Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mac Road Path topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Warrenville residents urge council to drop 10-foot Mac Road path, warn of legal fight
Summary
Neighbors at the June 2 Warrenville City Council meeting urged the council to separate a bridge replacement from a proposed 10-foot multi-use path, warned federal grants limit condemnation, and urged alternatives; they cited engineering cost increases and said eminent-domain proceedings would delay the bridge.
Neighbors opposing a proposed 10-foot multi-use path tied to the Mac Road bridge replacement urged the Warrenville City Council on June 2 to drop the path from the project and focus on completing the federally funded bridge.
“My neighbors and I acknowledge and support the need for the bridge replacement, but are adamantly opposed to a 10-foot multi-use path across our properties,” said Pam Steak of 29 W. 630 Mac Road during the citizens’ comment period. Steak said the bridge does not require the path, that the two are not financially connected, and that pursuing easements via eminent domain would only delay construction and impose heavy legal costs on the city and homeowners.
Steak told the council that the bridge is funded by the federal BR program and is managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation, while the proposed path is covered by federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds distributed through regional channels. She said federal grant rules and Illinois Department of Natural Resources bike-path grants “cannot be used to condemn private property,” and urged the council to avoid using condemnation to acquire path easements.
She also raised engineering and drainage concerns, saying project revisions have left a stormwater system she described as able to handle only up to a 10-year rain event and that added bridge engineering work has cost the city an additional $188,000, bringing bridge engineering costs to about $580,000 so far. Steak suggested alternative alignments — including using public land on the south side of Mac Road or building narrower sidewalks similar to other residential streets — rather than installing a 10-foot path across private front yards.
Two other residents voiced support for the neighbors. Mitch Adamus, who identified himself as living on Mac Road, said simply, “What Pam said — it’s that simple.” Another resident, who identified himself as Bob Sbert of Albright Court, said he will present a chart at the next meeting showing property-tax trends and underlying causes.
The public comments followed a council action in April that the speaker said authorized the use of eminent domain for path easements; Steak warned that any litigation would fall on the council’s and staff’s decisions to pursue court action and could take years to resolve.
The council took no immediate action during the public-comment period. Several related items remained on the consent agenda and will likely be revisited in committee or future meetings. Residents asked the council to prioritize completing the bridge, evaluate south-side alignments with the Forest Preserve District where appropriate, and explore narrower sidewalk options that would avoid crossing private property.
What happens next: Steak and other residents said they will continue to press the council and promised additional materials at future meetings; the council moved forward with its agenda and later voted to enter a closed session on other matters.
