Sidewalks 'Trail Off' At La Grange's Edge

LA GRANGE, IL – Sidewalk is missing from parts of the east side of South La Grange Road just before southbound drivers enter Countryside.

The village's proposed long-term plan calls for buying land to install a sidewalk in a small portion. Officials are concerned no sidewalk leads to the bus stop on the east side of La Grange Road at 52nd Street.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Trustee Glenn Thompson said the sidewalk is missing from a few properties. They are mainly triplexes.

"I'm not sure we want to get into eminent domain where we'll take people's property from them, so we can build a sidewalk," Thompson said. "Those houses will have a sidewalk right outside their front door."

According to the proposed plan, the homes' property lines go all the way to the curb.

Village President Mark Kuchler, however, said he's been told by the families of disabled people that they need sidewalks so that they can use wheelchairs to get to Pace bus stops. He said others could also benefit.

Other trustees favored keeping the provision in the plan for the La Grange Road sidewalk, saying it was aspirational.

"There are a lot of places where sidewalks trail off at the edge of town," Trustee Beth Augustine said.

A few streets – Madison, Ashland, Catherine and Kensington avenues – are in a small area of Countryside that extends north of Plainfield. They are largely without sidewalks. Sidewalks begin in La Grange.