Why once-closed Grayslake street has reopened to traffic

With Grayslake engulfed by road construction, the village has decided to offer drivers some relief by opening a street long blocked by a gate in a residential neighborhood.

A roughly half-mile stretch of Prairieview Avenue near downtown Grayslake is open for traffic for the first time since 1998.

Grayslake village board trustees voted 4-1 on July 7 in favor of an ordinance that was legally necessary to reverse a previous action so the gate at Second Street could swing open. Some residents who oppose the road reopening cited traffic safety, speeding, a lack of sidewalks and other concerns before the village board vote.

Village Manager Mike Ellis said one reason behind the decision to reopen Prairieview was to offer commuters another way to get around the massive Washington Street railroad underpass construction west of Lake Street. Lake County transportation officials said the underpass and other improvements to the busy thoroughfare in Grayslake should be completed in late 2016.

"We are doing a significant amount of road improvements this summer," Ellis said. "More than the typical year."

There also is construction west of Lake Street on Harvey Avenue and School Street. Harvey and School are east-west streets that receive neighborhood traffic, Ellis said.

And, a section of Lake Street, between Shorewood Road and just north of Route 83, will be closed for about the next 80 days to accommodate curb installation and other improvements, according to the village. Resurfacing and new curb installation also is occurring not far away on Center Street in downtown Grayslake.

John Basten, who lives on Waterford Drive near Prairieview, said he's concerned the reopened section of road, which has a standard 25 mph residential speed limit, will become enticing to drivers looking for a "cut through" from Washington Street to Lake Street and the downtown area.

Basten also noted there is nothing in writing committing the village to closing the gate after the major Washington Street construction ends.

"When I bought the house, the gate was closed," he said. "It (the open gate) does change the neighborhood with increased traffic."

Prairieview Avenue's gate was installed in the late 1980s when a previous village board debated whether it should be a through street. In May 1998, village officials agreed to open the gate for a short time because of two area construction projects, but shut it after several parents voiced concern about their children's safety in a neighborhood without sidewalks.

When debate about the gate resurfaced in 2001, the village board voted 4-2 in favor of a local law requiring the gate to be closed to prevent through traffic on Prairieview, which is near Grayslake Central High School. Village board members July 7 reversed that action by passing another ordinance to allow vehicles to drive on Prairieview for an unspecified time.

Village Trustee Elizabeth Davies was the lone vote against reopening Prairieview to traffic. She said one of her top concerns remains the lack of sidewalks for a street that will receive more traffic when Grayslake Central begins the 2015-16 academic season Aug. 13.

"I recognize that we have a very thoughtful board and this is a complex issue with points to be made on both sides," Davies said. "The board isn't always going to agree. This is one of those times. At the end of the day, I feel this issue most closely affects the people in that neighborhood and they resoundingly want it closed."

As part of the road reopening, the village board directed Grayslake police to monitor traffic and add enforcement details for the area. In addition, Ellis' office will be in charge of gathering data on traffic volume and vehicle speeds for evaluation purposes.

Grayslake village board members would have to pass another ordinance if the Prairieview gate is to close again. Trustee Shawn Vogel said he'd want to see results from the village's traffic study before a decision is made, but he expects elected officials would be open to the idea.

Vogel said Prairieview was built to handle traffic from subdivisions in the area. He said he understands the residents' concerns about the gate being open, but that officials needed to help Grayslake commuters.

"We have to look at the broader community," he said.