Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Committee

MEETING MINUTES Date: January 10, 2007 Time: 10:00 a.m. Location: Village of Niles Job: Milwaukee Avenue Corridor - Streetscape Job No.: NILE-060592-3 Present: Louella Preston – Village of Niles Trustee Kim Biederman – Village of Niles Trustee – Committee Chairperson Steve Vinezeano – Assistant Village Manger – Village of Niles Chuck Ostman – Community Development – Village of Niles Bob Pilat - Public Works – Village of Niles Jeff Cardella – Zoning Board, Business Owner – Resident of Village of Niles Katie DiMaria - Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce Mike Shields – Resident of Village of Niles James Maryanski – Owner of Antique Picture Frames Debra Sloan – JCare Home Medical Supplies Bob Ryan – Chamber Member – Resident of Village of Niles Akram Chaudhry – Project Manager - Smith Engineering Consultants, Inc. (SEC) John Wessel – Landscape Architect - SEC Jeff Pisha – Project Manager - SEC Purpose: The purpose of this meeting was to introduce Committee Members, present existing conditions, scope of work, project limits, and to review/develop project goals and schedule. ITEM ITEM ACTION NO. 1. Welcome/Introductions: The chairperson of the Committee is Trustee Kim Biederman. All members INFO of the Committee introduced themselves. 2. Conceptual Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Plan: Steve Vinezeano highlighted key issues and plan direction of the Milwaukee Avenue Plan prepared by Camiros. It is the intent of this study to review the INFO key issues and apply those issues, if applicable, to this study. 3. Project Objective/Project Limits/Existing Conditions: Project Objective: The objective of this project is to provide a streetscape INFO design based on existing conditions and land uses. Efforts will be concentrated on investigating streetscape options that can be implemented  Village of Niles Milwaukee Avenue Corridor - Streetscape Job No. NILE-060592 Meeting Minutes January 30, 2007 Page 2 ITEM ITEM ACTION NO. within the existing conditions with minor modifications to existing features located between the back of curb and the right-of-way (property line). Project Limits: Harts Road to Monroe Street, 9,400 linear feet. Existing Conditions: • Milwaukee Avenue right-of-way varies between 60 feet to 100 feet. • Distance between back of curb and the right-of-way (property line) varies from 5 feet to 27 feet. • An existing sidewalk is provided along the majority of both sides of Milwaukee Avenue. • Off-street parking is provided for business along the corridor. Off- street parking typically straddles the property line (portion of the parking space is located within Milwaukee Avenue’s right-of-way (State owned) and the other portion is located within private property). • On-street parking is located along Milwaukee Avenue on the north end of the corridor. • Numerous curb cuts (driveways) along the corridor. Typically, more than one driveway is provided for each parcel along the corridor. • Existing street lighting is provided along the corridor. 4. Opportunities and Constraints: INFO Opportunities: • Existing sidewalk throughout the majority of the corridor. • Existing parkways that exceed 5 feet in width. Constraints: • Off-street parking that straddles the property line (portion of the parking space is located within Milwaukee Avenue’s right-of-way (State owned) and the other portion is located within private property). • Numerous curb cuts (driveways) along the corridor. • The distance between back of curb and the right-of-way (property line) along portions of the corridor is 5 feet. • Gaps in existing sidewalk. 5. Conceptual Streetscape Options: INFO SEC presented two preliminary improvement examples (attachments were provided). The first example identified how streetscape options could be implemented in an area that contains existing constraints (i.e parking  Village of Niles Milwaukee Avenue Corridor - Streetscape Job No. NILE-060592 Meeting Minutes January 30, 2007 Page 3 ITEM ITEM ACTION NO. straddling the right of way, no sidewalk or parkway exists). The second example illustrated how streetscape options could be implemented in an area with no constraints. 6. Streetscape Examples: INFO Exhibits were provided that illustrated numerous streetscape elements that could be used for this project. 