Forest Preserve in Peril

Village Chronicles Newspaper

Local Forest Preserve in Peril?

    — Residents Voice Strong Objections to Construction Plans at Blackwell

By Katherine Yanney

The DuPage County Forest Preserve continues to move forward with construction plans for a new 16-bay Fleet Services maintenance building at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville.

In June 2007, the Board of Commissioners awarded a professional-services contract to Knight Engineers & Architects in the amount of $548,323. The scope of Knight’s work included the design, engineering, completion of construction documents, permit submittals, bidding assistance, and assistance with construction observation for the project, which is intended as a replacement of the district’s two aging and undersized Fleet Services maintenance facilities at Churchill Woods and Blackwell Forest Preserves with a single, 29,000 square-foot facility on three acres of land at 29w400 Mack Rd.

With 16 bays, the new structure would provide a single, centralized location at which to service the district’s fleet of vehicles, as well as house equipment and provide space for technicians and administrative staff. The district contends that the best site is at the Mack Rd. location, 350 yards from the site’s current structure.  The district has used this site for Fleet Services maintenance purposes since 1978. Building the new structure adjacent to the old Mack Rd. building would continue the site’s role as the primary complex for the district’s maintenance activities.

The district states that the project includes landscaping plans that contemplate a wide variety of trees and shrubs to screen the building from view and blend it in with the natural surroundings. Construction is scheduled to begin in October. The estimated cost of this project ballparks at around $7.5 million.

The district cites a number of reasons for its decision to proceed with this project. It contends that the current fleet services facilities at Blackwell and Churchill Woods forest preserves are old, undersized and outdated.  Expansion of the Churchill Woods facility is limited by adjacent ecosystems, and renovating existing structures would be more costly. The district points out that ...”It has quadrupled its fleet over the past 30 years to better manage, improve, and maintain over 25,000 acres — 12 percent of county’s land mass — for the citizens of DuPage County, land that includes over 60 forest preserves, 145 miles of trails, 45 miles of rivers and streams, 30 lakes, five education centers, six youth-group camping areas, six off- leash dog areas, 25 reservable picnic areas, two boat-rental areas, one family campground, one archery range, and many other recreational, educational, and conservational facilities.”

According to the district, the larger fleet requires additional service bays sized appropriately for year-round indoor maintenance of vehicles and equipment. Furthermore, the newly consolidated Fleet Services division provides a centralized area of operations to manage the district’s operations more efficiently

The proposed site also neighbors the McKee Marsh natural area which was established at about the same time as the current Fleet Services facility (circ. 1978) and which allowed resident fauna to adapt to operations.  According to the district, the proposed Blackwell Fleet Services building is not expected to significantly affect this environment.

Though there has been little contact between the public and the district concerning this project, the district did hold a public information open house meeting on May 5 for residents of the area to review the plans, pose questions and voice concerns

And there have been concerns.  So many in fact that on June 30 when the forest preserve commissioners approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Commissioner Roger Kotecki, who resides in Warrenville, cast the lone dissenting vote. According to sources, the commission plans to discuss the matter at its regular meeting on July 21.

Meanwhile, and dating back prior to the May 5 meeting, members of the West-Win Homeowners Association (Westwin) and others have voiced their objections to the project.

Westwin’s position, is best summarized on its website (west-win.home.com cast.net) which contends that “The Du- Page County Forest Preserve Staff seems to be committed and entrenched to their 35- year old plan to industrialize the northern section of the Blackwell Forest Preserve— all without considering the changing neighborhood or forest preserve customer demographics. Forest preserve district commissioners appear not be asking the appropriate financial questions or soliciting input from their constituents, especially the neighbors who will have their property values significantly diminished by this industrial development next to their homes. The forest preserve staff and commissioner’s response has been ‘you need to accept change’ and ‘this is going to happen’.”

Westwin alleges that the building will be in plain sight of neighborhood homes and will significantly add to light pollution, traffic, noise, ground water pollution, and an overall change to the character of the neighborhood.

According to Westwin, the district has already installed an eye-sore Compressed Natural Gas fueling facility in the same area without any public input. In a “quality sense,” says Westwin, the district is “out of control.” It has no process for measuring its performance and no process for listening to the public, other than election of the forest preserve commissioners. In Westwin’s opinion, “The DuPage County Board has many more “checks and balances” in place; why don’t we have the same process in place for the forest preserve district?”

Westwin and others have prepared a list of questions relating to the merits of the district’s project. This list is divided into categories and provides a comprehensive inquiry that would likely occur if a private developer were attempting such a development. Obviously the district is exempt from public hearings and zoning procedures, but many citizens contend that it is still obliged to answer the questions being posed.

The interrogatories are as follows.

