Clarendon Hills Plaza Plan Draws Foes

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills is looking to do away with a traffic triangle downtown and create a plaza.

But nearly 450 people have signed a petition against the move. They say the Sloan Triangle is needed for the smooth flow of traffic.

Village President Eric Tech has pushed the idea since he took the helm a couple of years ago.

"The Village Board has heard from many young families who support the idea of a plaza," Tech said in an email to Patch on Wednesday. "I understand that the petition circulating is a privately led initiative. According to the website, 66% of the signatures come from just three zip codes — not exclusively from Clarendon Hills. Nonetheless, I welcome input from all our residents."

Under the proposal, the village would eliminate the southbound leg of Prospect Avenue to Park Avenue, next to the triangle.

According to a Clarendon Hills presentation, the village aims to do four things for safety:

• Eliminate a potentially dangerous pedestrian crossing.
• Move dining off the street; now it's 18 inches from traffic flow.
• Make room for a safe gathering away from traffic; it would also serve as an after-school hangout.
• Create an overall safe separation from traffic.

The village also wants to create space that is not limited to special events and become a go-to destination, with people saying, "See you at the plaza."

An initial study shows the changes would have no traffic impact, the village said.

The village is looking to tap into the downtown tax increment financing district for money to pay for the project.

Earlier this month, resident Angela Sartori started a Change.org petition titled, "Stop the Plaza Plan in Clarendon Hills."

She took issue with the village president's "false" comments on the petition.

"I have audited the names. It includes all Clarendon Hills residents, some Clarendon Hills business owners, and even some EMT workers," she said in a text to Patch. "It is a limited locally circulated petition limited to ZIP Code 60514. You may see that there are other ZIP Codes that have signed. However, that is because Facebook users started their accounts in other ZIP Codes, but they now live in Clarendon Hills."

According to the petition, the plan threatens to close the "efficient" traffic triangle – "a vital feature of our beloved village."

"Removing (the triangle), along with its essential turn-off lane, could lead to nightmarish traffic jams, putting residents, commuters, and the 176 daily train services at risk," the petition said. "Residents who must cross the tracks in vehicles and on foot for work and school will find their daily routines severely disrupted."

The plan would also remove storefront parking, which makes Clarendon Hills a more convenient place to shop, the petition said.

"This could result in a significant loss of revenue, threatening the livelihoods of business owners who have invested so much into our community," the petition said. It would directly contradict "the intended purpose of these taxpayer-supported initiatives."

In his email, Tech said he has prioritized pedestrian safety and walkability since taking office.

"We are drawing from existing plans with the goal of creating a public space that serves the entire community," Tech said. "This is a thorough and thoughtful process: we’ve already held a public listening session and remain open to suggestions and questions."

He said the local chamber of commerce backs the plaza concept.

The village has set no timeline for the project.

A section of the village's website is reserved for the plaza proposal.