Burr Ridge And Willowbrook May Differ On Sidewalk

BURR RIDGE, IL — Burr Ridge and Willowbrook have agreed to build a sidewalk on Garfield Street, but the towns may have differences over which side of the road it should go.

The sidewalk would start at Garfield and Countryside Court and go south for about a quarter mile. Last year, the villages agreed it should go on the east side. It is the only portion of Garfield where no sidewalk exists, officials said.

But residents on the east side — most of whom live in Burr Ridge — oppose that idea, saying it would destroy a lot of landscaping, including nearly a dozen mature trees. That landscaping is in the publicly owned right-of-way.

The other side contains vegetation behind a number of houses, which are in Willowbrook village limits.

At the Burr Ridge Village Board meeting Monday, Richard Fitzgerald, who lives on the east side, said the landscaping in the right-of-way in front of his house was put in before he moved there.

Taking out he trees and bushes, Fitzgerald said, would reduce the residents' curb appeal and the protection from the road's noise. On the other side of the street, he said, "it's scrub trees, it's backyards." A proposed fence there, he said, could serve as a noise blocker.

As a potential compromise, the village is considering a sidewalk route on the east side that would remove less landscaping.

Trustee Guy Franzese said residents take a risk when they plant in the village right-of-way. But Mayor Gary Grasso said that area of the village is a "little more rural," so residents have little expectation of sidewalks.

Willowbrook has agreed to share the costs of the project as long as it is on the east side. Burr Ridge officials made no decision Monday, but some trustees suggested the possibility of the village paying for the entire project, which could cost up to $166,000. The village has received a $100,000 state grant for its portion of the cost.

In an interview Tuesday, Michael Mertens, Willowbrook's assistant village administrator, said the sidewalk would be better on the east side.

"If we move it to the west side of the road, six properties would be affected. Landscaping on all six properties would have to be removed," Mertens said.

At the Burr Ridge meeting, Luisa Hoch, a member of the Burr Ridge Pathway Commission, recommended sticking with the east side. The sidewalk, she said, has been on the village's agenda for more than a decade.

"We were thrilled that Willowbrook would contribute any kind of money," she said. "It's unfortunate when residents do elaborate landscaping in the right-of-way."