Hawthorn Woods mayor ready to go 'Tiananmen Square' over Route 53 plan

[Brandon]

Hawthorn Woods mayor ready to go 'Tiananmen Square' over Route 53 plan

Hawthorn Woods Mayor Joe Mancino is adamantly against the extension of Route 53 – invoking "Tiananmen Square" to explain his opposition to the road entering his village.

"That's going to be me, standing in front of the bulldozers," Mancino said. "They're going to pull my dead political body out from under them."

Yet it remains unclear whether the tollway will ever find the money to build its road and the bridge over Hawthorn Woods that Mancino detests.

What an asshole.

[Joe The Dragon]

What about an upgrade of us 12? Toll it if needed.

[3467]

The Chinese just shot them in in Tianamen and paid no earthly price that I can see so .......run him over. Dumb analogy

[Rick Powell]

Speaking of China...this is how roads are built in China around the objections of local citizens.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241365/House-built-middle-motorway-China-finally-demolished.html

[3467]

I am no fan of China. I would like to see some of those CEOS that gush over them actually live there.. I am glad those people actually got some compensation Did you notice the air in all those pics?
Back to Route 53 ...He can rant all he wants with the real environmental issues dealt with its a matter of money. When the Tollway makes or thinks it is viable it will be built

[ARMOURERERIC]

Paging the ghost of Anthony Spilotro

[Henry]

That mayor can go to hell!

[texaskdog]

Just build the route far enough from his town so no one will exit to spend money there

[Brandon]

Just build the route far enough from his town so no one will exit to spend money there

Not really possible.  The corridor goes right along the eastern edge of Hawthorn Woods.
http://maps.lakecountyil.gov/output/TownshipMaps/celacity.pdf

[The Ghostbuster]

Is he going to ride in a tank and run over highway contractors?

[Quimby]

The mayor's concerns about the proper alignment of the highway by the Indian Creek area may be valid, but in the end Hawthorn Woods just wants the entire project killed.  Hawthorn Woods has been fighting a NIMBY battle against the 53 extension for decades.  No matter how the road is aligned, it will still go through HW and I doubt any alignment of the road will ever satisfy them.  They don't care if the rest of central Lake County is choked with traffic.

Just build the route far enough from his town so no one will exit to spend money there

That town has almost no commercial businesses.  It's made up just about entirely of expensive acre lot homes.  They probably would be glad to have no outsider ever drive through their town. 

[Brandon]

Just build the route far enough from his town so no one will exit to spend money there

That town has almost no commercial businesses.  It's made up just about entirely of expensive acre lot homes.  They probably would be glad to have no outsider ever drive through their town. 

Exactly.  Hawthorn Woods is the very definition of sprawl.  It's the poster child for why we have congestion in Lake County in the first place.

[ET21]

No one would miss him if the bulldozers did splat him

[I-39]

Really? This is absolutely outrageous. This project needs to be built and should have been built 40 years ago. I thought this latest round of planning was supposed to be "more-inclusive" and working closely with environmentalists to find a solution, which is why we have this watered-down 4-lane 45 mph parkway. What more do you want Mr. Mayor?????????????? 

And I am going to say this again. This needs to be six lanes and built to Interstate standards, otherwise it won't satisfy the problem.

[roadman]

Um, Mr. Macino.  How much damage do you think that bulldozer would suffer if it rolled right over you?

None at all.

[jakeroot]

The definition of a NIMBY.

[roadman]

The definition of a NIMBY.

Also a prime example of what's wrong with a system where people making objections to necessary and logical civic improvements, especially when those objections are based on totally personal reasons, are not required to provide any proof whatsoever to back up their claims.

[jakeroot]

The definition of a NIMBY.

Also a prime example of what's wrong with a system where people making objections to necessary and logical civic improvements, especially when those objections are based on totally personal reasons, are not required to provide any proof whatsoever to back up their claims.

