$17M project proposed for Mundelein’s Loch Lomond area

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Updated: April 15, 2012 1:45AM

Residents of Mundelein’s Loch Lomond neighborhood packed Village Board chambers at the Midlothian Road Fire Headquarters on Monday night to listen intently to a controversial $17 million plan to refurbish the area’s deteriorating infrastructure.

Engineering consultant Marsha McCutcheon presented a plan with 14 phases that would, over a 14-plus-year period, extensively upgrade the village’s northwest neighborhood roadways, water mains, drainage patterns, sanitary sewers, and preserve the beauty and integrity of its charming centerpiece lake near St. Mary’s of the Lake Seminary.

“During the past two years we have surveyed the neighborhood’s residents as to their concerns for improvements, and have studied the feasibilities of all the factors mentioned. This is no cookie-cutter approach,” she said.

McCutcheon said a key neighborhood amenity would be creation of an eight-foot paved walking path around the lake for the enjoyment of the residents.

She said many roadways have deteriorated, some to the point of necessitating a complete rebuilding caused by excessive traffic use and damage from water drainage.

Narrow proposed street widths came under attack by some in the audience because they would generally be limited to 17 to 24 foot widths, when the village standard is 33 feet wide. However, clearance with crowded private property lines in the area is an important consideration, McCutcheon pointed out.

City Engineer Bill Emerich said proper drainage has been a problem in Loch Lomond for years.

“Two out of five water main breaks in the village take place in the Loch Lomond neighborhood,” he said.

But the cost and time for completing the project raised many questions from both the audience and Village trustees.

Trustee Ed Sullivan kicked off the discussion on cost.

“I shudder to think how we can afford this,” said Trustee Ed Sullivan. His suggestion that perhaps a special tax assessment district could be created to help finance the effort immediately drew a loud groan from the audience.

David Breen, a 44-year resident of the neighborhood, questioned why it would take so long to complete the repairs.

“I would like to see something done much sooner. We have been paying taxes for years but not getting any services. We have some streets that there that haven’t been resurfaced in 35 years,” Breen said.

John Webb, also a long-time Loch Lomond resident, said he was disappointed in the lengthy 14-year plan. “It should be three or four years. It borders on negligence to delay this project that long.”

Village Administrator John Lobaito responded that officials recognize that something needs to be done. But he said the village just doesn’t have the money to do such an extensive project now.

“We need to balance what resources we do have with other needs as well,” he said.

Lobaito said he didn’t expect any final decisions on the project to be made soon. And he said in the meantime the village might re-patch some of the Loch Lomond roadways that were in serious condition until such time as a more extensive program could be carried out.