Village Board Preview: Will Romeoville Get a Farmers’ Market?

If it gets the OK from trustees, a new ordinance could pave the way for a farmers’ market.

Since current village zoning codes do not have a category for a farmers’ market, the new ordinance would create a definition for a temporary event, to be allowed in areas zoned A-1 (agricultural), P-1 (public/private land conservation district) and D-D (downtown).

The definition could create the opportunity to bring a farmers’ market event either downtown or near Village Hall, according to village documents.

Current village ordinance does not contain language defining farmers’ markets, but does allow for temporary farm or roadside stands.

Also up for a vote is a program that would allow residents to honor a departed loved one by planting a tree in one of Romeoville’s parks. The proposed cost of $350 would include the price of the tree, delivery, installation and a brick paver with an inscription.

Commemorative park benches would also be available for $950. The benches would be 6 feet long and come with an inscribed plaque.

The village is poised to ink a contract with All Around Amusements Inc., to provide carnival rides (not to mention funnel cakes) and more during this year’s RomeoFest, set for Thursday, Aug. 2 through Sunday, Aug. 5.

The deal would give Romeoville a 40 percent cut of all admission ticket sales and a flat fee of $125 for all “fun booth” sales.

Under the contract, All Around would sell unlimited ride wristbands, good from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, for $20. Mega Passes, good all three days of the fest, would sell for $40 before the fest and $50 during the event, with the village receiving 35 percent of the proceeds.

Trustees will also vote on a proposal to spend more than $50,000 to abandon a deteriorated access to Bull Run Drive near the village’s wastewater treatment plant and complete sanitary sewer improvements.

According to village documents, the access-ways to Bull Run Drive off of Route 53 and Anderson Drive have been blocked off for more than a decade, with the signalized intersection at Belmont Drive and Route 53 being used as the primary entrance to the village’s public works/wastewater treatment plant facility.

Board members will vote on a proposal to award a $22,201 contract to Flexible Pavements Inc. to remove and replace the concrete driveway entrance at Bull Run Drive and Route 53, as well as replace gravel with soil and seed and adjust three sanitary sewer frames to grade.

A second proposal would award a $32,235 contract to Insituform Technologies USA to install lining on 650 feet of sanitary sewer flowing to the wastewater plant.