Western Springs Eyes 'Arbitrary Patchwork' Of Sidewalks

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — The Western Springs Village Board appears poised to approve a $16,000 study for sidewalks in the Forest Hills neighborhood.

Meanwhile, sidewalk advocates in the neighborhood are gathering support for their cause.

For 15 years, the village has required sidewalks for newly built homes. That has resulted in a patchwork of sidewalks in the 30-block Forest Hills neighborhood.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Rod Frazier, one of the sidewalk supporters, noted the argument questioning why residents with sidewalks should pay a special tax for them throughout the neighborhood.

"Well, I'm one of those residents," he said. "But I also realize that in many cases, there are sidewalks leading to nowhere. A sidewalk in front of my property alone has no utility. The purpose of sidewalks is to create safe pedestrian movement throughout the community, not just in front of a single residence."

Frazier said he wanted the Village Board to acknowledge the "arbitrary patchwork" of sidewalks in Forest Hills is a public safety problem, which he said the board has not done.

Sidewalk advocates, he said, have collected 240 online signatures from residents who support spending the $16,000. Also endorsing the effort are the local school board, St. John of the Cross, the local PTA and Western Springs Little League, he said.

During a board discussion, Trustee Nicole Chen said many areas in the village have no sidewalks. She asked about the benchmark used to ensure that sidewalks were installed "equitably" across the village.

She and other trustees agreed the village should take a hard look at its sidewalk policy. They generally agreed to vote on the $16,000 study at their Oct. 26 meeting.

Here are other stories on the effort for sidewalks in the Forest Hills neighborhood:

Sidewalks In Forest Hills Neighborhood?

Western Springs Sidewalk Foes 'Definitively' Against

The Case Against Sidewalks In Western Springs

Western Springs Pressed On 'Sidewalks To Nowhere'