Morris Daily Herald
January 19, 2007
Mistake in notice sends IDOT back for comments
By Jo Ann Hustis
Herald Reporter
One more shot is coming on the proposed Prairie Parkway placement issue, a state official is saying.
The Illinois Department of Transportation, District 3, Ottawa, will
conduct a new public hearing in Yorkville on Tuesday, Feb. 13,
regarding the draft environmental impact statement.
"One more hearing to give everyone one more shot at it," noted Rick
Powell, District 3 project engineer on the proposal. "We didn't expect
to have one, but we did respect the request to have the time period for
comments extended."
The extension and hearing comes in the wake of a question of technical
language in the federal regulations regarding the announcement of the
December hearings.
"The federal highway agency reviewed it and felt it appropriate to extend the comment period," he said.
The original deadline for public comment was Tuesday, Jan. 16. Powell
said the federal agency wanted only a 45-day comment period, but IDOT
lobbied for extending the time to 60 days. Then several citizens action
groups joined in the request, to which the federal agency agreed.
Which delays IDOT's previous plans to announce the accepted route of the highway later this month or early in February.
"Since the comment period is being extended to Feb. 28, we obviously
won't announce anything before then," said Powell. "IDOT will digest
the comments and get back to the regulatory agencies and see if they
have any issues before making the announcement.
"The announcement will still be in late spring - April or May - when we
will have an answer. We're still expecting to have the record of
decision by late this year. Late November of Decem-ber. It might even
come sooner."
The record of decision is federal approval of the proposal, required before federal funds will be released for the project.
The Prairie Parkway proposal would link Interstate 88 in Kane County
with Interstate 80 in Grundy County by one of two alternates, either
three miles west of Minooka or four miles west of Morris.
One alternate is the B-2 corridor, apparently the least favored among
area residents and municipalities. The corridor is located in the
Saratoga-Pioneer Road area in Saratoga and Nettle Creek townships.
The B-5 corridor alternate is more in public favor. This alternate is
located in Aux Sable Township and hooks up with I-80 near Tabler Road.
Prior to the original Tuesday deadline, Powell said IDOT received
upwards of a hundred letters from the public and area governmental
units regarding the two alternates.
"They went all over the map," he said. "Some favor B-5, others B-2, and some say don't do anything at all."
The flurry of communications included a Dec. 18 resolution from the
village of Lisbon Board of Trustees favoring the B-2 alternate. Powell
said this alternate passes by the Kendall County community.
"The Grundy County Board reiterated it favors the B-5 alternate, and
the city of Morris is remaining neutral - there was no comment from
them," he said. "It may be no one is able to reach agreement."
The Feb. 13 public hearing is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Old Kendall
County Courthouse, 110 W. Madison St. The Yorkville hearing will be the
only one - there will not be a similar hearing this time in Grundy
County as before.
"There will be nothing different in the presentation from those public hearings which were held in December," said Powell.
Nearly 200 people turned out for the hearing at White Oak School in
Morris last month. About 250 citizens attended the hearing in Yorkville.