CHILLICOTHE, Ill. – A group that was quickly formed claims the City of Chillicothe is “one-hundred percent against” a proposed private project that they claim would negatively impact the city.
The project would allow a private harbor business to set up some anchors to allow barges to moor and fleet on the Illinois River there — a project residents say the Army Corps of Engineers needs to deny, and that they were not pleasantly surprised by.
“That [public notice] was not sent to a single person in public office in the City of Chillicothe, or the 18th Congressional District,” said Mike Krost with the group “Save our Riverfront.” “The news outlets it was sent to had no one who currently works at that outlet receiving an e-mail at that location.”
Krost says that’s to say nothing of why they’re actually opposed — the ruining, they claim, of bird-watching and other riverfront activities, to say nothing of a potentially negative economic impact.
“It’s less safe for our residents, it’s less safe for our visitors, it’s less safe for wildlife and the navigation of the river itself,” said Mike Hughes, Chillicothe mayor.
As many as 32 barges would essentially be able to park at Holiday Harbor.
If Richard Hamm had been invited to the news conference called Tuesday by the group of Chillicothe residents who are opposed to his project, he says he would have given them the real story.
Hamm — owner of Holiday Harbor — says the “Save Our Riverfront” group is blowing the project way out of proportion.
“We applied for 30 barges,” said Hamm. “If you’ve got a guy coming up, he’s got 15 barges, there’s a guy coming down who’s got 15, that’s 30 barges. That doesn’t mean 30 barges are going to be sitting there for six months.”
Hamm says not only is it unlikely there will be 30 barges at one time, they wouldn’t be moored at the marina for any extended period of time.
“We want to string two or three barges — not 30, like these people are talking about — which would be approximately 400-600 feet long,” said Hamm. “So, when those guys come down there, they have a place to tie off, okay?”
Hamm says the project won’t have the negative visual and economic impacts residents claim, and he essentially had to put 30 barges on the application.
What’s more, Hamm says he didn’t even have to apply with the Army Corps of Engineers at all, but he just wanted to make sure he was above board.
Hamm says rising river levels the the continued loss of trees will do more harm to the river than barges ever will.
No comment yet from the Army Corps of Engineers. Public comment expires in ten days.
CLICK HERE to read a public notice from the Army Corps of Engineers about the project (PDF file).
