Carpentersville public works building moves ahead
The Carpentersville village board may have been in consensus on the need for a proposed $12 million public works facility, but trustees are not in accord on decisions relating to the facility's location or the building's components.
Representatives from Williams Architects, the Carol Stream firm charged with designing the facility, asked trustees Tuesday for direction on where to situate the building on the site at Wilmette and Cleveland avenues, and whether the building should include office space for the engineering department and the community development staff.
After reviewing site plan proposals for both the north and south sectors of the property, trustees voted 5-2 in favor of the northern half of the property that backs into an industrial park. Trustees Paul Humpfer and Patricia Schultz voted for the southern end, which they said would provide greater visibility from Cleveland Avenue.
Once the location was decided upon, trustees argued over the inclusion of a mezzanine level that would provide additional office space for the community development and engineering departments should those departments move from their current village hall space. Board members had said the relocation of the two departments would enable the police department to expand.
But Williams Architect President Mark Bushhouse said the mezzanine level would add between $700,000 and $2 million to the $12 million price tag. Bushhouse said the village could either build a shell that could later be converted into usable office space, or complete the mezzanine level for immediate occupancy.
Trustees voted 5-2 in favor of building a shell with offices for the public works facility below. Trustees Humpfer and Keith Hinz dissented.
Humpfer said he would no longer support the project if the board voted against the full-scale office space for the engineering and community development departments.
"This is how we sold the concept to residents," Humpfer said.
"That is why we have not heard a lot of backlash from residents ... because we are in a space crunch (in village hall) presently."
Hinz, however, voted against the inclusion of the mezzanine because it would likely push the project beyond the $12 million budget.