Arlington Hts. board won't take public comment April 30 on Kirchoff exits
The Arlington Heights Village Board will not take in-person public comment April 30 regarding Northwest Community Hospital's request that two exits onto Kirchoff Road be reopened for outbound traffic.
The board believes sufficient information was obtained from extensive audience participation at the April 9 meeting on this issue, the village stated in a news release.
April 30 is the village board's next committee of the whole meeting, where the Kirchoff Road issue will continue to be discussed.
However, anyone wishing to make further comment about the Kirchoff Road exits to be shared with the Village Board can email it to administration@vah.com, call (847) 368-5100, or write to the Village Board in care of the Manager's Office, Village of Arlington Heights, 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.
The April 30 Committee of the Whole meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and the first item discussed will be a subject unrelated to the hospital's request. Discussion by the Village Board regarding the re-opening of exits onto Kirchoff from the Hospital's campus will resume at approximately 8 p.m. in the Board Room, on the third floor of Village Hall, the news release states.
Two exit points from the Hospital's campus onto Kirchoff Road were closed as part of the 2001 approval of the hospital's five-year master plan, which was extended in 2006. Currently, the access points are restricted to inbound traffic only, except for emergency vehicles. The village imposed the condition to close these two exits because of the anticipated adverse impact on traffic generated from additions made to the hospital's campus.
About 200 people attended the April 9 village board meeting, many of them hospital employees, when trustees were scheduled to discuss the request. After about 10 spoke on each side of the issue, trustees decided village staff should create a list of options with pros and cons.
Village President Arlene Mulder also said she would contact the Illinois Department of Transportation to see what is possible as far as “traffic calming” on Kirchhoff. For example, planters in the middle of the street might keep drivers from using the middle turning lane to pass other vehicles, she said.
The issue has pitted neighborhoods against each other as residents fear added traffic on their streets or hope opening the exits would decrease cars in their area. Mulder said she is looking for a way to satisfy the needs of all parties.
But Bruce Crowther, president and chief executive officer of the hospital, said he does not think consensus is possible, and said those two exits need to be reopened.
“I would never have consented to closing two of the four exits for a hospital of this size if I thought there was any risk of it being permanent,” said Crowther.