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Elburn Herald
December 20, 2001
by Denise Perry Donavin
The possible Prairie Parkway that would connect Interstates 80 and 88 continues to draw opposition and alternative
suggestions throughout the area.
A representative from Kane County suggested at Tuesday's Sugar Grove Village Board meeting that an inner beltway, as opposed to the much-discussed outer beltway, may be more feasible from the county's perspective.
County Board Member Bill Wyatt said that the inner route is favored by Kane County Board Chairman Michael McCoy.
Wyatt demonstrated on a map three possible. routes originally drawn by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for the Prairie Parkway. In the far west plan, the route would run through Sycamore, Cortland and Millington. The central route, which is the leading candidate, runs through Kendall and Kane counties to 1-88, near Kaneville along Dauberman Road.
The third, eastern, route veers off from the outer beltway in Kendall County, follows the main power lines northeast, and heads north from Dixon Road to I-88 near Route 56 and Galena Road.
Wyatt said McCoy prefers the eastern route because it creates the least impact on Kane County. Especially, since the 2020 plan would like to keep the area now designated for the outer beltway as agricultural, Wyatt said.
McCoy confirmed Wyatt's interpretation.
"It (the eastern plan) would run between the boundaries of Sugar Grove and Aurora in an unincorporated area," said McCoy. "With the strong support Aurora is showing for the road, it makes the most sense to move it closer to Aurora."
He added that the outer beltway through Big Rock and Kaneville is "the number-one threat to the 2020 plan so far."
McCoy also said that U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, who supports the outer roadway, quoted an old plan by Daniel Burnham that had an outer belt way. McCoy said he recently looked at that plan, like the western route on the IDOT maps, it went through DeKalb.
"I think that one makes the most sense, but DeKalb is vehemently opposed to it," McCoy said. "They must have more clout than we do."
Wyatt suggested that if the state followed the path of least resistance, the eastern route could become the most likely of the three options. Wyatt added that there was solid opposition. to the outer beltway at a recent public meeting in Yorkville.
Asked why Kendall County is a proponent of the expressway, Wyatt replied, "They've got 60,000 people. We've (Kane County) got 300,000. We want to control growth and work more conservatively.They want development to happen."
"It (the beltway) is obviously being punched through by Kendall County as
a growth iriitiative," said McCoy. "Kane County grew by 85,000 people in the last census. That is more
than the whole population of Kendall."
A desire to expand could also explain why Aurora is a proponent of the expressway, Wyatt suggested.
"My fear is that Aurora really wants the inner beltway because they want to expand the airport," Wyatt said: "That puts you guys (Sugar Grove) in a bad situation. I would really like to see a municipal airport authority that would take away the absolute power of Aurora. My biggest fear is Aurora flexing its muscle out here. I'm not sure they have your best interest in mind."
Wyatt and Sugar Grove Village Board members listed a number of ways the route would affect the village.
The Alexander property, a 1500-acre development in the planning stages, could be impacted. Police Chief Jim Quist said that an interchange near Route 56 could also affect the Walnut Woods subdivision. The, development of, or access to, the Town Center Project, proposed for the site west of Route 47 between Route 56 and Galena Boulevard, could also be affected.
All of these impacts outweigh possible benefits, Wyatt concluded.
"I don't see a lot of benefit. It will just cut you off," Wyatt said. "Since this is an expressway, it will have limited access for the village and no economic benefit, but considerable environmental impact in terms of noise and air pollution."
He suggested the board draft a resolution outlining its opinion on the roadway and its affects on Sugar Grove, and ask for an extension of the public hearing period.
Scott Buening, the new community development director for Sugar Grove, said, "The
idea behind the road is not to build it now, but to reserve the corridor so when the need is there the land is
available. What caused the Fox Valley Freeway to fail was development. They would have had to take out 1,000 homes
and businesses."
Sugar Grove President Sean Michels called the outer beltway the lesser of two evils. Board members agreed they
should ask for an extension of the public hearing time, scheduled to end Friday, Jan.11.
The Kane County Board also voted last week to ask state transportation officials for more time to study and comment
on the plan.
"It's a billion dollar project," said Wyatt. "We should take some
time."