Need

1. Could you please provide a copy of the feasibility study that shows the need for this new Fleet Maintenance Facility and the associated future cost savings?
2. It seems that the growth rate of the forest preserve’s land acquisition does not correspond with the larger growth of the vehicle fleet size. Could you please explain this?
3. You have stated that “efficiency” is one of your major goals in relocating the current maintenance facility. Has the FP investigated partnering with the county government that already has an existing large maintenance facility that may have spare capacity, or at least could be expanded at a more modest cost?

Traffic

4. Can you provide the traffic studies that must have been completed for both the short-term and long-term impacts along Mack Rd., including queuing at the Route 59 and Winfield Rd. intersections?  Or have traffic studies not been undertaken?
5. Your website says you are planning on entering into a long-term agreement with other governmental agencies for use of the forest preserve refueling facilities. This is quite a broad statement. What other agencies are you considering? Have these additional traffic impacts been included in a traffic study? Does this sort of refueling activity seem appropriate for a “forest preserve?” Has the FP lost sight of its mission?
6. Your website also mentions several other “alternative fuels” besides compressed natural gas as a possibility for the Blackwell Mack Rd. site. Do you have plans for other refueling operations at this site? If so, this could turn our local neighborhood into a massive “industrial looking” area. Please tell us your long-term plans.
7. What are the load weight carrying capacities of Mack Rd.? Can it handle the load capacity of the “fleet” vehicles? The township posted load limits are five tons on Mack Rd.
8. The maintenance of Mack Rd. is currently borne by the unincorporated-Winfield Township taxpayers. Will the forest preserve be making an annual contribution to the additional maintenance of the local roads?

Environment

9. We understand that the CNG fueling station is only the first of four alternative fuel stations to be located at Blackwell Forest Preserve. Where are the remaining three stations to be located?
10. Can the FP provide the environmental impact study documents for both the current compressed natural gas refueling station and the proposed Fleet Maintenance Building off Mack Rd? Will they be published on the website and when?
11. The currently completed “Alternative Refueling Station” just south of the proposed Fleet Maintenance Facility desperately needs landscaping screening. Since the station sits on high ground, what are the plans to accomplish this?
12. The gate to the refueling station makes the complete complex look very industrial. What can the FP do to have this blend into the natural environment and into a residential area?
13. What are the contingencies for oil, gas and other contaminants that could emanate for the maintenance facility? As you know, local water wells needed to be capped due to the superfund clean-up site called Mt. Hoy.
14. What studies have been undertaken to determine the impact to McKee Marsh, the wildlife, hikers, and other trail uses?
15. Large volumes of water currently flow from north of the Mack Rd. Blackwell area where the current CNG station and proposed Fleet Maintenance Building are located to the wetland and prairie area on the south side of Mack Rd. Water frequently spills over the street in heavy rains. This southern section of Mack Rd. borders residential homes using well water. The runoff from this Blackwell area flows southeast across Mack Rd. and is then funneled through a drainage ditch on the north side of Old Farm Ln. back toward the Dosage River to the west. Any spill or overflow from contaminated liquids from this proposed facility will undoubtedly contaminate the homeowners’ wells in this area. Can you explain how you will prevent this?
16. A large building and associated traffic so close to McKee marsh will undoubtedly affect the birdlife nesting that the forest preserve so diligently and successfully cultivated. Has a study been done by an outside party to determine the affect on wildlife?
17. What other locations have you considered for this facility? When can you provide the studies?
18. It seems that a location in an industrial park would be better suited for such an operation rather than using precious Forest Preserve land that people voted to protect. Would you not agree?
19. Will you commit to placing the external building nightlights on motion sensors for the fuel station and the other existing buildings? The light pollution is already significant to residents along Bender Lane. In addition, can be seen all the way to Purnell Rd.

Safety

20. Since there are no fire hydrants in the area, what is your fire protection plan? This is especially important since any fire could proceed to the surrounding dry vegetation and onto the surrounding home lots. Please provide a certification from the surrounding Fire Protection Districts of Warrenville, Winfield, and West Chicago as to the acceptability of your plan.

Dupage County Government

21. Can you explain why the forest preserve does not have to follow the county zoning and hold public hearings similar to other large developments when they are planned for a neighborhood? Without such protections it seems that the forest preserve district may present a threat to our rural environment just as the “Big Box” development community does!
22. It is obvious that the forest preserve has been planning this facility for years, yet it seems they have not involved the neighbors in the planning. The purpose of DuPage County Zoning Ordinances is to protect the “promise” made by the county to homeowners when they purchased property in a zoned area; i.e., that they would know what to expect, and to provide local input when a change is proposed. Can you explain why you have not involved the neighbors until recently when they posed questions to you?

    ― Village Chronicles Newspaper

Updated 08/26/09 03:54 AM ET