Quote:
Originally Posted by runninfiend
Good thread.
I'm in Eureka, west central Woodford County, 17 miles or so from Peoria, 20 or 25 from BN. Woodford County has seen growth, but not a ton in Eureka. We have a lot of old farm families around the edge of town and in the rural areas that won't sell their land for development. There are some new subdivisions but not as many as say Morton or Dunlap.
I like our slow growth. I'm not against growth, per se, but I detest sprawl--unplanned wanton growth that fails to take into account and work at all with the environment they're paving over and is aesthically ugly as sin/soul killing.
Much of the growth around Midwestern cities is pure sprawl. Around here we have Dunlap, Germantown, Morton, Washington etc. I would not choose to live in those places. Dunlap has gotten ugly in a hurry. No slight to those who love it there, but it's not for me.
I plan on staying in Eureka for awhile. I like it rural. There are woods in my backyard, trails, and I have 100 acres of land outside of town that has a creek and a pond.
My suspicion is we will grow in the next 20 or 30 years, I'll be here at least 15 or 20, then will most probably go somewhere more remote if Eureka isn't to my liking by then. I already have that plan in place.
No way on God's earth I'd make it in Chicago or burbs. Just not for me, but bless you'all that like it.
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Please don't feel like I am attacking you or your opinion with my remarks. I just think people are very confused about what is actually Dunlap. Remember, the village of Dunlap boundaries are the not the same as the school district. Dunlap school district covers a broad area extending down into Alta, (the area I believe you are speaking of as ugly), into the Edwards area, and of course the rest of the village proper. It even goes into the Orange Prairie area! Basically anything outside of Rt. 6 is the
unofficial town markings. There are thousands of residents that of have a Peoria or Edwards address, but due to school boundaries, send their kids to Dunlap schools instead of Richwoods. Many of these people work in Mossville, shop in north Peoria, and spend most of their time in the Alta area. Except for using the sectors of War Memorial, and the downtown/riverfront, they have far less interaction with Peoria on a day-to-day basis, than someone who lives on Nebraska. As a result, you have far more people saying they live in Dunlap than actually do. As for the town itself, I don't know how it has become ugly? Dunlap is an old farming town, and still has a distinct look of that way of life. I would venture to say that Eureka may even look more modern than Dunlap. Even with all the growth from Alta, their is still a wide gap between both areas. Sure, Dunlap added a brand new subdivision that tends to cater to the upscale crowd. I don't see what is wrong with that? It hugs a forest and has stayed cohesive with the rest of the town. Not to mention the fact that it not only doubled the population for the village, but boosted its per capita income. The second subdivision on Dickison Cemetary Rd does not directly attach to the town's roads, but that area has always been considered Dunlap even before the growth took place. The Woodland Ridge subdivision may not be connected either, but is just down the road from the high school and very much associated with Dunlap. While these areas are indeed new, I don't think anyone would argue that most these homes are very attractive, and bring a whole new feel to an otherwise sleepy farm town. The school district has continued to expand both the high school and middle school, keeping them both in the town limits, as well as ensuring that the new middle school is located inside the village as well. Are there a few cookie-cutter subdivisions around the Alta area? Yes. Do these individuals attend Dist 323? Yes. But are these few subdivisions in Alta the common norm in Dunlap? No. Dunlap and Alta may be considered by the general population to be one and the same. But to people living in these areas, there is a distinct seperation not only in space, but in the way the areas are choosing to grow. I do however wish that all that growth in Alta, was connected with Dunlap's grid system. Dunlap would be pretty big by now, and would be even more attractive in my opinion. That way we wouldn't have these problems.
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02-14-2008, 06:41 PM
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