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In being transparent with the city’s residential expansion and development, City Manager Thomas Mattis released a memorandum to address some of the apprehension surrounding growth and transportation upgrades.
Some of these concerns were brought up by distraught residents at a recent city council meeting, during the first of two required public hearings regarding the strategic partnership with Lund Farm MUD and the development they are bringing just outside of city limits, north of the city.
“This is not helping us be comfortable,” said Stephanie Lippke, “the citizens of Elgin are getting a little too tight out there on the roads.”
In Mattis’ note, he stated that every residential development approved by the city includes a requirement of the developer to fund appropriate traffic and safety improvements.
This has been true for the last five years, but speakers did not feel that this is enough.
“Here we are, trying to grow at a rapid rate, when we don’t have the set infrastructure to handle the town that we have,” added another frustrated Elginite.
One of these typical requirements is a Traffic Impact Analysis, an engineering- generated report, that is intended to provide an objective view of what transportation upgrades are necessary to support the new development.
These reports can cost upwards of $100,000, paid for by the partner.
Some of the binding commitments of upcoming projects include $1,588,500 from Harvest Ridge, $1,209,357 from Homestead and $754,479 from Peppergrass.
The city has also received a $10 million grant to help fund the County Line Road project, stretching from U.S. Highway 290 to Neidig Elementary School, currently in plan development.
Also under construction is a main arterial roadway that will run parallel to County Line Road, extending from Lund Road in Eagles Landing to U.S. Highway 290, completely paid for by a combination of different developers.
As for the Lund Farm expansion, they have agreed to fund and construct Lund Road improvements along the entirety of the property, dedicating public rightof- way to the city.
Many of these projects are years away, as Lippke made note of, but assuring preparations for these expansions are in order remains important now, and the council agrees.
