The City of Crestwood held an informational town hall Jan. 18 at the city community center, 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane, featuring the mayor and all eight aldermen. Though anything relating to the city could be discussed, one topic was particularly popular amongst residents: the newly-proposed $33 million bond issue known as Proposition A.
“The purpose (of the town hall) was to allow residents to meet their elected officials, discuss Crestwood issues and provide important feedback. Proposition A just happened to be a major issue to discuss, so that was a popular table for everyone to visit,” Mayor Scott Shipley said. “We are pleased with the turnout and all the interaction with Crestwood residents. They asked good questions, and it was great to meet so many people from our community.”
Proposition A will be on the April 2 ballot for Crestwood residents. If approved, it would allow the city to issue bonds for several parks and recreation projects, with the majority of the money going towards construction of a new community center at Whitecliff Park and the transformation of the existing community center into a pickleball and family games complex. Other projects include: replacing the Crestwood Park playground, adding a nature playscape area to Whitecliff Park, adding a walking trail loop to Whitecliff Park and adding a pedestrian bridge to connect Whitecliff Park to the Lodgepole neighborhood.
To pass, the bond will require a 57.14% voter approval.
“The overwhelming majority of residents attending were excited about all of the proposed projects included within Proposition A. All the new spaces and features of the proposed community center, the opportunities for more programming for all ages and new amenities like the proposed loop trail, pedestrian bridge and playground areas all received strong interest as part of the ‘dot survey’ we held,” Shipley said.
If the proposition passes, residents will see an increase in property taxes. According to City Administrator Kris Simpson, the average house in Crestwood has an appraised value of roughly $250,000, meaning the owner of an average house is estimated to pay $20.58 more per month in property tax.
The city is holding three additional town halls before the April election to provide “residents every opportunity to learn more and ask questions.” They are scheduled for: Tuesday, March 19 from 6 – 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 27 from 6 – 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m. – noon. All town halls will take place in the current community center.
More information on the proposition can be found on the city’s website at www.cityofcrestwood.org/communitycenter. Residents are also encouraged to speak with their alderman directly, call 314-729-4864 to get questions answered and stop by the community center or city hall to view the project plans in person.
“We are excited about the potential upgrades to our parks, but more importantly, we are excited about how this could improve our community. The underlying goal of this effort is to create a place for gathering, a place for fitness, a place for learning, a place for all of us,” Shipley said.