On the afternoon of May 13, people paid tribute to Thomas H. Detweiller on the anniversary of his death, assembling at the historic plaque requested in his will along the Illinois River at the end of Caroline Street, which remains one of several issues between the Detweiller Trust’s proposal to sell land to O’Brien Steel, and people who live in the neighborhood.

After the proposed sale came to light with an agenda item for a March 11 Peoria Park Board meeting, residents asked about Caroline Street, and in April O’Brien said no proposal had been made to close the street.

However, closing the street had been discussed in various ways for years, according to a series of emails between O’Brien and City staff obtained by Tim Herold and the Detweiller Marina Neighborhood Association.

“The process had advanced into surveys, quit-claim planning, vacation plans, and conveyance discussions,” Herold said. “Caroline Street is not merely a roadway. It is the historic public route to the Illinois River and the last remaining public access and view corridors in the Detweiller Marina Neighborhood.”

WCBU: Access to riverfront still key contention in Detweiller land sale

A recent timeline:

• The week before the gathering at the Detweiller plaque, the Park Board rejected a motion to change its right of way along the adjacent Rock Island Greenway Trail as part of the proposed sale. The vote was 4-3, with Steve Montaz, Ron Silver and Mark Slover in favor of the proposed O’Brien expansion. However, the Park Board did not advance a suggestion to have legal counsel file a petition to reconsider Peoria Judge James A. Mack’s approval of the sale despite conditions in Detweiller’s will.
• A related appeal, to the Illinois Attorney General’s office handling charitable entities to investigate the proposed sale since that office’s previous decision to have no objection was apparently made with inadequate information, according to Herold and other neighborhood advocates, and also to investigate whether the Detweiller Trust’s management of the playground and trust may have contributed to its condition and finances.
• Meanwhile, Holden Beers — the owner of National Marine and unaffiliated with the neighborhood groups — has separately proposed taking over the Detweiller Marina and operating it as a non-profit to maintain public access, improve the property and expand its recreational services. However, neither the Trust nor neighborhood groups have publicly weighed in on the idea.
• Also, an unknown vandal the weekend of May 8-9 scattered nails, screws and other debris on the marina and playground parking area, and volunteers removed the material.

Herold seems frustrated commenting, “This is no longer only about land use. It is about transparency, honesty, and whether decisions affecting the people of Peoria were being shaped privately while the public was told something entirely different. The people of Peoria deserve answers and we deserve better.”

Lastly, Herold on May 14 himself filed a Petition for Relief from Judgment in the Peoria County Circuit Court regarding the Detweiller Playground Trust case, saying, “This petition asks the Court to reopen and reconsider the prior judgment based on significant new information and concerns that were not fully presented or considered, including issues involving donor intent, public access, fiduciary responsibilities, conflicts of interest, and the lack of notice to affected users and stakeholders.

“This process is far from over, and time remains critical.”

He says he’s not giving up.

“I am still hopeful,” he told The Community Word.