Early plan for Carpentersville public works facility released

A preliminary plan for a new Carpentersville public works facility was released Monday with audit and finance commission members agreeing to the first step of the multimillion dollar process.

Audit and finance commissioners recommended to the village board a draft of the professional services agreement with Carol Stream-based Williams Architects for a public works facility in the village's Old Town.

The agreement, which outlines each phase of the project from planning to construction, would cost in excess of $650,000 and does not include costs associated with initial civil engineering concept plans, Village Engineer Scott Marquardt said.

Though the village board has set aside funds from cash reserves to cover the costs of the agreement, some commissioners were hesitant.

Commission member Ed Ritter, a trustee serving on the finance panel, said the village still needed to determine how it would pay for a new facility that is expected to cost more than $10 million.

"We need to be sure that we want to go down this road before we tell the village board to start spending money," Ritter said.

Williams Architects Principal Tom Poulos assured the commission the firm would not proceed from one phase to the next without first obtaining village board approval.

"This is a step-by-step commitment and not a commitment to the whole project," Poulos said.

That first step is to devise a site plan for the 28.5 acre parcel at the corner of Wilmette and Cleveland avenues, near the village's water treatment plant. The site plan will cost the village $26,000.

Potential uses for the site also could include a police station as well as a fire training facility, in addition to a 100,000-square-foot public works space.

The audit and finance commission, along with the village board, have discussed issuing another multimillion dollar bond to fund the project, which village officials and staff members say is desperately needed.