Traffic Guy

The Traffic Guy Hears...

... that the City is beginning the process of getting the addition to the animal shelter constructed. On Monday the Council asked the Illinois EPA to conduct an environmental investigation there. The shelter is near the recycling center at the west end of James Park.

... that improvements to Megowen Park and Smith Park were officially celebrated earlier this month.

... that we're going to sell some surplus vehicles at the Lake County auction in December: five police vehicles, one parks vehicle and a trailer, and one fire vehicle.

... that our police department has been selected by the Illinois Department of Transportation to conduct a series of traffic enforcement campaigns soon through "highly visible enforcement mobilizations." In other words, watch out - they'll be looking for speeders, folks not using seat belts, car seats or booster seats and for drivers under the influence. In other words, drive safely. The first campaign will run through Nov. 25.

... that more City officials have announced their intentions to take advantage of the City's early retirement. This makes it how many department heads leaving in the past two years? TG counts Frank Kaminski (police chief), Bill Stafford (finance director), Jay Terry (health and human services), Judy Witt (human resources), David Jennings (public works), Herb Hill (law department), Neal Ney (library) and Assistant City Manager Judy Aiello. Let's hope they leave scrapbooks, notes, tape recordings or some other form of institutional memory or this City could really be in trouble. Does anybody know of anyone else who might be leaving? Send in your retirement rumors to exodus@evanstonroundtable.com.

... that the Illinois Commerce Commission will consider rules for towing damaged or disabled vehicles. Next Tuesday, the ICC's transportation bureau will host a workshop to discuss new rules concerning the towing of disabled or
damaged vehicles from public roadways and private property "to preserve public interest and safety."

Public Act 95-0562, signed into law by Governor Rod Blagojevich, "provide for greater consumer protections and safety by expanding the ICC's oversight for safety towing of vehicles that are damaged or disabled on public roadways and private property," according to the ICC within, among other counties, Cook. Also: "The new law requires that prior to towing, a safety relocator must provide a written estimate of the costs of the tow. In accordance with 625 ILCS 5/18D-120, ‘a commercial vehicle safety relocator shall not commence the towing of a damaged or disabled vehicle without specific authorization from the vehicle owner or operator ... and before towing ... shall give to each vehicle owner or operator a written disclosure of the cost or relocation, storage and any other fees.'"

Wonder if this will also apply to cars that, inadvertently or not, park in the wrong spot. Even scofflaws deserve to have their vehicles towed undamaged.

... that one of the residents who commented at the first Plan Commission hearing on the downtown plan called attention to the fact that he is an older adult and said, "There's water under the viaduct at Grove and Sherman. Those of us who are trying to live a little longer find in July and August we might get bitten by one of those mosquitoes. ... We know the CTA is broke, but we don't need that loud- speaker telling us a train is coming. We have eyes."

From our readers: TG: In mid-October, strolling along the lake, I noticed all the water fountains were dry. Folks trying to give up those plastic water bottles count on them:the joggers, walkers, baby-carriage pushers, cyclists, roller-bladers - all thirsty.Then I checked out the community gardens, where the really dedicated gardeners were pushing the envelope to find all the water had been turned off:Weather announced 70s and 80s for a week, going to 50s and 60s.I understand that water must be turned off in case of frost.The only frost I could find was in my freezer. But wait, there is water at the end of the tunnel. The Director of Ridgeville Park District, Brian Rosinski, keeps his eye on the thermometer and the forecasts.The water is still on for the community gardeners there.Could we kindly ask the Evanston Park District to be in touch with (reality) the weather?We could have had two, perhaps three more weeks of water.Such a blessing!
- Thirsty (Irene Gregory)

From TG: Paul D'Agostino, superintendent of parks/forestry and recreation for the City provided a response.

TG: It may seem to be an easy concept to "watch" the weather before we begin to winterize our outdoor water sources. The truth is, the City maintains more than over 40 drinking fountains, four community garden sites, six underground irrigation systems and numerous park shelters. All these sites take several weeks to shut down for the winter to prevent damage from freezing temperatures. We just cannot wait until low temperatures are predicted to begin the process, since we may not be able to finish on time. We have to begin the process in early October to be sure we can finish before any damage occurs in order to avoid what could be some very costly repairs.

TG: As I walk up Sheridan Road in the mornings, I and many others pass through Edgemere Court on my way up the lakefront. For at least 10 years, there has been a continuous line of sidewalks on both sides of this private street, courtesy of the various owners in
that street.

But recently, one of the residents on the lake side has removed the sidewalk and put up a line of 6-foot bushes blocking the path where the sidewalk used to be, and it appears that several adjacent neighbors are preparing to do the same. This trend seems to me to be at least mean-spirited and maybe even illegal (see below).

Several questions arise:
1) Were Edgemere Court and Lake Shore Boulevard ever part of Sheridan Road?
2) If so, did the City put any conditions on the residents of Edgemere Court when the area was converted (if it was) or (if not) when it was created?
3) Does the concept of adverse possession apply in this case? I'm not a lawyer, but I believe that the common practice of allowing the public to walk on the sidewalks for many years can effectively render them public walkways. This would prevent the owners from taking the actions they appear to be taking.

In any case, it might be good to do a story on this development.
- (Mr.) Wylie Crawford

From TG: You appear to have touched a sore point with many folks, Mr. Crawford, and the real writers for this newspaper are working on a real story about it. Briefly, though, some are upset with the blocking of the sidewalk and others are offended by the monster house near the center of the block, lakeside. As far as your questions, TG has only a partial answer for you at present and will give more complete information as it is received. First of all, James Wolinski, director of community development for the City, said he does not believe Edgemere Court was ever a part of Sheridan Road. It was probably put in as plots of land between Sheridan and the lake were sold by someone who likely owned a huge parcel there. "The whole area is private," he said. The City has an easement for utilities, but the street and the parkways are privately owned. In other words, there's no recorded public easement. The City also picks up the garbage and provides emergency services, according to the law department,
but if a street is private, "the owners
can do what they want," one of the City attorneys said.

TG is still looking into the sort of public easement you alluded to and has spoken with someone whose childhood home was on a private street in another Chicago suburb and was told that that street was closed one day each year, to make sure that no one thought there would be a public easement.

City folks said they would let the RoundTable know how many other private streets there are in Evanston. St. Mark's Court comes to mind. What about other courts - Lakeside Court, for example, or Ridge Court?

The Traffic Guy thinks...

... Doomsday One, or Little Doomsday, as some are calling it, for the CTA and others has been forestalled for the nonce. Meanwhile, according to the University of Maryland, this country imports about $24 billion of petroleum per month, up from $5.5 billion in Dec. 2001. Folks in Springfield who aren't willing to follow our intrepid representative on mass-
transit funding ought to recognize whom they're hurting when they cut off service. If people can't get to their jobs easily, or at all, or if more people have to drive, doesn't this problem trump the pettiness
of politics?

... that any developer, architect, designer or consultant for any residential project of more than 15 units should have to purchase one unit and live in it for at least two years.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone.