Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Section A • Friday, August 21, 2015 •
LOCAL NEWS 9
Developer estimates Phase 1 will cost $59M Maplewood committee • FRG
Continued from page A1 people, Glazov informed the board of a site plan change to address traffic concerns, responding to a comment from Trustee Steve Knar. Previous discussions determined Steve Knar a traffic study, done by KLOA Inc., needed to be repeated during peak school times in order to get accurate results. “I’m all for this development, should it come to fruition, but the question I have is, if we’re going to do another traffic study ... where do we go with that if the determination is that there’s some type of issue?” Knar said. Glazov said the entrance and exits onto Algonquin Road from the parcel with
“I have a desire that all of you as decision-makers do some thoughtful searching as to what’s best for this town. ... My hope for the community is that they’ll put trust in you that you will take care of the town and its best interests.” Gerry Blohm Trustee Suzanne Blohm’s husband’s comment to the Village Board buildings one and two – building three is an outlier, sitting where Midwest Construction Products is – have been eliminated. “And [they have been] moved up to Lincoln, just to the east of the triangle that’s just to the south of the property. So there won’t be any traffic from buildings one and two, which are the main number of units,” Glazov. The sole public comment on the subject came from Blohm’s husband, Gerry Blohm, who made requests to the board, the public and the developer.
“I have a desire that all of you as decision-makers do some thoughtful searching as to what’s best for this town. ... My hope for the community is that they’ll put trust in you that you will take care of the town and its best interests,” Gerry Blohm said. “And my hope is that the developer embraces the culture of this town ... and does it to the best of their ability, even if it means cutting into their profits.” Glazov estimated Phase 1’s price tag will be about $59 million, up from initial estimates of $53 million, after
taking certain requests from the village into account. Village Administrator Derek Soderholm said changes to the preliminary site plan include a reduction in the parking ratio per the board’s comments, a reduction in Derek impervious Soderholm surface, and a 6-foot buffer around the site, among several others. The next step will either be to Bob look at final Nunamaker drawings or a development agreement, Village President Bob Nunamaker said, adding the developer has a couple big steps behind him, but “now his real work is beginning.”
will next meet Sept. 16 • MAPLEWOOD
Continued from page A3 highlight the two entities are working together, with public input, to move the process forward. S c h o o l board member Chris Christensen said his goal is to make clearer to everyone, including the Chris public, the s c h o o l d i s - Christensen trict’s finances as it relates to the Maplewood property. Members agreed the next meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16, should consist of a presentation on the district’s financials, as well as a view of the village’s compre-
Without grant money, work will be done in smaller phases • MAIN BEACH
Continued from page A3
Vikaas Shanker – vshanker@shawmedia.com
Industry experts (from left) Chris Taylor of UBER Chicago, Thomas Livingston of CSX, Kevin Price of Illinois Department of Transportation, Timothy Meyer of Fermilab, Harry Lightsey of GM, U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren and Mark Blankenship of IDOT discuss technological solutions to transportation issues with the public Thursday at Plainfield Village Hall.
Panelists discuss ridesharing, technology at forum • TRANSIT
Continued from page A1 we’ve been designing to withstand a crash, accepting the fact that crashes happen,” he said. “Now we’ve begun a pivot. Now it’s all about preventing crashes from happening altogether.” Technology, such as anti-lock brakes or backup alert cameras, will be a trend, Lightsey said. Other advancements include key fobs that allow parental monitoring of driving habits and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Fermilab is known for its breakthroughs in particle physics, but Meyer said the science is being applied to
help drive economic growth. “We push the technology of accelerators,” Meyer said. “If an accelerator can be used to make tires harder, stronger and more durable, why not pavement?” Meyer said a couple scientists are working on ways to decrease potholes by reinforcing asphalt through new technology. Livingston, an executive for Joliet-based logistics company CSX, said railroads have been integral to the economic development of the country for years, and will continue to be important. Recent innovations include wheel heat sensors that can prevent drag and derailment, smart locomotive engines, web-based ap-
plications for first responders, and a crash mitigation system called Positive Train Control, to be implemented by 2020.
Traffic and ridesharing
Blankenship spoke about IDOT’s new Safety Portal, which makes reporting crashes to the state simpler and quicker for law enforcement. “Our fatalities [in traffic crashes] are up,” he said. “What we’re really finding is there is really no particular cause to many of these crashes. It’s human error.” The data can help make transportation safer, Blankenship said. Other state initiatives include installing LED road
lighting, putting more speed feedback trailers and portable signs in construction or high-traffic zones, and a new online map tool for truck drivers. Ridesharing also was a topic of discussion at the forum. Lightsey said mobile app services like UBER and Lyft give drivers another flexible option. “Already we’ve seen how [UBER and Lyft] ... knows where their drivers are,” Lightsey said. “They created a smartphone app. It’s a fascinating way they’ve done that. People are looking very hard at ridesharing in general. Maybe car ownership is not as important to them as it was.”
PADS operates a day center in Woodstock for the homeless • HOMELESS
Continued from page A1 October through April, leaving five months where the homeless have limited options for places they can lay their head without fear of being caught. Because McHenry County doesn’t have a permanent homeless shelter, officials at PADS, a division of Pioneer Center for Human Services, provide the homeless with donated sleeping bags and tents in the spring. Although officials hope to see these individuals return to get services that will help them get out of homelessness, Pioneer Center Chief Development Officer Christin Kruse said that hope often goes unfulfilled. “We really don’t know where they go in the summer months,” Kruse said. “We try our best to equip them with the things they need.” Annual counts show more than 1,000 people in McHenry County had sought some service to cope with homelessness in fiscal 2014, said McHenry County Continuum of Care to End Homelessness board Chairman Hans
hensive plan – a document potential developers can use to see what the village envisions for certain areas. Discussion also took place on whether a member of the public should be added to the committee’s roster. Members generally were agreeable to the idea, and definitely agreeable to residents sharing opinions during public comment portions of meetings. However, concerns were expressed by some about the amount of time it would take to enlist someone, following proper procedure, compared to the life expectancy of the committee. The district is in the process of re-evaluating the property’s value before an imminent rebidding process. Future meetings will be posted ahead of time by both the village and the district.
