I would like to add that I personally have been told by police officers that during the weekend that unless it is a lfe or death situation, if you call in even when you call for the reason that a drug deal is going down in front of your home, it will be a 20-30 minute wait because our resources are being used to take care of downtown. That is not a positive impact on the quality of life for STC.

And now to simply get 1st Street completed at any cost, we now are encouraging the building of apartments that will most likely attract younger people instead of the original condos that would have brought in investing stake holders who always will care more than transient residents. The proposed design was to include many studio units which surely doesn't cater to families or elderly. Vision....you are so right David, it's what our leaders serverly lack. Because today apartments may make sense but may not by the time they are completed, let's build apartments!! They will surely help cause more drunks around town nightly!

The lack of vision shows itself fully when the leadership of this town announces that 'if we're not growing, we're dying' as justification to plow ahead with a residential development. Seems to me that if we're not growing, that is about all we can or should make of it, and it places us in the exact same situation as all the other communities around us. If everybody else was going gangbusters and we were doing nothing, then I'd be concerned, bit that is not the case. Thus, they artificially create a state of panic, in order to justify what they WANT right now, but very well may be not what we NEED later. If there was more faith in the underlying strength of this community, they would realize that it is o.k. to wait for quality projects, and not simply go with the first project to be proposed. We do not need short-term gains; we need long-term dividends.

I have also wondered for years why the City hasn't installed more railing like they have infront of Vertical Drop to keep people from accidently stepping or falling onto Main St. Sure seems like they are taking a huge risk all these years just waiting for someone to stagger out of one the places and step out in front of a car or truck and get killed. When it happens the multi million dollar lawsuit will surely open their eyes then! It will happen one of these days.

I strongly feel that the open space on 1st Street should be left exactly that, open space. Just think what a beautiful park it could be once trees and bushes were planted. I'm sure the very special group of fellas that own that property wouldn't be very happy but what a nice legacy to leave the city! That would be something to be proud of, certainly better than any condos or apartments.

I found it interesting that a couple of months ago the survey the City did showed people don't want more residential development especially apartments,condos and townhomes. Much of that was down played and the papers really didn't report to much on it. So then the Mayor has an article in the paper stating we need more rooftops and that being the justification for all the residential projects. Even if we did need more rooftops it should not be apartments, condos or townhomes. Townhomes and single family homes aren't moving right now so stop. Don't approve and build just to have something going on. Now is the time to sit down and figure out what we need to be successful once the market comes back, how we can market to draw new businesses asap and go out and do it and support the businesses we do have not try and run them out. As to 1st St., I too would love to see it as open space but the reality is the City has too much money invested in it to leave it. The TIF for 1st St is costing us the tax payers because it isn't making what it should. That property was a big part of the puzzle. I would however like to see it developed with much nicer and lower height buildings. This 5 story mostly apartment proposal on the table stinks I would truly like to know why we continue to push to add so many apartments in this town when we have over 3500 already Yes it is what is being financed right now, but there must be a bigger issue. nearly all the proposals are apartments not good

I couldn't agree more with this article, and each and every one of your comments. I couldn't have said it better, or even quite as well, myself. My question is this: How did we lose control of our town, and how do we gain it back?

Any ideas?!?!?

If I were a retailer looking to locate in the St. Charles area, I would avoid downtown because of the preponderance of bar and drinking establishments. St. Charles had a variety of businesses downtown at one time--now it is primarily bars and restaurants.

The incident that generated this article is only the tip of the iceberg: I know people who have had vehicles parked on the street sideswiped by drunks driving through the residential neighborhoods, who have had vehicles drive over their curbs and into their yards, who have had vegetation destroyed by vehicles driven by drunks, and who have had debris thrown into their yards in the middle of the night by drunks passing through their neighborhood.

I think we, as "old time" St. Charles residents know very well our town has always been known for it's taverns. Even before our time when the streetcar ran through the tri-cities the corner of Rt. 31 and 2nd Street was known as Whiskey Bend. The difference is in the attitude of the patrons these days, very disrepectful of private property and authority.
I knew there was a reason I always wanted a wall built on Kirk Rd. and on 64 to keep us from being invaded! Progress is not always a good thing.

@ Henry James, I agree with what you have written, however I also believe that there's a "very special" group of people in town that have a financial investment in the 1st Street project not just the city. And they don't like to lose money. Maybe they could just donate their chunk of land and get a tax write-off.

