Elburn Herald
December 13, 2001
by Matt Hanley
Residents expressed reactions that ranged from anger to resignation as they viewed an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) proposal for the Prairie Parkway, a highway that would connect I-88 to I-80.
Nearly 900 residents came to the Beecher Center in Yorkville--some waiting in line up to 45 minutes--to hear the county's plans to build a 33-mile highway that would weave through Kane, Kendall and Grundy counties, between Plano and Yorkville.
Many residents spent Tuesday evening looking at one of the two, 30-foot maps that were laid out on tables, indicating points on the map where their house, or a friend's house, stands.
The plan has been called by some the "Hastert Highway," because of it's substantial support from Dennis Hastert, the U.S. Speaker of the House, who's home district surrounds the proposed highway. Others in attendance called it "Hastert's Disaster," and wore "No Outerbelt Freeway" buttons to the meeting.
While officials from IDOT warned that the highway was a long way (at least 10 years) from beginning construction, many residents already felt crowded.
Robert and Phyllis Pierson from Kaneville said they are "deadly opposed" to the project. Phyllis said their farm is a "handshake away" from the proposed highway and they worry.
Originally, the path of the highway went directly through a developed portion of Kaneville Township. However, current maps show the road placed to the east of the Kaneville development.
Still, the Piersons said that they and their neighbors are worried that changing the land around the highway would flood their property, making it worthless.
"They don't care at all," said Robert. "He (Hastert) should have been here tonight to see how many people are here."
The Piersons are one of almost 200 property owners who now have their property "tagged" by IDOT, meaning that if their land comes up for sale in the future, IDOT will have the option to buy it. After Tuesday's meeting, all properties that fall on the proposed highway line will have a note with its deed in the county records. So, if the residents want to sell or make improvements on their property, IDOT will then have an option to buy the property.
According to IDOT spokesman Tom Sancken, improvements include anything that is not maintenance or emergency repairs to the property. For instance, if someone wanted to build a new house on the property or add a second story to an existing house, that would be considered improvements.
At that point, IDOT would have 45 days to say whether they wanted to buy the property. They would then have 120 days to either buy the property or get a court order to have the property sold to IDOT.
Sancken also noted that there is currently no money set aside for IDOT to buy any property or do any further studies in the area.
Sancken said starting before the land has been heavily developed is important to "minimize the environmental impact." Sancken added that while the highway would now only affect two homes, if they waited two years it could effect 100 homes.
And, Sancken said, the road will fill a vital transportation need in the area.
"I understand that it's not popular for the people with property that will be affected, but it is good for the public in general," said Sancken.
Sancken said the meeting was simply to inform residents of the proposed plans and give the public a chance to register their comments for the public record.
However, Sally Carr from Big Rock said that she wished the meeting could have been more informative.
"I think they should have had a lot more answers before they presented this," said Carr, who had been passed between engineers all night while trying to get her questions answered. "If they don't have any money for this, why are they already tagging people's property? Does one hand not know what the other hand is doing?"
But Hastert's voice is a powerful one in the area, and several municipalities are expected to support the highway to keep Hastert on their good side.
Elburn resident Frank Slepicka's property is not one of the tagged properties, but he wonders what the road might mean for the future of his farm.
"What this is going to do for me for the rest of of my life is going to put a big question mark on my property," he said.
And with Hastert's support behind it, Slepicka is one of the many people at the meeting who saw the road not as an adversary, but as an eventuality.
"There's sort of a feeling of resignation here," said Slepicka. "Don't stand in the way of the bulldozer."
Several other people at the meeting were concerned that I-88 to I-80 would eventually lead to later extending the highway between I-88 and I-90, although IDOT officials say that there are no plans to do that.
Transportation issues north of I-88 are handled by IDOT District 1 out of Schaumburg. Roger Valente, an IDOT representative from District 1, said the district completed a study in 1997 on the feasibility of a freeway connecting I-88 to I-90, but since that time it has "not proceeded in any way, shape or form" with a plan to extend the Prairie Parkway.
And, Valente said, there could not be any money set aside to do any further research into the project until at least 2006.
The public now has through Friday, Jan. 11, 2002 to file a complaint with IDOT.
Comments can be mailed to Illinois Department of Transportation, 700 E. Norris Drive, Ottawa, IL 61350.