CLARENDON HILLS
Road program open for discussion
Concrete would replace gravel shoulders along six blocks of village streets under a proposed road program to be discussed March 18 at a village open house.
Installation of the 2-foot-wide concrete shoulders is planned for five blocks on Churchill Place, Grant Avenue and Hudson Avenue south of Harris Avenue and along the block of Juliet Court between Golf Avenue and Prospect Avenue. The project would serve as a prototype for the eventual replacement of all gravel shoulders in the village.
Owners of the 71 properties affected by the proposed road improvements would be required to pay 60 percent of the cost over the next several years through an increase in their property tax bills known as a special service area.
The open house to review the plans will be from 6 to 9 p.m. March 18 at Prospect School, 100 N. Prospect Ave. A public hearing on the issue is scheduled for May 4.
— Christine Martin
OAK PARK
Inspection fees increase to $20
Oak Park’s apartment inspection fees will rise to $20 per unit from the current $5.
Some apartment building managers and owners opposed the increase, saying it would add hundreds or thousands of dollars to their operating costs, particularly for larger buildings.
But Village Manager Tom Barwin noted that the $5 fee has been in place since the 1970s without any increase. Tammie Grossman, housing programs manager, said the increase will help cover most of the costs for the inspection program.
The inspections are conducted to keep apartment buildings and individual units in compliance with village health and safety codes. Those in violation will be re-inspected for an additional fee.
The apartment inspection fee increase is just one of various increases anticipated this year as the village examines many of its fee structures in an effort to raise revenue. Last month, the board also increased the annual license fee for garbage haulers to $1,000 from $50.
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— Victoria Pierce
OSWEGO
Study: Growth to squeeze schools
A survey of buildings and projected growth shows some Oswego District 308 schools running out of space in the next few years, with a critical squeeze coming at the district’s two high schools.
A growth committee studying facilities and enrollment warned that high school enrollment could be as high as 5,300 students by the 2014-15 school year — nearly 1,600 more than the current level.
The committee also reported that several elementary schools may hit capacity in upcoming years, and the five junior high schools should have ample room for the foreseeable future.
“There is plenty of room to grow at the junior high level,” said Mike Scaramuzzi, member of the Growth, Facilities and Enrollment Advisory Committee. “At the high school level, it’s a different story.”
With 2,084 current students, Oswego East already is nearing its maximum capacity of 2,270 students. Oswego High School, with 1,665 students, still has room to grow before hitting its 2,244 maximum.
No formal proposal has been made to build a third District 308 high school, although property has been purchased near Plainfield in an area where growth is expected.
— Jack McCarthy