Neighborhoods

By Pam G. Dempsey, Acton Gorton and Dan Petrella — A Champaign County zoning official plans to propose regulatory changes for the Wilber Heights neighborhood that will combat the deterioration of residential properties.

The move follows a CU-Citizen Access investigation that exposed the impact of a zoning ordinance that has prevented residents from doing significant repairs to their homes. At the same time, the nearly 40-year-old ordinance has encouraged light and heavy industry to locate in the neighborhood.

By Dan Petrella —The Champaign County Board took the first step Tuesday toward allowing residents of the Wilber Heights neighborhood to rebuild or make substantial improvements to their properties.

The board instructed John Hall, the county’s zoning administrator, to draft changes to regulations that now prohibit repairs or renovations to nonconforming residential properties beyond 10 percent of their replacement value annually.

By Liz Clancy Lerner — It doesn’t take much to get Tom Lemke fired up.

Just ask him about his neighborhood – a place he has called home for 63 years -- and his frustration is evident. 

By Jhane Reifsteck—The town of Longview has faced a high povery rate and loss of business in recent years.
In the 2000 Census, Longview's povery rate was just over 15 percent, with 25 of the 160 residents living at or below the poverty level.

CHAMPAIGN -- A group of University of Illinois students has earned a top prize from accounting firm Ernst & Young for their idea to build a community garden in Champaign.

The team of seven students has proposed to build a garden in Douglass Park near Booker T. Washington Elementary School. The students envision residents renting space there to grow food and the school using the garden for hands-on learning projects.

For the 2010 campus competition, called “Your World, Your Vision,” Ernst & Young invited university students from across the U.S.