[BCNnet] Fw: Orland Park road widening and effect on McGinnis Slough FP, from the Star

[Alan Anderson]

Wes and other Palos area birders might have a bit more to add on this
topic - on how it might affect McGinnis or other forest preserves along the
route.

Alan


Alan Anderson
casresearch@comcast.net
Des Plaines, Cook Co.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Johngsheerin@aol.com
To: fpfriends@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 4:17 PM
Subject: [fpfriends] from the Star


Gorman to discuss land swap for road widening
Thursday, October 14, 2004

By Juliana Keeping, The Star

Orange and green markers along 143rd Street in Orland Park point the way to
street widening plans now in the preliminary engineering phases.

The markers, which indicate curb and right-of-way of a widened 143rd Street
between Ridge and West Avenues, cut onto residents' properties gradually
more toward the West Avenue. Some of the markers indicate the widening would
cut front yards in half, while other markers don't pass the sidewalk.

The project would widen the street from two lanes to five between LaGrange
and Wolf Roads, but millions in funding need to be secured before plans
could move forward.
Residents between Ridge and West Avenues who would be affected by the
widening say they'd prefer the road be widened to the north, into the Cook
County Forest Preserve District's McGinnis Slough, if at all.

And before final engineering plans can be drawn up, the village will have to
determine if that is possible.

A meeting tentatively scheduled for next week between Cook County
Commissioner Elizabeth Doody Gorman, engineers, village and forest preserve
district officials will address the matter.

Orland Park has offered 2½ acres at 139th Street and 110th Avenue, alongside
the McGinnis Slough, in exchange for the 1.7 acres along 143rd Street needed
for the widening, village officials said.

Gorman, R-Orland Park, said the meeting will be "just to get everyone on the
same page as to what's happening on the property, and what the future of the
plans may or may not be."
She said she will pass along residents' concerns to forest preserve district
officials.
"I'm just going to let them know that there are dozens of citizens along
143rd Street, and that their property could be negatively impacted from this
extension," she said.

The meeting is not open to the public, she said.

Steve Mayberry, a spokesman for the forest preserve district, indicated next
week's meeting won't yield a final decision on whether or not to swap land.

Any decision involving Cook County Forest Preserve District land and its use
has must go before the Forest Preserve District of Cook County board of
commissioners, and would be evaluated first on a staff level, he said. There
are also federal guidelines.

"Through IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) there are a host of
requirements that have to be met before we can even begin to engage in talks
about land swaps and deals and things of this nature," Mayberry said. "The
bottom line is, Orland is going to have to show us that they have exhausted
all other avenues before we can engage in that."
Two planned developments would add to congestion in the future, making the
widening project necessary, village officials said.

The Metra Triangle project between 143rd Street, LaGrange Road and Southwest
Highway will feature and retail, housing around an improved 143rd Street
Metra station.
Orland Crossing, planned for the northeast corner of 143rd Street and
LaGrange Road, is a large housing and retail development.

Juliana Keeping may be reached at jkeeping@starnewspapers.com or (708)
802-8823.