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Kane County Chronicle
December 28, 2001
By TOM SCHLUETER
Big Rock resident Jeff Kukuk voices his disapproval of the proposed
outer beltway freeway to Illinois Department of Transportation officials during a hearing at Big Rock High School
on Thursday night.
Kane County Chronicle
BIG ROCK ó The Kaneville farm Blanca Sounders lives on has been in her family for four generations.
If the Prairie Parkway is built as proposed, it would slice the family farm in half.
ìIf it cut through my house, it would be better,î Souders said.
About 250 people packed the gymnasium at Big Rock High School on a snowy Thursday night to learn more about the
Illinois Department of Transportationís plan to protect a 400-foot-wide swath of land for the Prairie Parkway,
or outer beltway.
The current plan shows the proposed road running from I-88, just east of Kaneville, south into Kendall County,
where it would connect to I-80.
The New England-style town meeting was conducted by Big Rock Village President Kevin Hogle who gave residents the
opportunity to question state and county officials.
IDOTís plan is unusual in that it has no plan for the road, only identifying and recording on property deeds the
centerline for a interstate-type highway that may be built in the future.
The purpose of IDOTís plan is to protect the corridor from development, which raised several questions from those
in the audience.
One resident wanted to know what would happen if a home owner wanted to build a garage in the protected area.
IDOT engineer Gregg Mounts said the home owner would have to submit a request to IDOT, after which the state has
45 days to respond.
IDOT would have a maximum of another 120 days to approve the structure or purchase the property.
Mounts said the time frame is designed to force the state to make a decision.
In response to a question about property values, Mounts said the appraisers hired by the state are directed to
disregard the effects of the project.
All those who spoke opposed the highway, saying it isnít needed in the rural areas but where the traffic is, such
as Route 47 or near Randall Road.
Big Rock Township Supervisor Bob Moga said the town board passed a resolution opposing the process.
ìThereís no traffic out here,î Moga said to the IDOT representatives. ìYou guys are making too many mistakes. We
really donít need the road out here in Big Rock.î
One of the main themes running through the discussion was the idea that the outer beltway would increase traffic
problems, instead of relieving them.
ìIt looks to me like youíre wanted to bring growth to our area,î said Dave Werdin of Kaneville. ìIt seems like
thereís a lot of politics in this.î
Brooke McDonald of the Conservation Foundation said the same thing in a different manner.
ìIf you lay the corridor it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy,î McDonald said.
Kane County Board Chairman Mike McCoy said the highway runs contrary to the countyís 2020 master plan, which calls
for the western half of Kane County to remain for agricultural use.
ìI canít think of another public facility that would negatively affect our plan more than the outer beltway, other
than a Peotone-type airport,î McCoy said.
McCoy said IDOT should stop spending money on studies for the road when there are projects in Kane requiring immediate
attention.
ìWe have congestion now. We have projects on the books that need funding,î McCoy said.