Habitat Loss, Traffic Noise, Runoff: 143 St. Project Concerns

PLAINFIELD, IL — Residents and Bass and Gill Club members gathered outside Village Hall ahead of Monday night's Committee of the Whole Workshop protesting the planned 143rd Street project.

Proposed years ago, the project includes an expansion of 143rd Street by rerouting Route 126 onto it. Gaps between Ridge Road and Steiner Road, as well as between Route 59 and Route 126, will be closed. In 2020, the village acquired land from the Illinois Department of Transportation to support the improvements meant to provide alternate routes within Plainfield to alleviate traffic congestion, Patch previously reported.

The project would impact major lakes in Plainfield, such as Fletcher Lake, located around the building site. According to the village's website, the plan is to start construction in 2022.

"I'd like to know who’s thinking about this crazy idea of ruining something beautiful," resident Robert Hough said at the meeting.

Residents' displeasure with the proposal isn't something new. They've been concerned about a tax increase that could be needed for upkeep, the displacement of current residents and a loss of natural habitat.

Many of these same worries came up at Monday's meeting. For about an hour during the public comments portion of the night, a handful of officials from Plainfield's hunting and fishing club, as well as some residents, addressed Mayor John Argoudelis and the Board of Trustees.

"You are the residents; you are the voters; you are the people who live here," Argoudelis said ahead of comments. "Your opinion does matter, and it's important that you express it tonight."

Joe Cook, who's on the club's Board of Directors, said he and other members "unequivocally" oppose the proposed 143rd street extension project.

Aside from citing a need to protect water quality and lakes from likely runoff, Cook said Bass and Gill negotiated with village staff in late 2019 to discuss different proposals for the extension project, including working to recreate habitat that would be lost.

After negotiating "in good faith," Cook said they were "given a bait-and-switch."

"Next thing we know, we are given an eminent domain letter from IDOT," he told the audience.

Moving forward, Cook said he wants the village to negotiate, with landowners "at the table," in good faith.

"We don't sell out our land for money after 60 years of maintaining it and keeping the quality and the habitat that we have," Cook said. "So I ask you, please reconsider moving forward with this and ... take the land acquisition from IDOT ... go back to using the best management practices ... and help us protect our waters and our lakes."

After his comments, Argoudelis asked Cook to further discuss and review what the group was promised, which Cook said he appreciated.

"If there were specific things that were discussed and offered ... we need to know what those are and most of us weren't here when a lot of those things happened in the past," Argoudelis said.

RELATED: Village Moving Ahead With Land Acquisition For 143 St. Extension

Rick Pach, vice president of Bass and Gill, also shared his take at the meeting and said he spoke on behalf of residents he's talked to as well as organization members. He represented the group wearing blue and red club gear.

"If anybody ever gave you guys the impression that we're for this as a club, they're wrong," he said. "We're opposed to this on many levels."

Fletcher Lake, which is up to 10 feet deep and is the "most vital section of the lakes," will be impacted by the project, Pach said. He said members are worried about runoff and habitat loss, including reduced lake depth and the destruction of wood structures that wildlife call home.

"This is going to undo everything we've done for these 60 years," Pach said.

One resident who shared her concerns at the meeting was Paula Mingucci, who lives right behind the lakes and said "a four-lane truck highway" right behind her house will impact her personally — noting air and noise pollution and loss of wildlife.

Argoudelis noted the expansion won't be a designated truck route but would rather redirect existing traffic from Route 126.

Ahead of public comments during the board meeting, trustees foreshadowed the conversation about the 143rd Street project. Kevin Calkins, who has been vocally opposed to the project in the past, said he stood with Bass and Gill.

"The more people take a look at that project, the more people are against it," Calkins said, earning a round of applause from residents at the meeting. "That road needs to be canceled."

A map of proposed improvements part of the 143rd Street extension project can be found on the village's website.

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