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94-283 Resolution No. 94-283 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CLOSURE OF PERCY STREET AT VILLA STREET BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, that the public street known as Percy Street be and is hereby closed to vehicular traffic at Villa Street for the period October 12, 1994 to April 12, 1995. s/ George VanDeVoorde George VanDeVoorde, Mayor Presented: October 12, 1994 Adopted: October 12, 1994 Omnibus Vote: Yeas 7 Nays 0 Attest: s/ Dolonna Mecum Dolonna Mecum, City Clerk • it Agenda Item No . r. Ckei �I1 e September 22, 1994 TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM: Richard B. Helwig, City Manager SUBJECT: Experimental Street Closure PURPOSE The purpose of this memorandum is to forward to the Mayor and members of the City Council information on a recommended experimental street closure at Villa and Percy Streets (map attached) . BACKGROUND The Neighborhood Watch Group and residents living in the area of Villa and Percy Streets have been engaged in discussions with staff throughout 1994 regarding neighborhood problems . The Police Department, the former Traffic Committee and the Neighborhood Services Committee have met with neighborhood leaders to define issues and consider solutions . One of the outcomes of these meetings was the idea of closing Percy at Villa to prohibit cut through traffic avoiding traffic sig- nals and to prevent other unwanted vehicular traffic. A petition supporting the closure is attached with correspon- dence from John Wigal. Street closures have been successfully used to improve the quality of li neighborhoods elsewhere on Villa Street at Geneva and BuVW—Streets . Before opting for a permanent closure, however, the neighbors and the staff would like to close Percy on an experimental basis for six months and evalu- ate the impact. If the closure proves beneficial, a perma- nent closure could be designed and constructed next year. If the City Council approves the closure of Percy, it is anticipated that the experimental closing involving a guard- rail installation and appropriate signs could be accomplished within two to three weeks . Experimental Street Closure �► September 22, 1994 Page 2 COMMUNITY GROUPS/INTERESTED PERSONS CONTACTED The Neighborhood Watch Group and neighborhood leaders of the Percy and Villa Area have been contacted and support a clo- sure. FINANCIAL IMPACT The cost of an experimental closure will be approximately $2,600 . Funds for a permanent closure estimated to be $40,000 will be recommended in the 1995 budget, subject to the evaluation of the six-month experimental closure. LEGAL IMPACT An ordinance is required for the street closure; barriers and signs must meet applicable state standards . RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council authorize the experi- mental closure of Percy at Villa and ask to begin work on the project. Respectfully submitted, /7'-•(/ 12' - Robert 0. Maim Chief Operating Officer/ Assistant City Manager Richard B. Helwig City Manager ROM/skg r Closure 5.1-rer a .� v`i lia ‘.004 r Percy S-/-. , --_____ \___,_________S4j,\\ lirt0 ..-1 tf) S, \'' ' '- .E511t t r SI . 3Oil g.us •r e r1 ' a. ec Q 411 � %.)10E'er SI 0- �h� t d GT ;� � ,!.r � ..i, lifirg: lin bip 00E1 v dAR- J pc, iNIP ' II 1kG#LIkE.,1 0, ST. >/\44 * 4490 ulliFigfit -11 . .,A Sr W r John E. Wigal 223 Henn? St. �G Elgin, Illinois 60120 ce - August 14, 1994 Mr.Rick Helwig City Manager City of Elgin 150 Dexter Court Elgin,IL 60120 Dear Rick: r During the past few months our Neighborhood Watch organization has been discussing problems surrounding the intersection of Villa and Percy Streets. I expressed these concerns to Mr. Robert Maim in a letter dated June 1. Mr.Maim notified various persons and I and Pam Stock met with the Traffic Committee on June 14. I have enclosed a copy of my letter to Mr.Maim dated June 1, 1994. The committee suggested that we drop our request to make Percy Street a one-way going south and instead ask for the intersection of Percy and Villa Streets to be closed. Since then,we have had time to return to our Neighborhood Watch group,discuss the plan with them and circulate the enclosed petition among those in our neighborhood. There is very clear support among our neighbors as all are concerned about the gang,drug,traffic and child safety issues in the area. We are greatly concerned that local traffic will see our neighborhood as a convenient short-cut around the lights at St. Charles/National Street once the riverboat is creating traffic congestion. I am sorry that this could