An Age Divide In Western Springs Neighborhood?

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — A majority of residents responding to a recent survey in a Western Springs neighborhood supported a proposal for sidewalks.

As it stands, the 30-block neighborhood has a patchwork of homes with sidewalks and those without.

Of the 159 people responding to a recent village survey, 53 percent indicated support for sidewalks in the neighborhood, while 43 percent opposed and 4 percent had no opinion.

The project is estimated to cost $1.8 million to $4.6 million, depending on whether the village would have sidewalks on one or both sides of the street. The Village Board plan to discuss the survey at its meeting Monday.

In the survey, supporters of the sidewalks contended they would bring safety, keeping pedestrians off the street.

Opponents had a variety of arguments against sidewalks, saying the neighborhood has done fine without them, they don't want to pay for the project and the lack of sidewalks gives a less city-like feel. Of those opposed, two-thirds of comments cited the cost.

A review of the comments show families with children tended to support a sidewalk project, while longtime, older residents were more likely to be opposed.

Here are selections of comments by Forest Hills residents for and against sidewalks:

FOR

• I would like to express my opinion that we desperately need connected sidewalks in Forest Hills. It will not only be much safer for our community along with being ADA compliant, it will increase our property values. I strongly support sidewalks in Forest Hills.
• As a new resident of Forrest Hills in 2020, we were shocked to learn that we are forced to walk down the middle of the street to get our children to school. Paying nearly $20k/year in property taxes and we have to navigate traffic of distracted drivers every morning and afternoon to get our children to/from school. Teenage drivers are constantly speeding around and looking at their phones by our house and we are forced to share the road with them. Does someone have to die before anything will be done?
• I think it is critical that sidewalks be completed to the southern ends (to 55th) of Lawn and Grand. Those are "through" streets to 55th and unfortunately are subject to many speeding vehicles cutting through to avoid Wolf Road. There should be 4 way stop signs at every intersection on those streets, too. But if that can't happen at least give children and families a safe place to walk, on completed sidewalks, on Lawn and Grand.
• I support the push for sidewalks in Forest Hills. My kids ride bikes and the family takes frequent walks, and it would be best if we don't have to walk in the street from a safety perspective. Plus it looks bad when part of the town doesn't have sidewalks and part does. Did we or did we not
• win the 2007 "Best town to raise kids" award from BusinessWeek? Were we not the second best place to live in the country in 2019 according to Homesnacks? I joke a bit but seriously, we should have sidewalks in our town from a safety perspective.
• We need sidewalks in WS ASAP! I’m sick of walking down the street to try to get to school or the park with my 4 kids and having to have the kids dart into someone’s driveway or yard just to avoid getting hit by a car. There have been way too many close calls with my own kids and plenty of other kids I have seen. If one accident happens and a kid gets hit by a car I’m sure this wouldn’t be such a hard decision for people. Let’s do this now before it is too late. Also, as a Realtor, all this will do is add property value in the neighborhood.
• I have young children and feel walking to school can be very unsafe at times. I support sidewalks and want to move forward in the process to better understand cost offsets including grant options, financing alternatives as well as solutions that will help to mitigate the loss of healthy trees in our community.
• I do support sidewalks in FH. We paid $4500 in 2009 for our "sidewalk to nowhere" when we built new construction. I'd like to see the village turn this into a connected sidewalk! At the same time, some kind of credit should be given to homeowners who have already paid to place their own sidewalks. We paid $4500 in 2009 for our "sidewalk to nowhere" when we built new construction. I'd like to see the village turn this into a connected sidewalk! At the same time, some kind of credit should be given to homeowners who have already paid to place their own sidewalks.

AGAINST

• As the original homeowner of this property, and have resided here since 1958, I am personally opposed to sidewalks on my property. It also appears that a very old elm tree (I’m guessing probably close to 80 – 100 years old) may have to be removed.
• The millions of dollars proposed to be passed onto the taxpayers is not necessary. There already is a program which allows for property owners to add sidewalks with a cost sharing program with the Village. I have already paid for sidewalks twice at my own expense. Once when the property was purchased 30 years ago and a second time when the property was improved 19 years ago. I don't have any desire to pay for anybody's sidewalks. If passed, do not include me in this new and unnecessary expense.
• When did those who support sidewalks realize that there were no sidewalks here? They bought here knowing the situation. It appears that this is being pushed through by a large vocal group, but keeping it among their peer-group and forcing this upon the neighborhood. This needs to get to a vote and have some financial relief for many residents.
• We purchased our home over 25 years ago, and chose a property WITHOUT sidewalks. We do not want to add another sidewalk, and have no intention of paying for something that we vehemently oppose. Have any of you noticed the poor condition of many of the streets in town? PLEASE focus your efforts on "infrastructure" that benefits the entire Village population.
• Been on Fair Elms fifty-five years, children attended Forest Hills, McClure and Lt. Have always liked the "rural" character the absence of sidewalks create. I have no interest in having sidewalks installed on or around my home.
• We no longer wish to have sidewalks in Forest Hills for some of the following reasons. Our own children are grown and gone. We care about other children, but very few of them walk to school on our block. They are driven to school. We do not want to see the destruction of trees on our
• block! The sidewalk would take down our own tree that we have been babying and treating as well as many others, including a grand and beautiful Elm tree: one that has survived Dutch Elm disease! We also do not want our driveway once again torn up and we do not want to pay for sidewalks! Let the sidewalks naturally increase with new homes!
• We do not wish to have additional sidewalks in Western Springs. I believe they detract from the village's ambience, making it more an extension of Chicago, We moved here in 1988 from Chicago and have enjoyed daily walks facing traffic without any worries. Why change a good thing?
• Having lived at 5xxx Grand Avenue for the past 53 years, I am not in favor of the proposal to have continuous sidewalks installed in the Forest Hills area. The cost of doing so would give me very little benefit and be a detriment to my property. My sons walked to Forest Hills School 4 times a day during the school year from 1st grade on.
• We do not want sidewalks installed on our parkway. We bought our home 53 years ago and are now 82 years old. At our age we do not want the financial burden connected with sidewalk installation nor the physical responsibility of keeping said sidewalks clear during winter snowstorms especially since we are on a corner lot.