What’s better than a widely known and loved fast food chain chicken restaurant in town? Another widely known and loved fast food chain chicken restaurant directly across the street!
Edwardsville used to be known in Madison County as the place to settle down with your family, but that perception may soon change as it seems we are stuck in a never-ending cycle of new restaurants and construction.
As more of the natural land in Edwardsville is cleared by construction and concrete is poured to make room for new apartments, food chains and super stores, the risk of flooding increases for residents.
According to Edwardsville’s flood report from First Street, about 10.9% of all properties are at risk of flooding over the next 30 years.
Statistics will begin to climb because the soil acts as a sponge which soaks up rainwater and excess melted water and due to the increase in new businesses, there are less places for water to go.
First Street is already predicting an increase in potential flood damage, with about 100 more establishments in Edwardsville at risk of flooding in the next 30 years.
The excess construction and introduction of new businesses creates a bad image for the town, not just because of the increased flood issues, but also the busy nature of Edwardsville and its major roads.
Troy Road, which has undergone modifications and construction over the past five years, is now a mini-highway cutting through the middle of a family-friendly college town.
More often than not, the road is partially shut down or being repainted. This can trigger a state of panic whenever you have to drive along Troy and sweaty-palm-syndrome isn’t ideal for the new drivers and students who are simply trying to drive to school in the morning.
Senior Elise Regna wants nothing to do with the busy streets in town, and she believes the construction causes unnecessary traffic.
“I usually avoid Troy Road because there’s too many lights and it’s [too] crowded,” Regna said. “I only [drive there] at night when nobody is out.”
Regna thinks Edwardsville’s frequent makeovers could be used to better the town, but instead, trees and plants were destroyed to make way for another basic chain restaurant nobody needed.
The town seems to be losing its bright, college town charm and is instead replacing it with a million places you can spend a small fortune on.
If you want to hang out with your friends, your options are either driving to St. Louis to look for a free activity or spend $100 at Target. This makes the town start to feel more like one big shopping mall than a place to raise children.
Though the constant rotation of new restaurants creates variety, the pros of a new Italian place do not outweigh the cons of tearing apart the land and creating more challenges for Edwardsville residents.
I’m tired of trying to mop up the water in my basement after a storm because someone in town needed two fast food chicken restaurants right across the street from each other.