If that's the case, I'm not sure why we're so worried. This is why expropriation exists (to buy property from those who are opposed to leaving for inexplicable reasons).

[Brandon]

The definition of a NIMBY.

Also a prime example of what's wrong with a system where people making objections to necessary and logical civic improvements, especially when those objections are based on totally personal reasons, are not required to provide any proof whatsoever to back up their claims.

If that's the case, I'm not sure why we're so worried. This is why expropriation exists (to buy property from those who are opposed to leaving for inexplicable reasons).

The state already owns the right of way for the IL-53 extension, and has for decades.

[midwesternroadguy]

The state already owns the right of way for the IL-53 extension, and has for decades.

How did the subdivision (in/near Mundelein) south of Hawley Street (County 70) get built within the future 53 right-of-way ( Brighton Drive, Blackburn Drive etc.)?  It's mostly just streets, but a couple houses may encroach into it.   

I wonder how access to the western part of the subdivision to the west of the 53 ROW will be accessed once the "parkway" is developed?  Maybe access will be built within the two vacant lots on the northern side of Brighton Drive to Hawley Street?

[jakeroot]

The definition of a NIMBY.

Also a prime example of what's wrong with a system where people making objections to necessary and logical civic improvements, especially when those objections are based on totally personal reasons, are not required to provide any proof whatsoever to back up their claims.

If that's the case, I'm not sure why we're so worried. This is why expropriation exists (to buy property from those who are opposed to leaving for inexplicable reasons).

The state already owns the right of way for the IL-53 extension, and has for decades.

Then what's the concern? If the state owns the property, I do believe they are allowed to do with it whatever they please (unless Hawthorne Woods passed some measure prohibiting four lane roads within city limits).

[silverback1065]

Just build the route far enough from his town so no one will exit to spend money there

or build right through it and not put any exits in hawthorn woods. 

[Brandon]

Just build the route far enough from his town so no one will exit to spend money there

or build right through it and not put any exits in hawthorn woods. 

Hawthorn Woods isn't all that big if you look at the Lake County map: http://maps.lakecountyil.gov/output/TownshipMaps/celacity.pdf

[mgk920]

How did the subdivision (in/near Mundelein) south of Hawley Street (County 70) get built within the future 53 right-of-way ( Brighton Drive, Blackburn Drive etc.)?  It's mostly just streets, but a couple houses may encroach into it.   

I wonder how access to the western part of the subdivision to the west of the 53 ROW will be accessed once the "parkway" is developed?  Maybe access will be built within the two vacant lots on the northern side of Brighton Drive to Hawley Street?

It was the doings of an arrogant developer in the late 1970s to mid 1980s.  IDOT already had the ROW officially mapped, but the developer went ahead with the subdivision anyways.  IDOT was then able to issue a 'stop work' order for the lots within the mapped ROW in time before any houses could be built on them.

As for those otherwise isolated lots, there is ROW preserved to allow an access street to serve them.

Mike

[ChiMilNet]

Being one who often drives up in the area nearby to go to work, the traffic around Lake Cook Road and North into Lake County is absolutely unacceptable. What's even more annoying is that this same mayor would be one to throw a fit if there were any proposals to widen EXISTING roads (which needs to happen IN ADDITION to the 53 extension either way). It's these types of NIMBYs that have allowed existing 53 through Long Grove to be the hot two lane mess it is now (seriously, that road is just downright stressful). Those towns should be embarrassed by the way they prevented IDOT from building the proper infrastructure when they could have. I mean, it honestly could not have helped the economy there (actually, Long Grove especially has taken quite a hit, but you order your bed, you sleep in it). The development is coming, no stopping it, and if you want to have a country life, I'd suggest moving out to far Northwest McHenry County. I live in Arlington Heights, and I will tell you the adequacy of the highway system south of Lake Cook is a night and day difference, so much more sufficient here (not that we don't have our traffic issues here as well, but still).