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Residents of Valmeyer-to-be weigh their choices of lots By Marianna Riley Post-Dispatch 12/19/1993
This story was originally published in the Post-Dispatch on December 19, 1993.
While officials were shoveling symbolic dirt Saturday, future residents of the first city to relocate after the flood of 1993 were studying the site plan for the new Valmeyer.
Ignoring the beribboned spades pushing into the cold, wet earth, they calculated elevations and distances. Should their future backyard be level or a wooded hillside? Would they feel less crowded at the end of the cul-de-sac?
Clifford Andres was assured that the lot he chose would be the site of his future home in the relocated village. That's because he was second in the lottery, and the one person ahead of him had already chosen.
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Andres, 78, was looking for a level back yard, and - anticipating the need to do more walking in his golden years - a centrally located spot near churches and the business district.
He made his choice: Lot 188 gave him all those options, plus it fronted on a nice ridge.
Andres expects to take long walks along that ridge that looks down into the flood plain where he had lived for 35 years on a two-acre lot. That was before the flood of 1993 wiped out his home on Aug. 2.
David and Carol Berg were fourth in the new town's lottery, so they were making four choices of one-third acre lots on which to build a home for their family of five. Berg studied the map and pointed out the elevations of the back yards.
The couple was happy with their choices, all of which afforded them back-yard views of woods.
Down in the flood plain, houses stood empty and desolate, many still ringed with sandbags. One, however, was decorated with bright red ribbons at every window. A large sign sent Season's Greetings from the Smothers family to those who passed by.
Across the street, Gary Siburt and his twin boys, Neil and Cole, 9, were checking on their house, which had all but gone under water last summer. Siburt was ready to take the buyout offer and relocate.
"Most people want to be whole again," he said.
So far, Siburt hasn't done well in the Valmeyer lottery. "We were last, 28 out of 28 for three quarter-acre lots. We're willing to go to a half-acre lot, but we'll probably be at the tail end of that lottery, too," he laughed.
Valmeyer Mayor Dennis Knobloch said the lottery system seemed the fairest way to go. The planned village has 356 lots ranging from one-sixth of an acre to a full acre. So far, 150 families are in the lottery, and another 100 have indicated they want to "talk" next week, he said.
Even so, those 250 families represent considerably fewer than the 900 who lived in Valmeyer before the flood. But Knobloch and others think that the growing momentum of the relocation effort will create enough interest to more than regain the original population.
Illinois Governor Jim Edgar said as much, as he and Knobloch unveiled the official new state highway sign that reads "Welcome to Valmeyer." "The only thing that's missing is the population figure," said Edgar.
Edgar joined other officials in praise of the Valmeyer residents for their speed in the effort to move out of the flood plain.
"There is no community in the U.S. that has reacted as quickly as you have. Not very often do we have a chance to start over in life . . . it's exciting," Edgar said.
At Saturday's ceremonies, officials praised both Knobloch's leadership and the solidarity of the Valmeyer residents who voted to stay together and move their village. The new town is about one and a half miles east of the old one, on a scenic 400-foot bluff.
The new town was part of a 12,000-acre dairy farm, owned by Walter Stemler. "The community is deserving," Stemler said. "That's why I said I'd make the land available." Stemler is credited with making the Valmeyer move possible.
Stemler declined to say how much he had sold his property for, but officials called it "very reasonable."
Officials also said that Valmeyer's commitment to relocate would put it in good stead for getting federal funds.
Richard Krimm, the associate director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response and recovery team, praised the Valmeyer residents for "looking at other alternatives.
"In the long run, this will be a greater savings, not only to the community, but to U.S. taxpayers," he said.
Knoblach said he hoped that the first of the new Valmeyer's residents would be in their homes by next Christmas. He thought the majority of the residents could be settled within two years.
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