'Keep The Peace' On Elmhurst Sidewalks: Official

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst aldermen on Monday agreed to seek money for a few sidewalks on Elmhurst's northeast side.

"It's the most fundamental shift in how we fund sidewalks that we have seen since at least 1990," Ward 3 Alderwoman Dannee Polomsky said at a City Council meeting.

For years, Elmhurst has required 60 percent of residents in a neighborhood to support sidewalks for the city to front the money and have the residents pay half the costs over time.

Under a proposal approved Monday, the council voted to direct city staff to look for outside money to pay for safe routes to school in northeastern Ward 3. That area of town has the fewest sidewalks.

Two years ago, Polomsky and fellow Ward 3 alderman Chris Jensen asked the city to consider the possibility of covering all the costs of sidewalks in certain cases.

In its report Monday, the council's Public Works Committee backed the longstanding policy requiring residents to pay half the costs. But it proposed an exception for certain routes to school in Ward 3.

The city conducted a survey of residents in northeastern neighborhoods. With more than 350 responses, 28 percent were in favor of paying 50 percent for sidewalks

Another 36 percent were for sidewalks only if the city covers all the costs. Meanwhile, 36 percent opposed sidewalks in all cases.

"The current process allows neighbors to come together and advocate for sidewalks, which is frankly the best way to keep the peace in the neighborhood," Alderman Mike Brennan, the committee's chairman, said.

Jensen said the committee heard many passionate arguments for and against sidewalks.

"The end result is that for the first time since the Crestview neighborhood became part of Elmhurst proper 58 years ago, the city will fund the installation of some sidewalks that act as safe routes to school," Jensen said. "On these sidewalks, children will be able to walk or ride to school as safely as children do in other parts of Elmhurst."

The council voted unanimously for the effort to seek money for sidewalks in the northeastern part of town. Aldermen Emily Bastedo and Bob Dunn were absent.