Neighborhood groups and associations are an important part of the fabric that keeps Peoria strong.
A push to increase participation in these groups is aimed at improving quality of life, and reinforcing the bonds that hold the city together.
With a population of more than 110,000 across approximately 50 square miles. Peoria relies on numerous neighborhood groups and associations to foster a sense of community.
“I think it really all has to do with quality of life, and it has to creating a livable environment,” said Rick Burdette, a member of the Randolph-Roanoke Residential Association and vice president of the West Bluff Council.
“As an individual, it's hard to get too much done. But as a group and with the right people, you can get a lot accomplished – crime, beautification of the neighborhood … just friends of the neighborhood. If you need help, they're there to help. So just getting to know your neighbor is huge.”
Linda Butler also serves on the West Bluff Council, and is vice president of the Armstrong Ellis-Neighborhood Association. She says neighborhood groups help provide a measure of safety, comfortability and enjoyment of the residential areas.
“I have found that the role of the neighborhood groups, since I've been a part of one for over 30 years, has really been about building relationship among those who live close to you,” said Butler. “Those who are sharing community with you – the streets, the sidewalks, the alleys, our homes, how we decorate them. But also how we get along if there's a need.
“If there's a neighbor down the street and someone needs to shovel their walk, or you just want to make sure that they're taken care of, the neighborhood associations, because of the meetings and various events that we have, allow neighbors to become ‘community.’”
Those sentiments are shared by Ron Givens, a lifelong Peorian who is now president of the Wardcliffe Neighborhood Association.
“Number one, we're allowing the neighbors to know their neighbors,” said Givens. “We live in a time where things are a little bit different than what they used to be. The neighborhoods constantly change, but the big thing to me is that it's the notification and the togetherness that it does provide for the neighbors.”
Dennis Lippert, who preceded Givens as the Wardcliffe neighborhood’s president, says having activities that bring neighbors together is key to developing that sense of community.
“When I moved into Wardcliffe, I had never been in a subdivision that had a neighborhood association. When I saw that they had a neighborhood association, I was just really astounded that they had it,” said Lippert. “Then at that time, I found out that dues was $15 a year and my jaw dropped. I thought, ‘That's it?!’, and I couldn't wait to go to a meeting.
“Every year in the spring, we have a curb appeal contest, which we have some people on the committee go around and judge it and everything. We've been giving (the winner) a $25 gift card, and we'll put a sign in their yard for a couple weeks. Then around Christmas time, we'll have a holiday lighting contest too, and it's basically another $25 gift card.”
Joe Deacon
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WCBU
The Wardcliffe association, along with the Forrest Hill Homeowners Association, recently garnered more attention whey the groups provided input to the Peoria City Council as it ultimately rejected a liquor license application for the Empire Lounge on Sterling Ave.
“Anything that happens there, good or bad, that reflects our subdivision. I live in Wardcliffe; the city council doesn’t life in Wardcliffe,” said Lippert. “I've always said I want to keep Wardcliffe a great place to live, and that it didn't fit. A restaurant? Great, go ahead and run your restaurant. But with alcohol and everything? There's all kinds of places you can get alcohol.”
Givens said that situation showed the value of neighborhood groups serving as an advocate for residents in dealings with Peoria government.
“If the neighborhood feels like something is not good, a majority of the neighbors that attend feel like it's something that is adverse to being able to keep the face of the neighborhood clean, prosperous and just generally well attended, we have the right to make our feelings known,” said Givens.
“It’s a conduit to allow us to have contact with the administration at the city. Our police departments are very active when we request something. It allows us that opportunity to for them to know a little bit about us, and us to know more about them and all the services that they can provide.”
Liz Rickert is a longtime member of the Arbor District Neighborhood Association who has lived on Summit Boulevard for nearly 50 years. She says their neighborhood situation is rather unique.
“We may be a little different than some neighborhood associations because we're so small,” said Rickert.
Not only is the Arbor District small, but it's dissected by Main Street. That leaves Summit Boulevard residents as somewhat of a group within a group.
“People are out and about. This is a front porch neighborhood, which is perfect,” said Rickert. “You stop, you talk to people. There are people that walk their dogs; they stop and visit with each other, and that's when: ‘what's going on?’ and ‘who needs what?’ can be shared.”
Joe Deacon
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WCBU
The Summit residents are also set apart from the rest of the Arbor District because a vast majority of the properties on the other side of Main Street closer to the Bradley University campus are rentals.
“There are stresses that come with living where we do, and there are stresses that come with living in an urban area, and it's this connection amongst people that not only provides this kind of safety net, but it also just makes it so nice and it keeps people in the neighborhood,” said Rickert.
“I have not heard any issues in our neighborhood or the neighborhood association that talks trash about renters. Our big issue is with landlords who don't maintain their properties and aren't careful. And when I say I'm not trashing renters, that's just not fair to paint all renters in one broad stroke. But there can be renters who don't understand what it takes to live in a house.”
Jen Jost, a Summit Boulevard resident who serves as vice president of the Arbor District association, says their section of Peoria at times gets “a bad label” that’s not warranted.
“I feel like the second you turn off of Main Street and you're on our street, it's like a totally different atmosphere,” said Jost. “We really are a nook within the city of supportive people; I don't ever feel unsafe here. I guess I just feel like it kind of embodies the – I also came from New England, so to me, this is very much the Midwest-like home-living experience.”
Jost says their two-block stretch has seen an uptick of incidents such as car thefts, fires and illegal dumping in recent years, but the neighbors maintain a strong bond.
“I feel like that's made each and every one of us here more aware of how tight-knit Summit Boulevard is, because it's under those stressful events that we're really activating our connections to each other,” said Jost.
“One of the things that we're able to do is apply for a citywide grant that provides money for beautification, so we were able to obtain funding to repair our bench and to repair signs that indicate the neighborhood. We're looking in other ways that (the funds can be used. We've used our neighborhood association to replace trees that have fallen and that the city didn't replace. So I think that they help maintain that kind of beautification of these historic regions.”
Amanda Kresnici says she worries about cars speeding through the boulevard and adjoining alleys to cut between the Farmington Road and Main Street, posing a risk to her kids. Still, she says she doesn't want to move away from her neighbors.
“We have each other's backs, and it's kind of like the quintessential old fashioned neighborhood,” said Kresnici. “The kids are playing until the street lights come on. We're calling them in. They're at each other's houses picking flowers for other people. It's like the old times.”
Burdette is working on an effort called “Neighborhood Strong” to encourage increased participation in Peoria’s neighborhood groups, starting with the West Bluff.
“Those people who sit on their porch and bitch about things, well, they can continue to do that. But we’d like to see some people who actually want to get something done and who want to improve their neighborhoods,” said Burdette. “That's what this whole program is for, is really to reach out to them to tell them how they can get involved, and all the good reasons why they should get involved.”
Butler says she’d like to see the “Neighborhood Strong” movement develop to a point where it weaves through the entire city.
“It should be a goal for the City of Peoria to be able to definitely claim that it's ‘Neighborhood Strong,’ as those grassroot efforts that make it all come together,” said Butler. “I'm hoping that West Bluff Council, we can be a leader in this, and therefore we will see the other sections of the city of Peoria, see what we're doing and they will want to be a part of it.”
Burdette asks anyone looking to get involved in Neighborhood Strong to email the group at WBNeighborhoods@yahoo.com.
