Residents who live on the Lake Charleston loop will not be leaving without a fight, despite the fact that their leases will be expiring in less than a year.

“It will take the sheriff to get me out,” said resident Sandy Patterson. “I will not leave voluntarily.”

Patterson lives on one of the 22 properties whose leases will expire during 2009.

The decision to lease the properties until 2009 was made by the city council in 1992.

On April 3, 2007, the council opted not to take a vote on whether or not to renew the leases – effectively not altering the 1992 decision.

The council’s decision in 2007 came with much protest from the lake island residents.

“The leases are set to expire next year, and this council saw no reason to step in to change this timeline,” City Mayor John Inyart said.

The city council currently has no plans to revisit this issue.

Patterson, who has lived on the lakefront for over 16 years, believes the 1992 decision was made so that all the property leases would expire at the same time, and that the leases were always intended to be renewed.

“The city council has totally blown it out of proportion,” Patterson said.

Inyart said he could not attest to the intentions of the 1992 city council.

Last year, all but one of the lake island residents decided that they would not leave their residences willingly, and that the city would have to evict them.

“I’m going to let them throw me out,” said resident Gale Poteete. “It’s going to cost the city to get us.”

Inyart was not prepared to comment on whether the city would be prepared to evict that many people.

Patterson said he has not made a decision about his living arrangements, if he would be evicted from his home.

“I worry about it daily,” Patterson said. “I’m retired, and this is my only residence.”

Inyart maintains the city made the right choice in opting to let the leases expire. He added it is still too far away to determine what exactly the city will use the land for.

“Proper study and planning for the use of the area will need to be done,” Inyart said. “But I would expect the outcome to be recreational use for all citizens/taxpayers of Charleston.”

The lakefront properties’ owners have hired an attorney, but no legal action has been planned yet.

Dave Durham, who owns two properties on the lakefront, hopes the city will keep the Lake Charleston controversy in mind when making future leasing decisions.

“Maybe they’ll come to their senses next time and have leases be up on a yearly basis,” Durham said.

Rob Siebert can be reached at 581-7942 or at rjsiebert@eiu.edu.

Lake Charleston resident Sandy Peterson, 62-years-old, reflects on what he might be losing this time next year, as the Coles County court will decide whether or not Charleston will have to renew leases. (John Bailey/The Daily Eastern News)

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