Emphasis on open space is the subject of one planning study under consideration in New Lenox, while a second proposed study will focus on traffic congestion.
An open-space corridor would link the open green areas required in new developments into a greenway that residents could stroll, said Carrie Hansen, the village’s planning and development administrator.
The Old Plank Road Trail, a trail for walkers, bicyclists, joggers and skaters that is expected to be extended into New Lenox, would be a key part of such a greenway, she said.
The open-space corridor plan would include collecting data on the types of open space–such as wetlands, flood plains and rivers–and information about Park District and county open space plans, according to a proposal submitted by the Lannert Group, the consultants who helped develop the town’s comprehensive plan.
The study would come up with a proposed open-space corridor route and suggestions for acquiring open land.
The cost of the study would be slightly more than $11,000.
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Trustees also addressed crowded roads, and they directed Hansen to seek proposals for a traffic study of the Cedar Road corridor.
Worries about traffic congestion on Cedar, the town’s main north-south arterial road, pose a problem because much of the road is bordered by residential land, and many homeowners have balked at proposals to widen it to four lanes from two.
Another issue is the uneven intersection of Cedar Road and Haven Avenue, where area residents have opposed plans to straighten the street alignment.
Also of concern is the additional traffic to be generated if Interstate Highway 355 is extended from Bolingbrook to New Lenox.