Proposed amusement park in Peoria would feature go-karts, mini golf and super slide

PEORIA – An outdoor amusement park that would include go-karts and mini golf is one step closer to being a reality.

The Peoria Planning and Zoning Commission gave the proposed park the necessary approvals needed to move forward, despite concerns residents had about noise and traffic. Final approval is set to go before the Peoria City Council on Sept. 24.

Go-karts, mini golf, a climbing gym, obstacle course, super slide and an inflatable attraction are all proposed components of the amusement park, which would sit on a 9-acre plot of land just off of Orange Prairie Road to the south of Route 91.

The park would be operated by Mark Larson and open from April to mid-November, with hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Larson told the commission. No alcohol will be served at the park.

The amusement park had previously been approved for development in 2017, but it was never built and a special-use permit for the site expired in 2019.

Residents voice concerns about amusement park proposal

Nearby residents voiced their concerns about the proposal to the planning and zoning commission, saying they had worries about how noise from the go-karts and increased traffic on Orange Prairie Road would impact life in the area.

Larson said that he planned to run 12 go-karts at the amusement park, none of which were any louder than a standard riding lawn mower. He added that none of the people who spoke about concerns with noise on Thursday lived within a half-mile of the proposal.

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Series of votes needed for amusement park

There were three separate votes necessary on Thursday for the amusement park to receive the go-ahead from the planning and zoning commission.

The first vote annexed 4.5 acres of land near the development into the city of Peoria. That vote passed.

The second vote decided whether or not a chunk of the 9-acre property that was zoned as residential should be rezoned as commercial so the amusement park could operate. The commission split on a 2-2 tie, with commissioner Ed Barry recusing himself from the vote, citing a conflict of interest.

After further discussion, the commission voted again and this time voted 3-1 to approve the zoning. Commissioner Mike Wiesehan flipped his vote from "no" to "yes" on the second vote. Commissioners Branden Martin and Eric Heard voted "yes" both times. Commissioner George Ghareeb voted "no" in both instances.

The third item that had to be approved was a special-use permit for the amusement park to operate as an outdoor recreation facility. Martin and Heard both voted to approve the special use, Ghareeb voted no, Barry was recused and Wiesehan abstained.

The special use was approved 2-1.

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Ghareeb cited unanswered questions about traffic on Orange Prairie Road as the reason for his no vote. Wiesehan abstained from the final vote saying he was not comfortable approving the item as it was presented.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Proposed amusement park in Peoria would feature go-karts, mini golf and super slide