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Western option wrong for Rt. 45

The Lake County Board will soon have an opportunity to vote on the Highway 45 Millburn bypass. The western option was selected as the preferred and final choice by the Lake County Department of Transportation. The western bypass is designed to go through McDonald Woods Forest Preserve (land paid for by Lake County residents to preserve), goes directly through Forest Trail subdivision and, along the Heritage Trails subdivision bringing it closer to Millburn West School.

The Lake County Board also doubles as the Forest Preserve District.

This is certainly convenient for Tempel Farms as they have agreed to use Forest Preserve land without question versus Tempel farm fields for this four-lane monster highway.

The LCDOT states on their website that the western bypass will only impact 2 acres of prime farmland and the Eastern bypass will impact 11.5 acres. What they fail to mention is that they chose to save farmland over forest preserve land and, have chosen to destroy the east end of the Forest Trail subdivision by putting this highway directly through it. They have chosen to destroy the property values of those in Forest Trail and those in Heritage Trails (ultimately less money going to an already struggling Millburn School District) and, at a 45 mph speed limit, they are putting residents and their children in a potentially disastrous situation.

They also state that the western bypass has the greatest potential for pedestrian and bicycle safety. Really? Safe for those that wander in the corn I guess.

An overwhelming majority of community members who submitted comments on the project preferred an Eastern bypass through farm fields and NOT a dangerous disruptive western bypass through residential areas and forest preserve.

Do your job, Lake County Board. Monitor the LCDOT and listen to the community you represent.

Lisa Gillespie

Lindenhurst