Lincolnshire officials weigh plantings after Route 22 wooden fence damage

Village Manager Patrick Burke told the Committee of the Whole on May 26 that staff from multiple departments have been addressing missing and failed wooden fence panels along the Route 22 corridor after recent winter storms. Burke said most damaged sections have been replaced through code enforcement, but two property owners have not fully restored fencing — "one plans to do so, while the other likely will not," and there is no legal requirement to maintain a fence in that location.

Burke outlined three short-term options for the board: wait through the current season to allow code enforcement to proceed; add plantings this year to reduce the visual impact of fence gaps; or develop a formal planting plan to consider during the upcoming budget cycle. He told trustees that assuming Village responsibility for the fence would be difficult because the Village does not have easement rights along parts of the corridor and many homeowners have already invested in replacement fencing. Burke also reported cost estimates from landscape contractors had been obtained for potential enhancements.

Trustee Mitchell framed the ownership question as a property-rights issue and urged the Village to let property owners decide whether to maintain fences: "keeping the responsibility and the decision to either have a fence or not be the property owners," he said. Trustee Kelly and Trustee Raizin expressed support for enhanced plantings to create a more uniform corridor look. Mayor Brandt said she opposed Option 2 (Arborvitae) because those plants "can have some trouble surviving" in that location and said she preferred a mixture of plant types that have been successful in the corridor.

Public Works Director Woodbury and Village Manager Burke said the Village already maintains the corridor and subdivision entrances and that staff would increase attention to landscape maintenance in the area if trustees support that direction. Trustees were generally in favor of a mixed planting approach and Mayor Brandt suggested consulting the local Garden Club on a palette of approximately five plantings. Next steps documented in the discussion: staff will reinforce near-term options (including spring cleanup removal of fenced materials), monitor property owners' responses to enforcement, and return with more detailed planting recommendations or a budget-year plan if directed.

The discussion on Route 22 was informational; no formal motion or vote on funding or an installation plan was taken during the meeting.