Galesburg City Council on Monday night could vote to officially end further exploration of expanding Lake Storey. They can do that in the form of a budget adjustment, removing the $125,000 earmarked for a Phase 2 study. The first phase of a feasibility study was done last year but a public backlash has kept the council from voting on the second study. It’s been tabled for about 6 months, but Mayor Peter Schwartzman said last month that it was time to make a decision to move forward with the expansion or end the conversation. Hoards of emails have been rolling in from the public almost all opposed. In a similar way, dozens of residents have spoken at council meetings, including repeat appearances from some of the landowners that would be affected.
Aldermen could approve a bid to put Pickleball courts at Bateman Park. This park on Losey St., just down the block from Churchill Junior High. Staff is recommending aldermen approve a $51,000 bid. All-Weather Courts were the one contractor to submit a bid. Parks and Recreation were asked to find a location for outdoor pickleball courts. This has become a very popular sport that’s easy to do at almost any stage of life. It’s like a lot of paddle games but is played with a Wiffle ball. Parks staff determined that an ideal location for this feature would be at Bateman Park. The plan is to convert the two tennis courts over to a total of six pickleball courts. The project will include: layout of the courts, pickleball dividing systems, nets, and posts, preparation of the surface, and sanding and painting of posts. This project also provides for resurfacing the existing half basketball court and paint.
