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Aurora Beacon-News
August 27, 2002

Kendall chairman plans letter to IDOT

More hearings: Church says more people should have chance to comment on Prairie Parkway

By Mike Norbut
STAFF WRITER

YORKVILLE ó There is support for more Outer Belt hearings in Kendall County, just not from a unified voice.

Kendall County Board Chairman John Church said he is writing a letter to the Illinois Department of Transportation requesting documentation to show just how many new landowners are affected by the Prairie Parkway's new center line, which was recorded a few weeks ago.

During discussions about the previous road proposal, IDOT officials indicated they would try to ease the impact on some properties by following power lines and other rights-of-way. Church said he now wants to know how well they did.

"If there's a new set of landowners affected, isn't there some sort of obligation to them?" Church said. "These residents have had no opportunity to comment. Everybody had a chance to comment on the original corridor, but they didn't have the opportunity knowing their property would be impacted."

IDOT officials have said they do not plan on holding any more public hearings on the Prairie Parkway, a decision highway opponents have attacked as being callous to landowners' concerns.

IDOT has characterized the revisions to the proposed 36-mile outer-belt highway connecting interstate highways 88 and 80 through Kane, Kendall and Grundy counties as minor.

Opponents, however, point out that of the 193 parcels in the corridor, 61 are new, while 59 were removed from the original proposal.

"I can understand IDOT to a certain extent, in that they can't hold hearings forever," Church said. "But they have to recognize when it does impact you directly, you will be more apt to comment."

While Church has been fairly vocal on the Prairie Parkway topic, the Kendall County Board has not taken a unified stance on the issue. With board members split, they have never seen a reason to have a consensus opinion on the topic, Church said.

"My letter won't be on behalf of the board," Church said. "I don't know the board is anymore interested in taking a stand now than it was a few months ago."