Palatine councilman: End patchwork repaving

One Palatine official had made clear he's not fond of the shades of gray painting certain village streets.

Councilman Jack Wagner on Monday criticized a public works program that calls for only portions of streets to be repaved, leaving behind strips of dark pavement against worn, lighter surfaces.

"It looks terrible. It's disgusting," he said. "I'd rather you not do the streets at all."

Wagner referred specifically to the village's milling and paving program, in which the top two inches of asphalt are replaced, generally to fill potholes or address other blemishes.

Public Works Director Andy Radetski defended the patchwork strategy, saying it saves money and prolongs the life of a street by up to seven years. The dark color fades within a couple years, he added.

"Every time we do an extra square yard or two on a street that doesn't need it, (it) means some street someplace else won't get addressed," Radetski said.

He acknowledged the program may not make sense from an aesthetic standpoint, but that it's limited by financial pressures. Wagner jumped on that, saying aesthetics should be considered, just as the village has a beautification committee and plants flowers and trees.

An inspection last year revealed 71,000 square yards of pavement in Palatine needed to be milled and paved, while the budget supported only 45,000 square feet.

Not doing any work, as Wagner recommended, could lead to multimillion-dollar increases down the road in full-blown resurfacing and rehabilitation projects, Village Manager Reid Ottesen said. Water seeps in, resulting in total base failure.

Public works officials in both Arlington Heights and Schaumburg said Palatine's methods are commonplace in area communities.

"Only the worst streets get the most invasive treatment," said Mike Reynolds, the Arlington Heights maintenance superintendent. "Some residents may hate the look but, really, it's a function of money."

Ottesen plans to analyze the milling and paving strategy to see how much more road could be completely resurfaced if the program was abandoned. Councilman Aaron Del Mar also suggested discussing the matter during budget workshops to decide whether more money should be allocated for street maintenance.