not have been dealt with earlier since curb and sidewalk repair is presently taking place in the area right now and this could have easily been incorporated into that work. Hopefully, it will be possible to address our request quickly,this fall or coming spring at the latest. Please give me a call when you have had time to review this material and are prepared to discuss it further(home 888-8661). We are all looking forward to working with you and the City to further improve our neighborhood. Sincerely, John E.Wigal enclosures: Letter to Robert Maim Spanish and English petitions John E. Wigal 423 Henna St. Elgin, Illinois 60120 June 1, 1994 Mr. Robert O.Maim v Chief Operating Officer/Assistant City Manager City of Elgin 150 Dexter Court Elgin,IL 60120 Dear Mr.Malm: I would like to take a moment of your time to bring you up to date on the situation surrounding 402/04 Villa Street here in my neighborhood. First, I would like to thank the officers of the Community Relations and Crime Prevention Unit of the Elgin Police for their fine work at our Neighborhood Watch meeting. The meeting was also attended by officers from the Gang Crime Unit who answered questions regarding this specific property and the activities there and by Mr. Joel Webb,Director of Code Administration. As a result of the meeting and of the officers discussion with the gang members afterwards, all disruptive activity at the 402 address has stopped. In the days immediately following the meeting,a complaint was filed against Mario Cardenas by one of the neighbors and additional arrests were made at the corner grocery store across the street. It is my impression from talking with others that the gang has quieted down because there was the possibility that the City may pursue action on the property through the nuisance ordinance. Conditions at 476 Stella,the other problem property in our neighborhood have not improved much. We hope the City departments will continue to pursue the improvement of this property as well. Finally,there are two items which were raised at the meeting of which I feel you should be informed. First is the need for a street lamp on the portion of Percy Street south of Barrett. This portion of the street is particularly dark because the lamp at the corner of Villa and Percy hangs over Villa Street,and the lamp at the corner of Barrett and Percy is on the north side of Barrett,hanging at a 45°angle over the intersection. Due to the large growth of trees and to the distance between lamps,the middle of the block receives no light from either direction. A mid-block light is needed here as is found throughout Elgin. The second item is the need for traffic control at the corner of Stella and Percy Streets. The Percy/Stella/Channing route is often used to bypass the two stoplights on Villa Street at St. Charles and at National. The traffic volume on Percy,which is only one and a half lanes is far too heavy,and as the traffic volume increases for the riverboat,this problem will only grow. We would like to propose that a four-way stop sign be installed at the corner of Percy and Stella Streets. A letter has been prepared for the Traffic Committee's consideration. Sincerely, John E.Wigal John E. Wigat 223 Henny St. Elgin, Illinois 60120 June 14, 1994 Traffic Committee City of Elgin 150 Dexter Court Elgin, IL 60120 Dear Traffic Committee: I am writing you this request for a traffic control device as the result of a Neighborhood Watch meeting held in May for the Stella, Henry, Percy, and Barrett Street area. During this meeting the amount and speed of traffic frequenting Percy Street and the Percy/ Stella Street intersection, where there is currently no traffic control device was discussed. We have several reasons for which we feel a traffic control device at this location would be important. First, the speed at which motorists currently drive on the block of Percy between Villa Street and Stella Street is frequently in excess of the legal limit. Many times these drivers do not stop or even slow as the approach the intersection with Stella Street nor as they approach other drivers. Secondly, Percy Street is very narrow, and has a large concentration of multi-unit buildings. This results in a large number of automobiles being parked on both sides of the street and close to the corner. Maneuvering one northbound and one southbound car through this very narrow street can be difficult and somewhat unsafe at any speed. Clear visibility of the intersection is not always possible, particularly when little attempt is made to slow for the intersection. Also, the high density of families