come in as a (residential and multi-housing zone)."

"(Annexation) could happen," said West Peoria Mayor Jim Dillon. "We're not actively seeking properties to annex, but there are just a few down there that if they wanted to be in would make the condo land contiguous to West Peoria. Everybody knows we need senior housing. I just have a hard time figuring why no other (jurisdiction) would want this project."

Wednesday's planning meeting included a joint public hearing with the zoning board. The zoning board, like the planning commission, separately agreed to recommend the approval of special use status in accordance with the city's planned unit development ordinances. That, too, was a necessary step to pave the way for the condominium project, Connor said.

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Condo developers hoping West Peoria officials approve unusual annexation request

Scott Hilyard can be reached at 686-3244 or at shilyard@pjstar.com.

By SCOTT HILYARD (shilyard@pjstar.com)

Journal Star

Posted Jul 28, 2009 @ 10:33 PM

WEST PEORIA undefined

The developers of a proposed condominium complex for the elderly are hoping West Peoria officials will want to see their city grow by 50 acres, even though the property is four-tenths of a mile outside the city's nearest boundary.

"Our property is non-continuous to West Peoria, that is correct," developer Prakash Babu said. "It is a strange set of circumstances, but we hope the city will be agreeing to the additional complexity in this case."

Babu and his wife, Ratna Babu, own 25 acres adjacent to the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois, which also is on 25 acres at the end of Prairie Lane near Farmington Road in Limestone Township. The property is within 1.5 miles of three incorporated areas - the village of Bellevue and the cities of Peoria and West Peoria. At a distance of four-tenths of a mile, West Peoria is the closest of the three.

Directors of the Hindu Temple, opened in 1999, have wanted to devise better access to it and have preliminary permission from Peoria County to construct an entrance road off Kickapoo Creek Road. But the cost of the road, about $1.7 million, meant the Babus also would need to find a viable project for the more easily accessed property.

They came up with the idea of an "Age in Place" condominium complex, where elderly residents who need little or no medical assistance can prolong their independent-living years after the family home no longer is a viable option.

"The demand for this type of housing is growing with the retirement of the baby boomer generation," Prakash Babu said. "And this land is perfect for this use. It's picturesque, tranquil, close to health centers and shopping centers and great for leisure activities. It has many good selling points."

The project would be developed in several phases, beginning with three 12-unit buildings, with plans to expand to as many as 179 units.

A zoning change - from agricultural to a residential zone that allows multifamily homes - has snagged the process. And at the moment, the project's clearest path to a zoning change seems the unlikeliest of options - having the city of West Peoria begin the process to annex the non-contiguous 50 acres and give the project the zoning it requires.

"There has been talk through the years of the only direction that West Peoria can grow is to the west," said Gene Pratt, the city's economic developer. "This could put the city on that path, although the city and the (Babus') property would eventually have to touch. When in the future that would happen, no one could say."

On Aug. 26, the West Peoria zoning board and planning commission will decide whether to rezone the property. On Sept. 8, the West Peoria City Council will vote on a boundary agreement with the city of Peoria, which would in effect cede control of the 50 acres to West Peoria. The Peoria City Council would have to agree to the same thing. On Sept. 22, the West Peoria City Council will vote on a "pre-annexation" agreement, which if approved would lock the city in to complete annexation once the gap between the current city boundary and the Babu property is closed.

"We think it is win-win," Babu said. "The city has wanted to grow to the west, and we're trying to put the land that has been vacant for decades to good use."

 

© Hindu Temple of Central Illinois
Street Address: 4224 W. Prairie Lane, Peoria, IL 61604
Mailing Address: PO Box 3601, Peoria, IL 61612-3601
Phone Number: (309) 671-5668
 contact@hinduheritage.org

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