Lisle trustees back staff plan to drop south-side parking on Burlington Avenue reconstruction

Village of Lisle staff and consultants on Oct. 6 presented a design and cost update for the Burlington Avenue reconstruction project, recommending the village omit 32 proposed south-side parking spaces to reduce easement needs and construction costs.

"The project involves the reconstruction of Burlington Avenue between Yackley Avenue and Illinois Route 53," Director Jason Elias said, describing a plan to convert the corridor from a two-lane rural section to an urban cross section with curb and gutter, sidewalks, storm sewer, and water-main replacement. Elias said the overall project is estimated at more than $6 million and includes a $2.5 million Surface Transportation Program (STP) grant.

Thomas Engineering Group consultants said the project must meet Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and federal requirements because it is a federal-aid route. That compliance increases land-acquisition requirements: sidewalks that "meander" on private property must either be removed or be supported by temporary construction easements (TCEs), and even volunteer or homeowner agreements trigger appraisal and negotiation procedures under IDOT rules. Consultants told trustees that driveway slope transitions on the south side of Burlington, particularly between Yackley and the East Branch of the DuPage River, create the need for multiple TCEs.

Consultants illustrated the driveway issue using typical cross slopes: existing sections on Burlington have cross slopes measured as high as about 7 percent, whereas new design cross slope targets are about 2 percent. To avoid creating extremely steep transitions in private aprons, staff said the village would need to acquire TCEs to smooth the grades.

The consultants presented two parking options: adding on-street parking on both sides of the roadway would enable up to 131 parking spaces; omitting the 32 south-side spaces would still provide 99 designated parking spaces. Building the 32 south-side spaces would require roughly 14 easements (6 sidewalk removals/replacements and 8 driveway transitions), while removing them would reduce total easement needs to approximately 10. Construction to build the additional 32 spaces was estimated at about $315,000; consultants estimated that removing the south-side parking would reduce expected land-acquisition payments by roughly $53,000 (an illustrative figure for negotiation planning, to be finalized through appraisals and offers).

Consultants also said the easement-acquisition work was not in their original scope. Thomas Engineering estimated a $143,100 contract change order to pursue the 10 easements currently anticipated, rising to about $192,600 if the village directs the consultant to pursue all 14 easements associated with the south-side parking option.

On schedule, staff and consultants said they submitted a Project Development Report to IDOT in April 2025 and were awaiting IDOT comments and approval. If IDOT approves design, the right-of-way appraisal, third-party review and negotiations could take roughly 10 months; the team said the target IDOT letting date is September 2026, with construction likely beginning in spring 2027.

Trustees representing the neighborhood said they had spoken with residents and that many south-side homeowners opposed parking on their side because of driveway and snow/ice concerns. After discussion, the chair said trustees generally concurred with staff's recommendation to omit the 32 south-side spaces and instructed staff to return a contract amendment for Thomas Engineering Group for consideration at the Oct. 20 board meeting.

Consultants and staff also briefed trustees on environmental timing: removal of parkway trees is constrained by an endangered long-eared bat and generally should be done in the window from October through March; that timing affects whether tree removals occur in late 2026 or early 2027, depending on the project schedule.

Next steps staff described include: await IDOT comments on the PDR, finalize preliminary design and easement appraisals, negotiate TCEs where required, present a contract amendment for consultant scope extension at the Oct. 20 board meeting, and proceed toward an IDOT letting if approvals and right-of-way certification are secured.