The Village of Hinsdale is caught in the middle of the road between historic preservation and conscious fiscal policy as it seeks to repave 6th Street in the Robbins Park Historic District.
Residents living on one of the last remaining brick roads in Hinsdale petitioned the village board Monday night arguing 6th Street should be repaved in brick as it has been for decades.
Village President Tom Cauley in a back and forth with petitioners pleaded on the side of fiscal responsibility, arguing that if 6th Street residents want repaving in brick they should foot the bill by covering the difference in cost saved by paving in asphalt through the creation of a Special Service Area (SSA).
Petitioners, on the other hand, found the idea of eating the additional cost unfair given the longevity of brick roads.
“If restored with brick it is likely that little to no additional money will be spent over the next seventy plus years on the maintenance of 6th Street,” Monica Mossburg, a 6th Street resident said during a Village Board meeting Monday.
Asphalt, while significantly cheaper to work with, is typically repaved every 15 years, village officials said.
“We feel these are cornerstones of what makes Hinsdale charming and unique,” Mossburg said. “While one individual historic feature is not going to make or break the village, the destruction of historic 6th Street would set a dangerous precedent.”
To pave 6th Street in brick from Garfield Avenue to County Line Road would cost in the area of $3 million, Cauley said.
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“Everybody has to realize we are limited by the amount of money we have,” he said. “The argument that brick streets last forever is a good argument, but if you follow that argument why don’t we do every street in Hinsdale with brick, we’d be broke in a year.”
During initial plans for work on 6th Street the village budgeted an extra $800,000 for partial brick work, in conjunction with the cost of regular asphalt paving.
Another reason to avoid spending the extra money, bad politics. During the meeting, Cauley said the village fronting the bill would be unfair to other Hinsdale residents, later asking petitioners if they’d be open to putting the issue on the ballot.
It is uncertain when or how the village will proceed, but Cauley speaking to the petitioners said the village would be open to further discussions to find a solution.
This is not the first time the village has had to contend with preserving a historic road, 1st Street, another brick laid road in the Robbins Park District, was repaired with brick from Park Avenue to Elm Street a few years ago.
“While the residents of 6th Street want to see our historic street saved, we need real engagement from the village to make this a reality,” Mossburg said.