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Schedule
The Public Hearing was held on December 6th at Village Baptist Church located at 515 S. Frontenac Street in Aurora Illinois 60504. IDOT provided a project status update, presenting the preferred alternative, presenting the 4(f) De Minimis Impact document regarding impacts to the Fox Valley Park District and obtained public input. The meeting was conducted in an open house format. Interested persons were able to visit anytime between 4:00 and 8:00 pm. All comments received by December 20th, 2011 become part of the Public Hearing Record.
After the first public meeting, the project team began defining the Purpose and Need for the project and analyzed current and future conditions. A Community Advisory Group (CAG) was formed and provided input on the development of the Purpose and Need statement. The CAG consists of community leaders, agency representatives and community stakeholders with expertise or technical interest in the area affected by the study. The responsibilities of this group include providing input to the study process, and seeking general agreement at key project milestones (e.g., project Purpose and Need, range of alternatives to be advanced for detailed study, and the recommended alternative) This group meets periodically throughout the study process.
Project Purpose and Need discussions are being built on an understanding of known traffic safety problems or congestion/operational problems, traffic forecasts, their anticipated effects on future traffic conditions, and the need for a grade separation. These discussions will be the basis for meaningful discussions about potential solutions.
Meetings with the CAG have been held at key points. Topics and issues discussed at those meetings are included in the meeting summaries posted on this website and are also summarized here:
- Meeting held 4/21/10 – Organized the group, described roles and responsibilities and gathered input on issues;
- Meeting held 6/15/10 – Reviewed schedule and project status, reviewed a draft Problem Statement and Purpose and Need, reviewed development of alternatives and gathered input on a community context audit; and
- Meeting held 11/3/10 – Reviewed schedule and status, gathered further input and gained general agreement on the Problem Statement and the Purpose and Need, discussed the Focus Group meeting held with adjacent property owners and reviewed and discussed items being developed for the second Public Meeting.
- Meeting was held on 11/17/2011 - Agenda items for this meeting included updates on Status of the Project, a summary of Second Public Meeting, a summary of Alternatives carried forward after the Second Public Meeting, presenting the Preferred Alternative, a summary of the 4(f) De Minimis Document for impacted Park District Land and the Project’s next steps.
A Focus Group Meeting was held on 8/31/2010 to provide an update on the status of the Phase I Study, and to present preliminary engineering concepts of highway overpass and underpass type grade separations to owners and residents of properties adjacent to the project’s potential construction limits. The meeting was also intended to provide an opportunity for attendees to freely ask questions about the project and the types of alternatives under consideration. The primary goals of the meeting were to enable these project stakeholders to gain a thorough understanding of the alternatives being studied and to obtain their feedback regarding potential issues, concerns and preferences for each of the alternatives.
A Community Advisory Group (CAG) Meeting was held on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at the Village Baptist Church, 515 S. Frontenac Street, Aurora, Illinois 60504. The purpose of the meeting was to provide an update on status of the US 34 at EJ&E Grade Separation Project, summarize the Second Public Meeting, summarize the Alternatives that have been carried forward and been under consideration since that meeting, present the Preferred Alternative, present the 4(f) De Minimis Document for impacted Park District Land and review the Project's next steps. The meeting was conducted from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Consistent with previous CAG meetings, the public wasinvited to attend as observers of the proceedings.
The Second Public Meeting was held on March 10, 2011 at the Village Baptist Church, located at 515 S. Frontenac Street, Aurora Illinois 60504. The purpose of the meeting was to present the Project Problem Statement, Purpose and Need, and details for the grade separation alternatives that have been under study for this project as well as to solicit public input and ideas. The meeting was conducted in an open house format. Interested persons were able to visit anytime between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. Attendees had the opportunity to view an audio-visual presentation, review exhibits, provide comments and meet with IDOT and study team representatives on a one-on-one basis.
Prior to the Public Hearing the following steps were and are being taken to approach the completion of Phase I:
1. A preferred alternative was selected and refined, taking into account comments from stakeholders;
2. A detailed process of review and approval then proceeded;
3. The Phase I Design Report, with all related engineering and environmental documents, was be completed; and
4. Finally, a Public Hearing was held to present the Preferred Alternative to all stakeholders. The draft Phase I Design Report and supporting documents was available at the hearing for review and comment. The Public Hearing was held December 6th, 2011.
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