Naperville, residents reach compromise on sound walls

Naperville has reached a compromise with residents on sound-blocking walls to be installed near 75th and Washington streets.

The city council this week approved plans to build 12-foot-high walls for most residents in the Maplebrook I and II neighborhoods near the intersection. Some barriers will go as high as 16 feet, however, for those whose properties sit significantly below road level.

"If you actually go out there ... and sit at the red light you see how much higher the roadbed is (than some of the houses)," Councilman Doug Krause said. "If that was your house, you'd want it taken care of. I think it's a win-win situation on all sides."

The city has been discussing walls for Maplebrook residents for nearly five years. The intersection of 75th and Washington streets handles about 65,000 vehicles a day and is now undergoing a widening project to accommodate the 77,000 vehicles a day expected by 2025.

In June 2005, the council approved 12-foot sound walls that would protect about 95 homes.

But in recent meetings with city staff, residents said the 12-foot walls would not be adequate to protect some of the homes below road level.

Over the past six weeks, staff has held additional meetings with residents and marked the location of the proposed walls.

They also set up poles marked at both 12 and 16 feet high and took pictures from homes' back decks or patios to see how much of a visual barrier the walls would provide. For some, trucks would still be visible with a 12-foot wall.

After further study, staff identified 19 homes that will need higher walls. They recommended those that sit more than 18 inches below the roadway have 14-foot walls and those more than three feet below the road have 16-foot walls.

The additional height will add about $160,000 to the prior estimate of $3.46 million for the project.

"Five percent is not that significant," Councilman Joe Dunn said. "I would hate to spend 95 percent on something nobody wants as opposed to spending that extra 5 percent and coming up with what the neighborhood does want and what city staff has worked so hard ... to come to compromise on."

Staff said the final prices could end up being lower than originally projected. The council voted 6-1 in favor of moving forward with getting bids on the project.

Dunn, Krause, Kenn Miller, Robert Fieseler, John Rosanova and Mayor George Pradel voted in favor of the walls while Richard Furstenau voted against them saying he has been opposed from the start due to the cost. Councilmen Grant Wehrli and James Boyajian were absent.

Resident Tom Anderson called the compromise an "example of the cooperative effort between public and private" and said he hopes residents will be able to stay involved as the process moves forward."