McHenry Times

Woodstock Transportation Commission met Wednesday, Jan. 18.

City of Woodstock Transportation Commission is located at 121 W. Calhoun St., Woodstock.

Here are the minutes as provided by Woodstock:

MINUTES TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION January 18, 2017 City Council Chambers

A Regular Meeting of the Transportation Commission was called to order by Commission Chairman, Andrew Celentano at 7:12 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall.

A roll call was taken.

COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Jason Osborne, Mark Indyke, and Chairman Andrew Celentano.

COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Caron Wenzel and Susan Hudson.

STAFF PRESENT: Public Works Director Jeff Van Landuyt and Chief Deputy City Clerk Jane Howie

OTHERS PRESENT: Woodstock High School students.

ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES: Not enough Commissioners were present to accept the Minutes from the November 16, 2016 Meeting. Minutes will be presented at the next meeting.

NEW BUSINESS:

1. Student Reports – South Street Stairs, presented by Ben Hernacki, John Presisto, Ryn Stewart The group stated that their motivation for doing this project is safety and equal opportunity for all Woodstock residents and persons who travel this area. The problem is, the stairs are an obstruction, they hinder bike riders and wheelchairs, and they are not ADA accessible. They pointed out the areas of concern these South Street staircases present and highlighted the problems in detail. Some solutions were vocalized; switchbacks, slope and elevations, issues with railings, and options for snow removal under the sidewalk. ADA and AASHTO regulations regarding slope and necessary parameters were explained. One of the options presented and specifically discussed was the design and function of heated cables under the walkway to prevent the buildup of snow and ice. Students discussed reasons why the stair project is needed. They displayed revit drawings for options instead of stairways and stated their goal is to make Woodstock accessible for everyone. The group would like to make a prototype of the sidewalk heating system.

Jason Osborne said the use of Athena is good but be certain to get ‘out in the field’ to observe the real picture. A. Celentano mentioned the switchback, thinking outside of the box, and asked if they could run the aluminum all the way down. Ryn said she looked at doing that but a concrete surface has better traction for persons in a wheelchair and for those who need walking assistance. A. Celentano had a concern with ripping out all the existing concrete and then putting concrete back in. He asked if they know how long it will take for the heated cables to get through the concrete to heat up the sidewalks to melt the ice and have clear sidewalks. The group will look into this. M. Indyke said there are examples of heated driveways and sidewalks in Woodstock. He wonders if there’s a possibility of snaking the cables under existing concrete. J. Van Landuyt said that could be done with a directional boring machine. If that is feasible, it could result in cost-savings. A. Celentano suggested the group entertain as many options as possible. In addition, find out how many times it typically snows each winter season here in Woodstock. M. Indyke mentioned looking into costs to operate the heated cables. J. Osborne said one mainly wants to keep the sidewalks warm enough to avoid freezing. Wyn said there’s a detector that will switch the system on when the pavement nears freezing temperatures.

Student Reports - Dakota Ridge Pathway presented by Parker Burton, Cullen Brown, Christian Villavicencio. This project involves building a pathway from Dakota Ridge subdivision to Westwood Elementary School. The location of the proposed path is flexible at this time. The group is currently looking at positioning the path in the easements, if possible. The justification is the safety of pedestrians and efficiency of bus systems. If bussing can be eliminated, this would allow savings for District 200. With regard to materials; they have found that asphalt is the most cost effective and durable.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Principles were highlighted. Construction needs to include allowance for rain water runoff / drainage system. They mentioned that lighting of the path isn’t required however; they did submit a request for proposal through a lighting company in Crystal Lake. The group talked with Dakota Ridge Homeowners Association President O’Leary and found out that no monies are collected from residents for HOA; only donations. The students also had a conversation with Arborist, Lisa Haderlein of TLC to discuss the area and find out what species of trees or brush exist and what would have to be removed. District 200 Superintendent Dr. Moan gave full support of this project; however, the District is unable to offer financial support. Funding would have to come from donations from Dakota Ridge residents and hopefully grants.

J. Osborne commended the group for getting some of the key stakeholders involved. He liked the use of pictures with the people involved. He brought up “NIMBY-ism” = Not in my back yard, saying some people may not support this idea because it doesn’t affect them personally. A. Celentano was happy that they made contact with both Mr. O’Leary and Mr. Stanton from Dakota Ride; these men provided useful information. A. Celentano asked how many trees are in line with the path. The group responded that here aren’t a lot of trees in the area, mainly scrub trees.