Are La Grange Streets In Bad Shape?

LA GRANGE, IL – A La Grange resident's dismal review of local streets on Monday sparked a Village Board discussion on the village's approach.

During public comments, Danny Brock, who lives in the 700 block of South Waiola Avenue, said streets are getting much worse south of 47th Street. And the village's patching program, he said, is failing to reverse the decline and, in some cases, may be hastening it.

When he was told the village was working on streets every year, Brock said, "We're working at it isn't cutting it because road conditions are actually getting worse."

Village President Mark Kuchler said streets are always at their worst this time of year with repeated freeze-and-thaw cycles.

He also said the village was not just filling potholes, but also doing some bigger patching, which he said seemed to be effective.

Kuchler and village trustees said La Grange is holding off on repaving some streets, so the village can replace water and sewer lines. This prevents the village from tearing up a street and then having to do so again a few years later.

Adding to this work is a federal mandate for replacing lead service lines to homes, he said.

Because of all this, the village wants street projects that involve utilities and lead lines, which happened with Brainard Avenue two years ago.

Trustee Glenn Thompson said he understood what Brock was talking about, saying he lives nearby and walks the streets in the resident's neighborhood.

But he said village officials agreed a couple of years ago to delay projects until the village can replace lead service lines.

"I think it's important that residents understand that, yes, our streets are getting worse," Thompson said, "but we're trying to come up with a plan that saves the village the most money by doing this on a very consolidated basis."

Trustee Beth Augustine said she understood that approach and that she wouldn't suggest changing it.

But she said some streets may have gotten so dangerously bad that the village should consider exceptions. It did so some years ago for Maple, Elm and Goodman avenues, she said.

Kuchler said the village could do that if the board's majority wanted to go that route.

Two years ago, Western Springs' engineering firm, Baxter & Woodman, created a map that showed where streets, sewers and water lines were most in need of replacement.

This, officials said, guides the village on which projects to target – those where streets, water and sewers are all considered high risk.