The site on Mack Road adjacent to McKee Marsh where the Forest Preserve
District proposes to build a new fleet maintenance facility is entirely
unsuitable. Zoning regulations would prevent private enterprise from developing
such a facility at this location, but since the District is not subject to
zoning regulations it is legally permitted to construct such a facility on this
entirely inappropriate site.
The Forest Preserve District could decide to be a good neighbor to the owners of
properties near the proposed site by selecting a location that would comply with
the zoning regulations that govern the remainder of the population, serviced by
roads with sufficient capacity for the equipment that will frequent the
facility, more distant from, and insulated from, residential property, and not
adjacent to an environmentally sensitive marsh. A location serviced by roads
with sufficient weight capacity would also prevent inordinate repair costs for
excessive damage to Mack Road, borne not by the District but by the local
residents through the Winfield Township Highway Department.
At a public information meeting on May 5, a District staff member said that the
plan to build the fleet maintenance at the proposed Blackwell location had
originated in the 1970’s. While a single service facility may have been
efficient at that time, numerous properties have been acquired since then, many
at significant distance from Blackwell. A single facility for all vehicle
service will require driving or otherwise transporting equipment 20 or 30 miles
or more for all service, even routine or frequent service not requiring
expensive, complex equipment. Staff time not spent transporting equipment can be
employed in more constructive activities. I wouldn’t drive an extra 20 miles to
have my car’s oil changed if it could be properly done closer. The Forest
Preserve District should examine the operational efficiency of routine service
sites closer to where equipment is employed, in addition to a single location
for more extensive service requiring special, expensive service equipment.
The Forest Preserve District is prudent to consider contracting for the fleet
service facility construction at a time when the market will offer favorable
pricing, but such cost advantage can be more than offset by a poor site
selection or an inefficient operational strategy. I urge the District to select
appropriate locations for its facilities and to consider operational costs of a
single facility compared to a multiple facility model.
Barbara Whitney
Winfield