Lois you are right it has been our history to be known for taverns, but as you said it was a differnt attitude and we always had a good mix until now. As to 1st St. I agree about the "group" but my focus is on the TIF and the fact that in the end it will be the residents that will pay if we dont make it work other wise I too would love to see the open space. Holy Moly It goes back to elections. Granted the economy has added to the problems, but the reality is we have been on a down ward spiral for a number of years and especially under the existing Administration at City Hall. I you want to get it back on the right track vote in 2013. Steve I have said this very thing for the last 3 years. Heck Caribou Coffee was planning to move in until they came down for the final approval and saw that no one was out walking during the day and that the majority of Main St. is bars. Yes the bars bring in tax dollars but for a town that is celebrating #1 town the downtown is far from Family Friendly

Holy Moly I will also add about how did we get here. We as residents became too complacent. We trusted our elected officials to represent us, make the right decisions etc... only we stopped watching and they stepped off the right path. We as residents have got to get involved again. Just as some of the neighborhoods and areas of this town have started to band together to form groups to express their concerns like Brisk, Lexington Club neighorhood, Near West and CCSS etc... the rest of us need to either get involved with them or rally our neighborhoods too. Attend the meetings, get educated about the issues and decisions being made by the City, contact the aldermen, support other areas of town who are facing issues not just say well it doesn't impact me because it is on the other side of town and just let your voices be heard. Then as I mentioned before make sure you get out and vote in 2013. Talk to whom ever the candidates are, make sure are looking out for the community best interest not the agenda of others. I have heard people say during the primary and the last election for that matter well my vote doesn't matter, that is completely wrong. Every vote matters and we need a new direction in this town so it is extremely important. Finally we need great candidates to run, not the Good Ole Boy candidates. Not just in the City but at every level of Gov. It isn't easy, but we need real representation and that means we need real people not the puppets

Really? "Henry James?" And this alias just so happens to sing your praises, Mr. Amundson...quite a coincidence for someone who is obviously trying to position themselves for a political run.
Thing is, in order to lead you have to present a plan or ideas or a solution. All you have done in your self-appointed "community activist" role (gotta love that exercise in ego...about as meaningful as "adjunct professor") is gripe about everything...but never present a solution or alternative.
If you're going to run for office, say so...and present your ideas so the electorate can see if you have a workable plan for the city or are just another blogger on the couch.

@Henry James. Now what was the name of our previous City Administrator that pushed so hard for the 1st Street development then as soon as everything was a go he retired and left town? Smooth move, probably got a decent pension and I would imagine is probably working in the same capacity somewhere else.
Of course that doesn't address any of the issues you have brought up, just an interesting aside.

"Lois"...another alias, brave soul that you are...
Larry Maholland (sp?) retired after a long tenure. If he gets a pension, he earned it. That's how pensions work....You have to put in the time and put in your share before you get a dime. You resent this somehow?
And I love reading all the tin foil hat conspiracies this crew cooks up. "Good Ole Boy" candidates? That's hysterical...you actually think there's a select group? Look at the backgrounds of the aldermen; unlike all of you,most have spent years involved in their community. Really...turn off Price Is Right, get off the couch, and go do something constructive with your lives.
If you don't like the way things are done in St. Charles, then run for office....or at least present a workable alternative.

Gee, Mike, sorry to gets your undies all in a bunch! I wasn't planning to mention Larry's name but now that you brought it up you did spell his last name correctly, good job.
I don't know what a tin foil hat means or is.

Hi Mike -- from the numerous comments I've read that you have posted on so many articles in The Patch, it seems to me that you spend most of your life disparaging and ridiculing anyone who doesn't have the same opinion as you. How "constructive" and "brave" is that? You also seem to have a vast knowledge of all that goes on in St. Charles -- how long have you lived in St. Charles? You just seem so positive that you have all the facts and that your opinion is the only correct one. If you have a source that the rest of us could use so that we, too, could always know everything and be right -- please share!

Francis, you and I need to do lunch sometime. That way we could do "something constructive" with ours lives as Mike seems to think we need to do.

Mike first off to answer a few of your comments. I was born and raised here and yes I have been very active in this community and shared many of my ideas. Secondly yes there is a Good Ole Boy club and those who have been involved know it. Fortunately many of them have realized things can't go on they way they have been and are making changes, but I personally am concerned with how things have been going for the last several years and feel we need to start speaking out.

Lois, for the sake of getting the facts out there Mr. Mulholland was the City Adm. in the beginning of the First Street Project but he retired when Mayor Klinkhammer lost the election to Mayor DeWitte. It is a typical process that a new Mayor will want a new Administrator and Mr. Mulholland knew this. Not saying that everything went perfectly with the planning for 1st St, but the implimentation has been a bigger issue and I for one am very concerned about where it is heading both financially and density wise.

I agree Francis, all this guy seems to do is ridicule everyone who seems to want better for our downtown and City, yet as he points fingers, he himself has no real points of substance to make about the issues of too many bars, the issues they cause or how to rebuild a thriving downtown like we had 30 years ago with actual stores people could shop. I think Mr. Admunson does seem to have ideas, like raising the issues publically, encouraging others to also get involved and to contact City Officials to let them know we are tired of the status quo and pointing out our liquor laws are flawed and that simply comparing them to neighboring Cities proves that. One man can't move a mountain, but in his own way, he is trying to get a village behind him to help him do so. Mike, I have to say it's way more than your comments here have contributed to anything worth while. To all the bloggers here, keep it up, stay the course and get your friends involved, strength is in numbers and as Mr James said, many other residents have shown they are tired of how things are going and have banded together to stand up and speak out on various issues they disagree with. The difference between these groups and you Mike is they do it respectfully and ethically, they don't have to try and bully and put down with a mean spirit, those who want better for the City they call home. Mnay times too simple residents can speak out and help get more done than a person who holds Office and can't speak their mind.