Glen Ellyn sidewalk spat is a matter of safety, residents say

A sidewalk project in Glen Ellyn caused some friction among neighbors at a village board workshop Monday.

Glen Ellyn resident John Feeley, of the 300 block of Ridgewood Avenue near Kenilworth Avenue, presented a 19-page report that laid out his reasons for opposing a sidewalk that will be installed in front of his home - possibly before the end of the year.

Feeley said the sidewalk would have a negative effect on his family's privacy, security and their home's aesthetics.

But neighbors say the sidewalk is a necessity for the safety of local children who currently are forced to cross Ridgewood Avenue if they are walking or riding a bicycle on the south side of the street heading west.

Neighbors balked at Feeley's interpretation of survey results distributed by the village that said 14 respondents supported the sidewalk and two, including Feeley, opposed.

Feeley said the residences that did not respond should be counted as opposing the sidewalk, which would be installed in the neighborhood a few blocks northwest of Lincoln Elementary School.

The village plans to install 310 feet of sidewalk as part of its sidewalk program. Some residents filed a petition to prioritize that stretch of road, which had not been scheduled for sidewalk installation until after 2017.

Residents Bill Cesario and Jim Brefeld said they did so because of safety.

"It improves safety and increases the consistency of the neighborhood," said Brefeld, who lives at 365 Ridgewood. "We have young children who are at the age where they are riding their bikes. It's a very long, uninterrupted side of the block."

Feeley said the village's desire to change the status quo meant it had the burden of proof regarding the sidewalk's necessity. In his report, Feeley said the surveys did not support the sidewalk and that the village's proposals were unreasonable because they did not adequately address his concerns, including the destruction of a large lilac bush that partially blocks the view of the Feeley home.

Police Chief Phil Norton said while he was sympathetic to Feeley's concern, when it comes to sidewalks, safety is always higher with them than without them.