Renwick Rd--Worst Place for a Trucking Terminal

The applications to be voted on by the Plainfield Village board on August 6th, concerning the construction and operation of a huge trucking terminal, by GP Transco, at 22419 W Renwick Rd-- which is about a mile east of Rt. 30 in Plainfield-- is absolutely the worst idea that has ever come up for a vote in recent memory.

Notwithstanding the obvious decimation of nearby property values, the noise, diesel fumes, and air and light pollution will nearly torture nearby residential homeowners. The upsetting of the delicate balance of the nearby Heron rookery, forest preserves, and Mink Creek—which actually runs right through the property -- only adds insult to injury. The added congestion of 1300 possible semi-trucks per day upon full expansion, (that number according to the traffic study provided by GP Transco, which can be found on page 118 of the June 19th Plan Commission agenda packet, from the the Village of Plainfield website) will absolutely strangle Renwick road. These semi-trucks will be entering and leaving the facility via an access road across the street from the bike trail preserve, and will turn Renwick road into a virtual parking lot many times throughout the day. It will greatly add to the danger of an already extremely dangerous stretch of Renwick road.

The effects of this idiocy would affect not just the few adjacent residential property owners, but also the thousands of people who travel Renwick road every day; many of whom are going into or out of the Village of Plainfield. Many of whom are coming home from work, or on their way to visit one of the many business establishments in downtown Plainfield. Renwick road is a main artery going into the village from the east, and leaving it from the west.

Two of the main arteries, Renwick road and Lockport St. are already extremely congested. Every evening, hundreds of motorists are beside themselves with aggravation, sitting at a dead-stop, as vehicles are lined up for miles because of slow moving freight trains. Even emergency vehicles and school buses are having a hard time getting through the way things are now.

I found it incomprehensible, that on one hand, the village officials would oppose, then lament, the expansion of the CN railway, due to the traffic impact on those trying to get to their village—even to the point of having a sit-down with Congressman Randy Hultgren in 2015 as a plea for federal help—then, instead of coming up with a solution to the problem, are considering adding to it extensively, by the recommendation to the village board, for the approval of the GP Transco terminal, by the Plan Commission on a 3-2 vote June 19th.

I believe the only thing keeping the Village of Plainfield from having the prosperity and success as say, a Naperville, is the inability of village officials to provide a solution to the strangulation of traffic going into and out of Plainfield. If this fiasco were to be approved, it would be yet another failure of village officials, and would illustrate, even more, their incompetence in dealing with the traffic issue. It would be like throwing gasoline onto an already roaring fire.

The Village board will make a final vote on the issue at the Village Board Meeting on August 6th. The issue will be discussed in detail at the Committee of the Whole meeting on July, 23rd where the public is encouraged to attend and voice their concerns. People are encouraged to contact the Plainfield Village Hall, the Village of Plainfield trustees, and Mayor Mike Collins, in order to voice their opposition to this looming nightmare. If you ever use Renwick road, it would be wise at this time to email or call them to voice your opposition. www.plainfield-il.org/pages/villageboard

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by Jeff Sniegowski

Plainfield, IL