“When you get arrested it’s kind of nice because you know you have a place to stay.” Ed Sylwestrzak A homeless man who splits his time between Crystal Lake and Woodstock Mach. This number includes people seeking support, as well as those in emergency, transitional or supportive housing programs at places, such as PADS, Turning Point and Home of the Sparrow. It also includes people not living in these programs and those who sleep in cars, tents and other precarious places. Some people, about 30 daily, visit PADS’ day center at 14411 Kishwaukee Valley Road in Woodstock while it is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Kruse said. They can do laundry, shower, use computers and eat. But once the center closes, they are back on the streets. As to where they are supposed to sleep without violating any laws or local ordinances? “I think that would be the million dollar question,” Woodstock Deputy Police
Chief John Lieb said. For Sylwestrzak and his wife, there are few options and none of them offer a guaranteed night of sleep. They could go to an area McDonald’s, although they have to stay awake. They were staying in a tent in a wooded area near Route 47 in Woodstock, but recently were kicked out. He’s had other run-ins with police that landed him in jail for trespassing or drinking in a public place. “When you get arrested it’s kind of nice because you know you have a place to stay,” Sylwestrzak said. Lieb said police have had several encounters with tent cities, which can range from three to more than a dozen tents. They pop up in city parks, forested areas and sometimes on private property. Officers will issue trespass warnings for those
found on private property, and if the homeless don’t leave, they face arrest, although Lieb said arrests don’t happen very often. When police ask people to leave a city park, Lieb said they usually leave. In Crystal Lake, Operations Cmdr. Tom Kotlowski said although it’s not common, police typically interact with the homeless after receiving a call for someone who’s intoxicated, has been robbed or was in a fight. “To randomly drive around and around, locate people and say they can’t be here? No,” Kotlowski said. Police also have daily encounters with the homeless on the Woodstock Square. They issue citations if they witness someone drinking or urinating in the park, he said. But sometimes, the calls that come to police aren’t about criminal activity, but the homeless themselves. Those calls end in conversations, not arrests. “Homelessness is not a crime,” Lieb said. “This is just their status in life at the moment. We respond to any types of criminal behavior, but many times it’s unfounded.”
design would be nautical but not “over the top.” The current building needs to be “burned to the ground,” Commissioner Jim Batastini said, joking he would bring the gasoline and match. “I used to work there 30-plus years ago,” he said. “There’s enJim Batastini gravings, there’s things we wrote on the wall, me and my buddies. Those should be taken and put on the outside of the new building or the Smithsonian. Take your pick.” One Lakeshore Drive resident raised concerns about increased traffic and asked about a stop sign, a question staff said will be taken to the city’s traffic safety committee for consideration. The park district also does
not plan on adding to its fleet, Executive Director Jason Herbster said. When the work happens, however, depends on state legislators and the governor, and Viger has heard only rumors and “a lot of wishful thinking.” The district’s Board of Commissioners has committed to doing the work with or without the grant, but if the money doesn’t come through, the work will have to be broken up into smaller phases, Viger said. Work is set to begin soon on a few other projects, including the replacement of the playground at West Beach and an erosion control project designed to keep West Beach from disappearing into the lake, she said. Maintenance and upgrades also are planned for the extensive wetlands system at Lippold Park, and a concrete overflow structure that separates a Prairie Ridge Conservation Area park from a neighboring creek needs to be replaced, Viger said.
PUBLIC ACCESS SATURDAY, AUG. 22 Crystal Lake Public Library Board of Trustees planning workshop When: 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 Where: Crystal Lake Public Library, 126 Paddock St.
TUESDAY, AUG. 25 Crystal Lake Economic Development Committee When: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25 Where: Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock St. Crystal Lake Park District Board of Commissioners special meeting When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25 Where: Crystal Lake Park District Administrative Office, 1 E. Crystal Lake Ave. Lakewood Village Board When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25 Where: RedTail Golf Club, 7900 RedTail Drive
THURSDAY, AUG. 27 McHenry County College Board of Trustees When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27 Where: McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14
TUESDAY, SEPT. 1 Crystal Lake City Council When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1 Where: Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock St. Richmond Community Development Committee When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1 Where: Richmond Village Hall, 5600 Hunter Drive Richmond Finance Committee When: 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1 Where: Richmond Village Hall, 5600 Hunter Drive
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2 Crystal Lake Foreign Fire
Insurance Board When: 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2 Where: Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock St. Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2 Where: Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock St.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 3 Crystal Lake Historic Preservation Commission When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3 Where: Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock St. Richmond Village Board When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3 Where: Richmond Village Hall, 5600 Hunter Drive
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9 Crystal Lake Public Library Building Committee When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9 Where: Crystal Lake Public Library, 126 Paddock St.
MONDAY, SEPT. 14 Crystal Lake Ad Hoc Clean Air Counts Advisory Committee When: 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 Where: Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock St. Crystal Lake Public Library planning and public relations committees When: 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 Where: Crystal Lake Public Library, 126 Paddock St. McHenry County College Evaluation and Policies Committee When: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 Where: McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14, Crystal Lake