Residents urge Carpentersville trustees to oppose Longmeadow Parkway

Annelise Menoni and her family moved to Algonquin for the open space.

She enjoys the nearby nature preserve and the natural beauty that surrounds her neighborhood. She likes watching deer run through her backyard.

That peace, she said, will be disturbed if the Longmeadow Parkway is built.

“It goes through beautiful, quiet neighborhoods where people walk, ride bicycles and enjoy the natural fields that exist there,” she said, noting that her home will back up to the road. “This is not the right place for a regional highway.”

Menoni was one of eight local residents who spoke against the proposed $135 million project at the Carpentersville village board meeting Tuesday.

The 5.6-mile road would pass through Carpentersville, Algonquin and Barrington Hills, extending from Huntley Road in Dundee Township to Route 62 in Barrington Hills. It would also include a four-lane toll bridge over the Fox River.

Noise, pollution, declining property values and tax increases were among the concerns mentioned by residents, some of whom said they feel as if their views aren't being taken seriously.

Algonquin resident Leah Cosentino said she is frustrated with trustees who opposed the project as part of their election platforms and have since changed their minds or silenced their opposition.

“Our communities need leaders with strength, integrity, and who will stand by their word and hold themselves accountable,” she said.

Trustee Kevin Rehberg assured attendees that the board is considering what is best for the entire area.

Carpentersville is one of nine local communities supporting the project. But Village Manager Mark Rooney said it has been more than five years since the village board voted on the issue.

“You don't know where anyone stands when there hasn't been a position put in front of them,” he said, noting that a different group of trustees sat on the board then.

Trustee Pat Schultz, who opposes the bridge, has considered drafting a resolution against the project, but it has not yet materialized, Rooney said. He added that she is seeking more information from the county before bringing a proposal before the village board.

In the meantime, the village staff has posted information about the project on its website and is “working cooperatively with the county” to get the corridor built, Rooney said.

Trustee Jeff Sabbe said he encourages supporters and opponents of the toll bridge to contact trustees directly.

“I promise you that none of us up here take this lightly,” Sabbe said. “It's important to all of us, and I do want to hear what you have to say.”