Shopping plaza hit by two crimes / BG Road foes get more visible / 'Go Green" event set
Spoerlein Commons hit twice – Police report a pair of incidents at Spoerlein Commons shopping plaza. In one incident, police say an unknown subject or subjects entered a maintenance room and damaged the property with paint. Police say the second incident is being investigated as a person told police that he found the rear exterior door of his business damaged, and money missing from the cash register.
Retail theft -- Police are continuing their investigation into the theft of seven bottles of liquor from the Walgreens at 1701 N Buffalo Grove Rd. The value of the stolen goods was set at $209.93
Residential theft -- A resident in the 800 block of Trace Drive told police his bike was stolen from what they called an “unsecured” storage area. The bike was valued at less than $500.
Traffic busts – Buffalo Grove Police listed three citations for traffic related incidents including two for driving with a revoked license and one DUI.
In Other Community News
Opposition to BG Road widening heats up
A proposal to widen Buffalo Grove Road from Half Day Road (Ill. Rt. 22) to U.S. Rt. 45 is continuing to meet with opposition from residents adjacent to the project who have recently posted a barrage of signs along the route of the project.
The project is the latest phase in the widening of Buffalo Grove Road. The roadway has been widened from McHenry Road (IL Rt. 83) to Half Day Road. Opposition to the previous phases was minimal.
The project, being coordinated by the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT), is scheduled to begin in 2025. That, however, does not mean construction will begin at that time. Details about the project, which calls for the roadway to be widened to four lanes plus turn lanes, can be found here.
According to Buffalo Grove Village Manager, Dane Bragg, the project, is “under the terms of the 1995 intergovernmental agreement, Lake County and the Village prioritized the widening and improvement of Deerfield Parkway, Weiland Road and Buffalo Grove Road to complete the county highway system. Lake County is the lead agency and the right-of-way is under the jurisdiction of the county.”
At issue, according to the website http://www.no2bgrdwidening.com put together by opponents to the project that it is not necessary, will create new traffic problems, will adversely impact wildlife and pedestrian safety and community charm. Full details of the group’s position are in a 1,650 word “declaration” found on the website. Aside from citing opposition from “residents of Vernon Hills, Prairie View, and Buffalo Grove, who will be negatively impacted and are opposing the proposed widening of Buffalo Grove Road from 2 lanes to 4/5 lanes,” there is no indication who is behind the effort or how it is being funded.
LCDOT has had public forums regarding the project, most recently a virtual one in May, which according to the Daily Herald, included nearly 100 residents who voiced opposition to the project. A concern of the group, according to Lake County Board Rep. Marah Altenberg (D-9), is “the widening attracting additional traffic that they do not think they have now. They say additional lanes will make it less safe for bikers and walkers. It will also increase noise pollution.”
In an email to BGNI, she noted that The LCDOT has conducted the traffic studies. “This road, since it was built, has been part of many future plans for the county. It is in the 20-year- strategic plan and was always projected to be widened. The traffic projections in the study are for 2050. The DOT is doing the widening to prevent future bottlenecks from increased traffic projected for the future.”
Altenberg added that the last study by LCDOT was done in 2018. “Residents complain that this data is pre-pandemic and not as relevant today. So, LCDOT has agreed to do another traffic study that will take about two to three months to complete. Residents are pleased with this decision. Once the DOT has the new data, they will be meeting with each of the resident developments who have concerns.”
Altenberg added that “I support our residents questioning local projects if they have concerns. I support them working with local officials to get the best outcomes for their community.”
Bragg added that “while it has been implied that the project is going forward as presented, no design concepts have been accepted or approved by the County or communities (Buffalo Grove and Vernon Hills). The village continues to work with LCDOT on areas of concern (pedestrian safety, noise impacts, stormwater management) as LCDOT enters the design phase.”
The Buffalo Grove Police Department notes that the widening of various roadways in the village have had little impact on traffic volume or accident rate. “Thus far the improvements have worked how they were intended to, which is to ease congestion on main roadways through the village, easing congestion during high peak travel times,” Sgt. Anthony Turano noted in an email to BGNI. He added that “we have not received any traffic complaints to date this year about these roads or any issues due to them being widened.”
Both Bragg and Altenberg say they have heard from residents who live adjacent to the portion of Buffalo Grove Road earmarked for widening and continue to, says Bragg, “to dialogue with them about the project.”
In regard to the project’s cost, Bragg said the village is responsible for its portion of the improvement costs for items such as street lighting, sidewalks, median landscaping, etc. the village does not pay for any share of the roadway improvement. The project is funded primarily through county road funds, no federal funds are designated for this project.”
Sidewalk repairs underway
Sidewalk repairs throughout the village are in high gear. According to village officials, the repairs will address sections of sidewalk that are broken, heaved, dipped, cracked or have other defects. A map of scheduled repairs can be found at this link.
A sign of the times?
With
the opening of the first tenants in the foreseeable future, developers of “The
Clove,” the edifice formerly known as Town Center, have posted signs heralding
the new development. Signs along McHenry and Buffalo Grove roads have been
installed and include Chick-fil-a as a tenant. An undated sign on the front of
Chick-fil-a states the unit is scheduled to open “in 10 days”. A
second eatery, Guzman y Gomez, is planning to open in early fall.
Your opinion still sought
Residents who want to voice their opinions about the village’s community branding or comprehensive plans, can still complete online. The deadline is now Aug. 28 to complete the surveys.
The comprehensive plan survey seeks residents' visions for the future of BG specifically in regards to its physical environment. That survey can be accessed at this link while the survey about community branding is available here.
Concert on tap tonight
The Park District’s Summer Concert Series will feature Triadd from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Aug. 15) at Willow Stream Park, 651 Old Checker Rd.
Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase at concessions. Attendees may also bring food and nonalcoholic beverages into the park; however, alcohol must be purchased at the park, and may not be brought into the park.
The Culinary Gangster food truck will be parked nearby for those who want to purchase dinner. For more information, visit the Park District’s Summer Concert Series page at bgparks.org.
Learn how to ‘go green’ at Park District event
The Park District is hosting a “Green Fair” from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27 at Mike Rylko Community Park, 1000 N. Buffalo Grove Rd.
The focus of the free event is to provide information and activities to help residents learn about the small steps they can take at home, work and in the community to improve the environment.
For a complete list of exhibits, activities and collection items, visit bgeat.org.
No tackling for Bison
NBC reported that football practices at BGHS are tackle free. The move is seen as a way to curtail injuries that can lead to concussions.
Need a Reason to Celebrate?
Aug. 15
National Back To School Prep Day
National Lemon Meringue Pie Day
Aug. 16
National Backflow Prevention Day
Aug. 17
National Black Cat Appreciation Day
Aug. 18
Aug. 19
International Homeless Animals Day
Aug. 20
Aug. 21
National Report Upcoding Fraud Day
Aug. 22
National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
Aug. 23
From NationalToday.com
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In case you didn’t know…
Buffalo Grove News and Info, is independently produced by Buffalo Grove resident Stan Zoller. A longtime journalist and journalism educator, Zoller covers Buffalo Grove and monitors news and information about the village, its schools, park district and community events. Buffalo Grove News and Information is not affiliated with any municipal body. Zoller is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Chicago Headline Club.
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