Grandma might be happier at the park rather than a compost pile

Belleville is being asked to allow an assisted living center to build where single-family homes were intended near Illinois 15 and Frank Scott Parkway.

Neighbors are not amused, and are worried about property values when a 74-bed commercial facility is dropped on land that they thought was going to be more single-family homes when they bought their land — similar to those folks in Shiloh with the storage business proposal. Add to that increased traffic, and the danger of mixing elderly drivers with teen traffic from nearby Belleville West High School, and there is cause for concern.

Maybe the city should nudge this or some other developer towards a prime piece of property that recently became vacant and soon will be bare land. This property is walking distance to festivals, movies, restaurants and nightlife. There are parks and beautiful walking trails nearby. It couldn’t be safer, with a whole bunch of police officers stationed nearby. There are medical offices and an urgent care clinic right across the street.

Seem ideal?

Phillips Investments LLC or some others may want to take a trip to Third and Lincoln streets in Belleville. There’s more than 17 acres that will become available soon, formerly known as St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.

Might make for some better walks or field trips than allowing grandma to exercise near a busy street, cornfields and massive compost piles.

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Grandma might be happier at the park rather than a compost pile."