Franklin Park voters appeared to turn out in favor of two referendums on Tuesday, one that favored building an underpass in the village and another that would make it harder for village staff to hire family members.
With 10 of 11 precincts reporting shortly after 9:30 p.m., 66 percent had voted in favor of the plan to build a pedestrian underpass between Ruby Street and 25th Avenue, according to preliminary results from the Cook County Clerk’s Office. Sixty-three percent voted for the anti-nepotism question.
“I agreed with that underpass question,” said village resident Erick Bowman, 35, outside his polling place Tuesday. “I work nearby and I’ve seen kids almost get hit over there and I have kids that go to school around there.”
Earlier, at various public meetings focused on the village’s comprehensive plan, residents repeatedly brought up worries of students risking a run through the lowered train gates as a safety concern. The underpass could potentially allow Leyden High School students crossing the train tracks a safe alternate route when they’re trying to get to class on time.
After that vote, the village’s next step would be to perform a study to examine the price and practicality of installing a pedestrian underpass at that intersection.
The other question that appeared to pass on Tuesday was aimed at preventing village staff from hiring family members of any official or officer of the village.
The advisory measure seeks to make Franklin Park one of several villages in the state to add anti-nepotism rules to curb the hiring of relatives, and the consolidation of power by politically connected families.
Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.