Historical Mural Coming to New Lenox, Plus More Village Board News

Motorists driving down the historic Lincoln Highway in New Lenox will get a taste of that history after a mural is installed.

On Monday, the Village Board approved an agreement with the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition to install and maintain a mural depicting an old photo of the Route 30 viaduct with a trolley and an automobile.

It will go on the northwest corner of Route 30 and Cedar Road, on the east end of the brick building in which resides. 

The village and building owner find it mutually advantageous that the mural be installed to "promote tourism and business in the village, celebrate the village's historical connection with the Lincoln Highway and enhance the aesthetic appearance of the subject building."

The project is commissioned by the Lincoln Highway Coalition and will be no cost to the building owner or the village.

Meanwhile, between Cedar Road and Interstate 80. New Lenox received a $60,000 grant to go toward a consultant who will help find ways to make the area more friendly to pedestrians and businesses, and that includes aesthetics such as this. 

In a committee meeting Monday, planning administrator Robin Ellis said the village received 12 bids for the consulting work and will narrow down the list by early April. 

More From the Meeting

New Police Officer: James Hanson took the oath of office to officially join the New Lenox Police Department. Check back to Patch later for more information about Hanson. 

Temporary Signs: Trustee Ray Tuminello questioned whether all temporary signs need board approval or if the requests could be handled by village staff. The board often puts them on its consent agenda and approves the requests with no discussion. He said groups such as churches or non-profit youth leagues could benefit from the quicker approval. 

Trustee Dave Smith said some groups might appreciate the free advertising on Channel 6 when mentioned during the meeting, and Mayor Tim Baldermann asked village staff to determine parameters for which groups wouldn't need board approval.

Housing Development: The board granted a one-year extension for the Bristol Meadows preliminary plat completion. The developers of the project said the economy and the need to re-apply for tax credits have stalled building. 

The plans for the Bristol Meadows development include the three-story senior apartment building, but also townhomes, duplexes and single-family homes. There are also plans for commercial space, a new location for  and a possible park.

VFW Sign: After seeking a variance for an electronic message board in a residential area, the local VFW Post 9545 is going to bring back new plans for a different kind of message board. The previous plan . 

Contracts Approved: The village approved contracts for a weed-cutting service and an engineer for its . The water engineering contract shall not exceed $96,000 total for all municipalities involved in the negotiations. For New Lenox, its 18 percent share of the cost equates to about $17,280. 

As the village takes on its annual weed-cutting, it awarded a one-year contract to its current contractor, Noga's Landscaping in New Lenox. Village staff also stressed its process for weed-cutting. If the village gets a complaint about weeds, staff will contact the landowner, who has 10 days to cut the weeds. If it's not done by then, the village will ask its contracted worker to cut them within a week.

Triple Play Tickets: Baldermann said about half of the 5,000 tickets for the Triple Play Concert Series have already sold out. Country singer Sara Evans is also performing this summer and thus far as sold about a fourth of the Triple Play Tickets.