Million-dollar makeover of downtown Paxton s streetscape almost done fordcountychronicle.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fordcountychronicle.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Mayor Bill Ingold told the Paxton City Council that it looks like the long-discussed first phase of the downtown streetscape improvement project will go forward this year. Ingold said Springfield has approved everything and that bids can be let soon for the more than $1 million project. The goal is to have it completed by the mid-September Swine & Dine barbecue festival. It was hoped that the work would have been done last summer but the pandemic interfered with that.
Work this summer will involve the resurfacing of four blocks of Market Street, from Orleans to Holmes streets, and new concrete sidewalks on both sides of the 100 block of North Market Street. Also in that same block will be the installation of historic-looking, 16-foot-tall pedestrian lights. Also planned stamped concrete paving or brick paver banding added behind the curbs there.
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The Ford County Board approved a resolution supporting local control of zoning for wind and solar farms. In both the Illinois House and the Senate, bills have been introduced to turn such zoning decisions over to the state.
Board Vice-chair Cindy Ihrke said 18 other counties have taken up the resolution as well. âWe want to send the message that we want to maintain control,â she said.
The boardâs zoning committee has been working for several years to revamp its wind ordinance and has not gotten very far with creating a solar ordinance. The committee will next meet May 20 and May 27 to continue ironing language in the proposed changes and will present it to the full board some time after that.