Edwardsville residents urge Madison County to pause sale of 15.41-acre greenspace

Two Edwardsville-area residents urged the Madison County Board on Dec. 23 to pause a planned sale of about 15.41 acres adjacent to the Edwardsville Crossing Shopping Center and to discuss alternative uses with the City of Edwardsville and local stakeholders.

Jessica Myers told the board she read an online article less than 24 hours earlier announcing the county’s intent to sell the parcel and that the news motivated her to speak. "This land is in the heart of the community," Myers said, adding that she values green space for wildlife and family recreation and asking the board to "consider who is purchasing the land and for what purpose before it is sold." Myers said she planned to seek advocates in and outside the community to raise awareness and pursue a compromise.

Sheila Voss, who said she lives in unincorporated Madison County and has lived in the area for nearly 20 years, echoed Myers’ concerns and urged the board and community to "reimagine and co-create" what the site could become rather than rush to commercial development. Voss said the parcel represents the kind of publicly owned greenspace that supports clean air, water and community recreation.

Neither speaker proposed a specific legal challenge or formal motion; both framed their remarks as requests that the county postpone a sale and engage the community. The speakers referenced recent and pending commercial development nearby, including a Menards project at the Orchard Town Center, as context for their concern about further large-scale retail development.

The board did not take formal action on the parcel during the special session. The meeting recessed and will reconvene on Jan. 19, 2022, where the board could take up related items or receive further information.