Politics & Government

Weiland, Lake-Cook Road Improvement Plans to be Addressed in January

Citizens can share final input on the proposal during two public meetings before trustees put the matter to a vote.

Residents will soon have two final opportunities to weigh in on the proposed improvements to Weiland and Lake-Cook roads in Buffalo Grove.

Village trustees will review the financial impact of the proposed project on Jan. 6, and they expect to vote on the completed Phase 1 report on Jan. 20. The actions will both be part of Village Board meetings that will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall. Public comments can be made at any Village Board meeting.

The proposed road improvements include the addition of one lane in each direction on Lake-Cook Road and Weiland Road south of Aptakisic Road to reduce traffic congestion. The plan also calls for the realignment of Short Aptakisic Road, which would be moved about 200 feet south between Buffalo Grove Road and Route 83 in an effort to reduce cut-through traffic in commercial parking lots and improve safety. 

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Additionally, it includes the construction of a new road that would connect Weiland Road to Prairie Road north of Aptakisic Road. That road is expected to reduce traffic on Aptakisic by providing a new route for northbound and southbound drivers who currently head east or west on Aptakisic to navigate the area.

The proposal has drawn opposition from some residents who have expressed concern about its cost and its reliance on the acquisition of private property and speculation that traffic woes won’t be eliminated or that the changes will result in increased noise or cut-through traffic in some areas.

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Trustee Andy Stein said this week that he thinks residents expect to have another opportunity to share their thoughts during a public hearing. The last meeting on the proposal, held in October, was an open house format that included displays and chances for community members to quietly submit their thoughts into the public record.

“I do believe that all along what they expected as public hearing was different from what they received,” Stein said.

Trustee Mike Terson said documented public comments filled 107 pages, and officials received additional feedback via email.

“The communication is there. We are getting the feedback and the process is working,” he said. 

Village President Jeff Braiman said that feedback will be taken into account, and that another formal public hearing on the matter would likely result in repeats of the comments officials heard at previous meetings.

If trustees sign off on the Phase 1 study next month, it will be forwarded to the Federal Highway Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for approval before Phase 2, which involves engineering design, begins.

An engineer from Civiltech, the firm hired by Buffalo Grove to conduct the study, previously told Patch that design approval is expected from IDOT in March. Over the following few years, land acquisition and construction would begin.

Previously: Weiland Road Improvement Plan Draws Criticism, Some Support


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