with children in the neighborhood means that there are frequently children present on or near the street and intersection with Stella Street. The combination of many parked cars and children could at some point prove to be deadly. Thirdly, we feel that many of the automobiles traveling through this intersection do so as a means of avoiding the three traffic lights on Villa at St. Charles, National and Gifford Streets. Because Percy Street enters Villa Street immediately east of the St. Charles light, it is quicker for them to use Percy, Stella, Channing and Prairie Streets to move June 3, 1994 Page-2 around these lights. We fear that as the traffic volume at the intersection of Villa and National Streets increases with the opening of the Riverboat complex, that our problem will worsen as local traffic looks for shortcuts around the visitors to our city. Although just a traffic control device at Percy and Stella Streets will not remove this problem, it may cause the traffic to slow through this crowded area. There are at least two possible solutions to this problem. 1. Make Percy Street a one way street, southbound, placing a single stop sign on the north side of the Stella Street intersection. This course of action removes all of our concerns and some additional ones. First, it eliminates the practice of cutting through our neighborhood to avoid the stoplights- as the vast majority of this activity comes north off of Villa Street. Second, it controls the intersection of Stella and Percy in an adequate manner. Thirdly, traffic which moves only southbound would not need to negotiate through the parked vehicles and with drivers moving northbound. Finally, there has been fear that cars coming off of Villa Street and onto Percy are engaging at times in illegal activity within the neighborhood. This traffic plan would also help control this problem. 2. Place a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Stella and Percy Streets. This course of action is less satisfactory than the first choice. It will cause traffic to be cautious moving through the Stella/ Percy intersection, although it will do little to help control the amount of traffic and will only partially solve the speed and maneuvering issues. I hope the Traffic Committee can consider this request quickly and help our neighborhood control this issue before the Riverboat is in full operation. I would be willing to head up any activity within the neighborhood that would be necessary to make this a reality and I would appreciate a timely response from you. Should further information or contact be necessary, please feel free to contact me by phone (888-8661 home, 968-6231 work). Thank you for your time and consideration. • Sincerely, John E. Wigal r r We, the undersigned residents, living in the area near the intersection of Percy and Villa Streets urge the Elgin City Council to close the intersection at Percy and Villa Streets. Thus creating a dead-end street on Percy with an appropriate drive-over barricade for fire and police safety. We further request that an individual or individuals within the City government of Elgin be appointed to work with our Neighborhood Watch organization, to coordinate the installation of such a barricade in a timely and appropriate manner. /7 I7 1S� ;m)e,...._ i I nAddr� `gall 00 4:-::: ).!.1),?,-, 3,1 r ,C_,..1.4 , \ea ' 4VIS - , Ilk-1.-44)dorr 4 f .S.- kQ 1".....i X 73 ] ��� -;i __ _ 7`"`" ,__72... _ / 6, c_____/c -- (A4tt ,b( ` t ) 4(7 IZ2r. -- /,/ - _ -. 644....<_.../.......--- )1?. a' ' ...0 <561 . U _t.,2, 2 7._ / S -, r _ , �3/ _ _ _ - ‘ tet' ` ` t /7 _ 13/1'1- I/ '- - 77 L t (L', - ..� Al. ,. ,i / , I_4 4 A; ,/ /', lam.. _1 7 `;�r.. r., • nv Gi-- -. J 4T-, . - ' i I r i /�/ / i. \ `�y 1r. ./ %_ n r`/. ,- ,_ / r NOSOTROS, LOS RESIDENTES FIRMANDOS VIVIENDO EN LA AREA CERCA DE LA INTERCESION DE PERCY Y VILLA. URGEMOS LA CUIDAD COUNCULAR DE ELGIN QUE CIEREN LA INTERCESION DE LA PERCY Y VILLA. LA CALLE SERA CERRADA PERMANENTE EN LA PERCY, CON UN ENTRADA APROPIADA UNICAMENTE PARA LOS BOMBEROS Y POLICfA. TAMBItN QUEREMOS QUE UN INDIVIDUAL 0 INDIVIDUA- LES DENTRO DE LA CUIDAD GOVERNADOR DE ELGIN SER APROPIADO PARA TRABA- JAR CON NUESTRO VECINDARIO ORGANIZACION, PARA COORDINAR LA INSTALA- CION DE LA BARRICADA EN UN TIEMPO Y UNA MANERA APROPIADO. NOMBRE DOMICILIO 6e9-11 es A A Ict i-t a 21/ Perch 5/` 1V2.�ae ( C.:a // fc%J<, 32 F' -vC cl- . tY= -zi itcz---2,-,c---, 0 2Q- pp/ e.t et 04........L...... ---,8-.2.-0 __,g13 slit.,2,447, .,..d47- ---- , . . TTTTT , Cal. /..;)//0, . 1 r" L. 71z rev ,-i , -/ / ,, :, . . I-1- �7 .,- - f� - . - �' ;' b' %' • ` .#-7,''