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12/01/2003MINUTES COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE December 1, 2003 The village board met as a committee of the whole in the board room of the village hall at 8:08 p.m. on Monday, December 1, 2003. In attendance were: Village Board Steven Harris, Mayor Robert Benton, Trustee Jerry Kayne, Trustee Harriet Rosenthal, Trustee William Seiden, Trustee Vernon Swanson, Trustee Matthew Wylie, Trustee Deerfield Road Rehab Project Staff Robert D. Franz, Village Manager John Sliozis, Chief of Police Barbara Little, Director of Public Works/Engineering John Welch, Assistant Village Engineer Diane Mikula, Assistant to the Village Manager Safety Council Chairman & Members Bob Franz introduced the topic: the improvement of Deerfield Road from Chestnut Street to Wilmot Road. Consulting engineer Civil Tech had been hired by the village to plan for this project, including means to foster safer pedestrian movements across Deerfield Road. The village applied for a Federal grant of 70% of the construction costs through the Lake County Council of Mayors. The program is administered through IDOT and certain design guidelines must be met to qualify for the money. Recently, the village retained the services of Craig Williams of Edwards & Kelcey to look specifically at pedestrian issues involving the Deerfield Road project. The consultant met earlier in the evening with the safety council to hear firsthand their ideas about pedestrian improvements, particularly the need for access to Maplewood Park from south of Deerfield Road. Barb Little introduced Harry Gilmore, Project Manager from Civil Tech who presented the scope of the work. For most of its length, Deerfield Road has 66' of right of way. The average width of pavement is 30'. Currently, average daily traffic (ADT) is 22,000 vehicles and 27,000 is projected by 2020. Proposed improvements would consist of removal and replacement of the curb and gutter, the addition of a center left turn lane (requiring widening the road approximately 2' on each side), adding left turn lanes at Chestnut, signalization improvements at Wilmot and roadway resurfacing the entire length of Deerfield Road. Talks are currently underway with Lake County to extend the project west of Wilmot Road and, if village funds allow, improving Wilmot Road north of Deerfield Road to Montgomery Road. As part of its study, Civil Tech explored the feasibility of: ➢ Pedestrian Underpass — Three locations were analyzed but all were rejected due to the depth of the existing storm sewer, the number of driveways impacted and insufficient right of way width to accommodate the required cross section. ➢ Bike Path — An 8' to 10' bike path was explored but eliminated as part of this project since the Feds would rather the roadway be widened to four lanes than a bike path constructed if trees are to be impacted. Committee of the Whole December 1, 2003 Page 2 ➢ Pedestrian Refuge Island — A barrier median just west of Jonquil Terrace was analyzed but it was concluded that it could actually introduce additional safety concerns for both pedestrians and motorists. ➢ Painted Crosswalk - A high visibility, painted pedestrian crosswalk at Jonquil Terrace is proposed. Also recommended was that advance warning signs be installed east and west of the crossing, perhaps with flashing beacons. The intersection improvement at Chestnut Street and the 4' widening of Deerfield Road would impact 13 trees, 9 on Deerfield and 4 on Chestnut. Also, utility poles along Deerfield Road would have to be relocated at ComEd's expense. Further study is needed to determine how much tree trimming would be needed to accommodate the new overhead wires. Staff was advised by ComEd that the village would have to contribute $1.5 million if the wires are to be placed underground. It was noted that the project should move forward as soon as possible so that construction can occur next summer. Delaying it to 2005 will run the risk of it conflicting with Cook County Highway Department's plans to widen Lake Cook Road between Waukegan and Pfingsten Roads. Discussion ensued regarding the recommended improvements with some questioning why any widening is needed. Concerns were expressed that more traffic might be generated and that the overall appearance would suffer. It was reported that one benefit to the center turn lane was the reduction in rear end accidents. Over the past three years, 84 accidents have occurred on this section of roadway. The additional lane should reduce the number of collisions since cars making left turns would be separated from through traffic. There are 65 curb cuts on Deerfield Road, some of which are for multi- family and institutional uses. Barb Little advised that storm sewer work was needed west of the creek and that the sanitary sewer east of the creek was under study for improvements or replacement. Only the storm sewer work would qualify under the 70% Federal funding. It was unknown at this time what impact utility work might have on trees in the area regardless of whether or not the street was widened. There were strong feelings expressed by some that too much emphasis was being placed on moving cars at the expense of pedestrians and neighborhood impact. At the same time, it was noted that, while a locally controlled street, Deerfield Road functions like a state route carrying traffic volumes well beyond those typical of a two-lane road. East of Waukegan Road, Deerfield Road is four lanes with turning lanes at almost every intersection. Deerfield Road is predominantly a residential street but has always operated as a major east/west arterial with the objective of keeping through traffic out of neighborhoods bordering it. IDOT has emphasized that the usual cut-off for a two-lane road is 14,000 ADT. They are willing to compromise on funding provided a center lane is added to allow smoother traffic flow and to reduce accidents. Barb Little reported that, as proposed, the project cost is estimated at $2.6 million with the village share at $900,000. Without the widening, the cost would be approximately $1.6 million, which would have to be funded totally by the village. Consultant Craig Williams was asked his opinions on the project. He stated that it is difficult to balance pedestrian issues with the heavy volume of traffic but that widening might offer some opportunities for pedestrian improvements in the form of refuge areas. He believes as many as three Committee of the Whole December 1, 2003 Page 3 crossings could be created, but he needs to study the matter in more detail. Once the scope of the project is defined, it will be easier to determine what pedestrian enhancements are possible. The board agreed to discuss the project again in two weeks. In the meantime, information will be given the board on the 13 trees that would have to be removed. Also, the consultants will develop different project scenarios for additional review and discuss further with IDOT what flexibility they might have in scaling back the project yet qualifying for Federal funds. The meeting adjourned at 9:54 p.m. Minutes prepared by: Ro&ft D. Franz, Village Manag'