Committees eye Morris Boulevard closures for trick‑or‑treat and commission DPW site conceptual study

The Community and Business Relations Committee on Wednesday asked staff to study whether portions of Morris Boulevard could be closed for daytime trick‑or‑treating and to convene police, fire and public works for a detailed feasibility discussion. Committee members also directed staff to obtain conceptual site analyses from architects to evaluate redevelopment scenarios for the current Department of Public Works (DPW) site.

Trustees described Morris Boulevard as heavily used during daytime trick‑or‑treating and urged the committee to consider temporary closures, limited block closures or permitting block parties to improve safety. "It is unbelievably busy during trick or treat and unbelievably unsafe with kids running back and forth," one trustee said, noting the area sees sustained pedestrian volumes and that a police officer’s presence in prior years improved safety and flow.

Staff and trustees noted a standing village policy that excludes primary collectors and arterials from block‑party closure eligibility; Morris is on that list. That policy is local and can be changed by the village, staff said. The committee asked staff to meet with police and fire to analyze impacts to surrounding streets, emergency access and staffing needs and to return to the committee with options; trustees suggested starting by evaluating Morris as a pilot and expanding to other blocks only if feasible.

On the DPW site, trustees asked staff to solicit three quotes from architects to produce conceptual analyses showing what the site could support in different scenarios (for example, varying unit counts, development types, or no housing). The requested analysis is a conceptual, desktop exercise intended to estimate density, taxable value outcomes and access constraints; staff emphasized it is not a developer‑driven rendering process and said it would return with a proposed scope and cost estimates for board approval.

Village staff said the architectural work would be timed to complement ongoing site analysis by consultant Strand and pending utility analysis from We Energies. "Before you would ever want to let a proposal talk about what you would want on the site... I'm going to need to know from the group, from a policy perspective, what we're willing to permit," staff said, arguing conceptual numbers would provide a useful baseline for later decisions.

Why it matters: Trustees said they need realistic, site‑specific information about the DPW location to assess options for moving or redeveloping the facility and to understand cleanup, grading and utility constraints. On trick‑or‑treat closures, safety concerns and emergency‑access implications will determine whether closures are feasible.

What’s next: Staff will convene police, fire and public works for a longer committee discussion focused on Morris Boulevard and return with options. For the DPW site, staff will draft a brief scope, solicit up to three quotes from architects, and return to the board with cost and timing estimates for the conceptual analysis.