Bluffs buys additional property for recreational purposes
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By BETH ZUMWALT
The Bluffs Village Board voted at their Sept. 6 meeting to purchase the lot behind the library, which is adjacent to the city’s downtown park. The price is $500 and will be paid for from the village’s TIF fund.
The village received a $600,000 grant in March from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program.
“We are not sure what we will put there,” Linda Sapp, village president, said. “That could be the pickle ball courts or a playground for the little kids. We’ve just not decided yet.”
Sapp said the village has received half of the grant money and will be starting on the improvements as soon as possible.
The board also discussed another grant for which Sapp has applied, a safe route to school grant.
Stephanie Ballinger from Benton and Associates, the village’s engineering firm, presented the details of the $250,000 Safe Route To School Grant. Potential ideas about the details of the grant proposal were discussed.
“I’d like to start it at the school. The kids don’t walk up to the highway and use the sidewalk, they walk down the alley,” Sapp said. “I’d like to run the sidewalk down the alley as far as the Methodist Church and then turn east and go as far as I can with the money we have.”
Chuck Pine made the motion to allow Benton and Associates to pursue the grant. Tim Welch seconded, and the vote to pass was unanimous.
The grant is a 100 percent grant with no match from the village required.
Sapp also said the new water tower is progressing but supply chain issues have caused problems. It is still expected the tower will be in operation by December.
Sapp announced that Santa in the Park would be the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as is tradition.
