Residents, wildlife biologist question environmental review for Mile Bottoms development
Loading...
Summary
At the Rock Island City Council public comment period, a wildlife biologist and adjacent property owners said the city and developers have not done sufficient on-site environmental surveying for a proposed Mile Bottoms project and expressed concern about impacts to a nearby bald eagle night roost.
Kelly McKay, a wildlife biologist from Hampton, Illinois, told the Rock Island City Council during public comment that the city and the project developer have not done adequate field work to assess impacts of a proposed development at Mile Bottoms.
"The word bald eagle is never mentioned once," McKay said of the 34-page environmental assessment prepared by Shive Hattery, referring to what she described as a desktop-only study. She said the assessment relied on outdated databases and that state wildlife staff told her the report ‘‘should not be viewed as a substitute for actual field surveys.’’
McKay described the area near the proposed development as adjacent to what she called "the largest known eagle night roost in the Lower 48 states" and said eagles generate "more than $6,000,000 a year to the local economy," a figure she attributed to her own economic analyses. She offered to meet with city staff and the developer to explain eagle ecology and site use.
Tim Presley, a property owner adjacent to the project site, said he has an easement through the property and warned council members that access and permitting remain unresolved. Presley said he has told staff and developers that environmental agencies will require independent field testing and that developers should not invest further until permitted access is clarified.
No council motion or vote on the Mile Bottoms project was recorded during the meeting; the remarks were given during the public comment period. Council members did not respond with formal action at that time.
Why it matters: McKay and Presley framed the dispute around two separate but linked issues: whether the environmental assessment included required on-site surveys and whether access and agency approvals are settled. Those points, if unresolved, can affect permitting, agency review, and project timelines.
What was not decided: The council did not take formal action on the development at this meeting and did not adopt or reject any environmental findings. Statements about the project’s regulatory status and economic impacts were made by public commenters and attributed in this report to those speakers.
For further information: McKay cited the Shive Hattery environmental assessment and referenced correspondence with state natural resources staff; Presley said he holds an access easement tied to Illinois Department of Transportation property.
