The Affected Homeowners’ Voices on the Mack Road Bike Path
The Warrenville city council has passed ordinances and is preparing to file condemnation proceedings against my neighbors and me (all seniors who have lived in our homes for many years) because we are not willingly giving up rights to our property for the proposed north side bike path.
A short history: Out of the three alternatives (north side, south side, on-street 5-foot bike lanes), the north side was chosen without our knowledge and when the city thought it possessed the Right-of-Way necessary for a north side trail. The ROW was determined to be much smaller. After three revisions, the permanent and temporary easement requirements have increased significantly – to outrageous totals ranging from 40 to 85 feet (.3 acre). The project was flawed from the start and neither of the other two options were reevaluated when circumstances changed: a new Blackwell Master Plan and the need for private property. As far as the path funding, here is a quote from Warrenville’s own website:
Project Overview: In December 2015, the City was awarded federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funding that will cover 75% of construction costs and construction engineering to add a multi-use path along the south or north sides of Mack Road, just east of Route 59.
Now, the city’s plan for the affected properties calls for 1) cutting down/impacting native plants and over 45 trees including mature towering oaks and walnuts. (The replacement small 2” diameter trees are poor unacceptable substitutes) 2) performing extensive grading resulting in berms extending over 20 feet into our yards and unsightly permanent swales (ditches) with lengths of 75-100 feet dug right smack dab in our front lawns and 3) expecting us to remove and replace our own pillars and essential lighting. This is not a simple matter of building a path on flat, vacant land. All the above property damage with construction lasting up to 5 years will have a very negative impact on the homes that we love.
There is absolutely no justification for the taking of private land for a public trail when public land is so conspicuously available across the road. This area is being regularly mowed and was the former staging area of the Kerr-McGee thorium cleanup. Trail users and vehicular traffic safety favor a south side location with no driveway crossings and we have elaborated on this and other undisputable reasons (e.g. utilities) at numerous city council meetings.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is already a partner in this project – they are responsible for the portion of the path adjacent to McKee Marsh and are granting permanent easements (for the bridge renovation) both in front of the dog park and west of the bridge. With participants in the Blackwell Forest Preserve Master Plan’s study asking the FPDDC for ‘trail connections along Mack Road’, there is no question that the partnership should encompass building the path on the south side of Mack Road – intergovernmental cooperation and use of taxpayer dollars at its best.
When you ride down Mack Road, ask yourself where is the ‘Common Sense’ location? Hopefully then you can understand our unwavering opposition to a northside path.
Thank you for listening and your time.
Pam Spevak
29W630 Mack Road