7. Develop/Prioritize Project Goals: Committee to prioritize goals and provide to SEC presented and explained/discussed the following project goals: Village./INFO 1. Continuity and consistent appearance. 2. Attract people to the area. 3. Improve commercial viability. 4. Spur redevelopment. 5. Solutions that are creative, sensible, and cost effective to increase impact. 6. Enhance pedestrian experience. 7. Enhance community character. 8. Cause least amount of disruption to businesses. 9. Develop a construction phasing plan. 10. Improve pedestrian safety at intersections. 11. Take into consideration maintenance. 12. Street Art. 13. Curb cut reductions. 14. Identity signage and/or gateway. 15. Stay within back of curb and the right-of-way. (Project limits). The Committee is to prioritize the project goals and send them to the Village of Niles.  Village of Niles Milwaukee Avenue Corridor - Streetscape Job No. NILE-060592 Meeting Minutes January 30, 2007 Page 4 8. Project Schedule: INFO SEC presented the following preliminary schedule: Phase I 1. Kick-off Meeting (January 10, 2007) 2. Site Visits w/o Smith Engineering (January/February, 2007) a) Libertyville, Wheeling, Schaumburg, Morton Grove, Skokie 3. Site Visits Recap (Second week of February, 2007) a) Committee to review site visit. b) Committee to provide preferred streetscape items. 4. Conceptual Alternatives (End of April, 2007) a) Present Conceptual Streetscape Alternatives (Maximum 3 alternatives). b) Analyze and Evaluate Alternatives b) Select Preferred Streetscape Alternative 5. Village Board Progress Update by Trustee Biederman (May, 2007) 6. Open House (June, 2007) a) Present Alternatives 7. Open House Recap (June 2007) a) Discuss Public Input b) Develop Preferred Alternative 8. Committee to Present Final Draft of Preferred Alternative to Village Board. (July, 2007) Phase II 1. Develop Phase II Contract Plans for Review by Village and IDOT – 90% Complete (October, 2007) 2. Receive IDOT and Village comments (December, 2007) 3. Develop Phase II Contract Plans for Final Submittal to IDOT – 100% Complete (February, 2008) 4. Project Letting (IDOT) (Date contingent upon IDOT’s approval of funding and the resurfacing/reconstruction of Milwaukee Avenue between Albion Avenue and Birchwood Avenue.) 9. Scheduled Site Visits: INFO Site Visits w/o Smith Engineering (February 1, 2007) a) Skokie, Morton Grove, Wheeling, and Libertyville. 10. Field Visit: INFO The Committee took a bus trip to areas along the Milwaukee Corridor.  Village of Niles Milwaukee Avenue Corridor - Streetscape Job No. NILE-060592 Meeting Minutes January 30, 2007 Page 5 11. It was concluded that the goal of this Committee is to assist SEC in developing a set of engineering plans that identifies the ultimate streetscape design for the entire project limits. SEC will provide estimate of costs for segments of the corridor and with direction of the Committee identify the preferred segment to be constructed now given the amount of funding available today. Contact plans (Phase II of the project) will include detail construction plans for only the preferred segment. 12. Meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. INFO These minutes are assumed correct unless the author is notified within seven (7) calendar days of publication. Distribution: Louella Preston – Village of Niles Trustee Kim Biederman – Village of Niles Trustee – Committee Chairperson Steve Vinezeano – Assistant Village Manger – Village of Niles Chuck Ostman – Community Development – Village of Niles Bob Pilat - Public Works – Village of Niles Jeff Cardella – Zoning Board, Business Owner – Resident of Village of Niles Katie DiMaria - Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce Mike Shields – Resident of Village of Niles James Maryanski – Owner of Antique Picture Frames Debra Sloan – JCare Home Medical Supplies Bob Ryan – Chamber Member – Resident of Village of Niles Akram Chaudhry – Project Manager - Smith Engineering Consultants, Inc. (SEC) John Wessel – Landscape Architect - SEC Jeff Pisha – Project Manager - SEC By: ___________________ Jeff L. Pisha, P.E., Project Engineer Date of Publication: January 30, 2007 N:\Jobs\Smith\2006\060592 NILES Milwaukee Avenue Streetscape\MEETING MINUTES-jlp-011007.doc