Red Gate bridge would be a waste

St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte’s rush to build the Red Gate Bridge before many local improvements leaves informed citizens of St. Charles and the township bewildered.

Soon, with improvements such as left hand turn lanes on Route 64 slated for this year, the benefits of the Stearns Road bridge are realized. The slowing of development west of Randall Road and the improved Route 47 plans that will reduce traffic flow as people west of Elburn and out to DeKalb will use Route 47 to get to I-90 or I-88 rather than come through St Charles, will greatly reduce the need to spend $20 million to $30 million on the Red Gate bridge.

Perhaps the idea of using the funds the mayor has, approximately $6 million to $7 million, to buy the old Manor and Blue Goose land for use for all 30,000 St. Charles residents and create a gem of a riverfront that will keep our downtown businesses strong, is a wiser use of the funds he has saved. Some wise use of eminent domain is needed here.

The 30 or so condos planned for that precious piece of property will benefit 30 families — not thousands of families and a 100-plus businesses. I don’t know of any business that does better with less traffic. Geneva Commons would have been built on Route 47 it that were the case.

Thank you for helping me save our citizens from an unwise use of taxes.

The mayor’s immense desire to reduce traffic but yet his unwillingness to use the Arcada marquee and or banners to divert traffic to the Stearns bridge is baffling.

Also the already perilous traffic around North High will not be worsened.

Are there many people out there that couldn’t use a reduction in their taxes?

Nolan Day

St. Charles