Steering Committee

 If you want to help develop the next comprehensive plan for Carbondale, the steering committee is now seeking members. I still have a copy of the last comprehensive plan on my shelves someplace and it has been used by citizens to point out when the city is proposing a program that appears to veer away from the plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CARBONDALE -

Do you love Carbondale? Do you have ideas about how Carbondale could continue to thrive? If so, you have an opportunity to be involved in shaping the City of Carbondale’s future. Since the 2010 plan, Carbondale has evolved, along with market preferences. Now is the time to update the plan to reflect the changes the city is experiencing and set a positive course of action for the future.  

The City of Carbondale is calling all interested applicants to apply to serve as a volunteer member of the Steering Committee for the updated comprehensive plan for the City. As a member of the committee, you will help bring insight and perspective to the planning process and ensure that the community’s voice and vision are a central part of the plan. 

We are seeking committee members who are connected to our broader community. Whether you are a long-time resident, a business owner, student, or someone who simply loves Carbondale, your perspective is valuable. This is an exciting opportunity to work with fellow community members and city leaders to create a plan that will guide Carbondale towards a vibrant and prosperous future for years to come! 

The application process will close on Friday, August 9th. 

We encourage you to join your fellow community members in this exciting opportunity. If you have any questions, please reach out to Carbondale’s Senior Planner, Molly Maxwell at mmaxwell@carbondaleil.gov. 

Click the link here: https://forms.gle/cgEocw4KteJkwort5 to apply! The application can also be found on the City’s website, www.explorecarbondale.com, under Permits and Applications. A printed application can be completed at the front desk at City Hall.  

More Business Opening

 jackson County has seen an 88% increase in the number of businesses opening since 2019, putting the county among the top 25 in the state in terms of new businesses over the last five years.

Shootings AND Stabbing

 Two reports of shootings, a stabbing and a vehicle theft all yesterday on Lewis Lane and East Sycamore.. Busy day for the police. Apparently a busy night as well according to a friend who was doing a ride along and did not get finished until 5 a.m.

City Council and Liquor control commission

 Here is the agenda for next Tuesday's Liquor Control Commission and City council Meetings.  According to the agenda, The Hilton appears to want a secondary liquor license so it can sell package liquor on site. In addition, This & That wants a secondary restaurant license so it can run a bakery out of its kitchen. Also, I think SI Pawn is applying for a zoning variance so it can move to North Illinois next to the Thrift Shop, as that area, for whatever reason, is zoned for automotive and wholesale businesses. 

Saluki Takeover Tours

 Originally I thought these were a form of outreach to new students but now I see they are instead outreach to alumni. with the steady decline of state funding, reaching out to alumni for support is becoming more important to all universities, not just SIUC. Of course, given the steady decline in students, it is hard to create a lot of excitement about campus events. Until the university manages to come up with something to significantly turn around enrollment, and not by just 1 or 2 percent, it will be hard to create much excitement. 

SCOTUS Lawsuit

 Yep, this lawsuit is likely why the city council held a special session to repeal its bubble ordinance. Council does not want to spend the money defending an ordinance that has a good chance of getting struck down before the current Supreme Court, especially when the city already has ordinances on the books that accomplish the same thing.

Southern Hills

Drove into SIUCs now abandoned Southern Hills residential complex. A gate blocks vehicles from driving past the first parking area but it is easy to see that SIUC is letting the entire area, save for one building, go back to nature. It looks as if one building is being used for maintenance offices but the other building are getting covered with vines and parts of the structure are falling off. Seems quite a waste of the buildings, which thirty years ago were used for graduate student and family housing.

When SIUC started shrinking dramatically, there was talk, 20 years ago,  of converting the buildings into a upscale retirement community for SIUC alumni but adapting the buildings for retirees, especially the 2nd floor units, was too costly to pursue, I guess. Nothing ever came of the plan and the rehabilitation of the buildings would be too expensive now.