Public Works News

Call 358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us

Construction Hotline
Now that the construction season is in full swing travel on many Village streets may be interrupted due to major capital improvement projects such as road resurfacing, sewer and water main replacements and curb and sidewalk replacements. To check the status of projects that may affect your travel call the 24-hour Construction Hotline at 358.5701. Residents who call this number during regular work hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, can also reach an operator for the latest information on any specific project. Construction information also is available on the Village website, oak-park.us. Click departments, then Public Works.

Overnight parking update
Callers requesting an on-street overnight parking pass now are given a confirmation number as evidence of approval. In addition, callers can now request three consecutive overnight passes with a single telephone call. Requests for on-street overnight parking passes also are now being accepted up to 30 days in advance. However, overnight passes currently are limited to five per vehicle per year. To request an overnight on-street parking pass call 358.NITE between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Callers must provide the address where the vehicle will be parked, and the vehicle make, model, color, year of manufacture and license plate number. Residents can request an extended overnight parking pass twice in a calendar year of up to 14 consecutive days each under certain circumstances, such as when a garage is under construction. Medical and construction parking passes also are available, but requests must be made in person at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Overnight guest parking arrangements are available in select off-street municipal lots for a nominal daily fee. An overnight pass does not override daytime parking restrictions. For more information call 358.PARK or 358.5750, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, or email publicworks@oak-park.us.

Tree pruning around utility lines
Whether they are pruning for clearance or removing storm damage, crews working in trees on private property around power lines are from ComEd or their private contractors. And how they handle the pruned limbs and branches depends on the purpose of the trimming. If it is routine pruning to clear limbs from electricity lines, crews will clean up, chip and haul away the brush. However, if it is storm damage, crews usually will only stack the brush on the property were the tree is located. It is then up to the individual resident to make arrangements for disposal. The Village's regular refuse hauler will collect branches and limbs up to three-inches in diameter and four-feet long for a fee. Call 888.656.5350 for an estimate. Removal of larger limbs may require a tree service firm. For more information on ComEd's tree pruning and brush removal policy call 1.800.Edison.1 (1.800.334.7661).

Sidewalk replacement
The Village offers public sidewalk replacement on a 50/50 cost-shared basis with property owners. Residents can also request sidewalk repairs by contacting the Engineering Division at 358.5720. Responses to requests depend upon availability of funds and workers.

Call before you dig

Whether you're planning to plant trees on your property, install a fence or deck, or put up a basketball hoop or swing set for the kids, Illinois law requires all homeowners to call JULIE at 1.800.892.0123 before you dig. JULIE (Joint Underground Locating Information for Excavators) is a not-for-profit corporation that helps homeowners and excavators locate buried utilities. Oak Park's water, sewer and lighting departments, as well as the electrical, gas and telecommunications utilities, all respond to calls to JULIE by marking the locations of any underground cables in the planned work area. Homeowners are asked to mark the project area with white paint and make the property accessible to the utility locators. Utilities typically use color codes for marks, yellow for gas or oil, red for electric, blue for water, orange for telecommunications and green for sewer. For more information call 358.5430 or email building@oak-park.us.

Its official

Third Historic District Approved

An ordinance officially designating the Gunderson Historic District as a local historic district was approved by the Village Board in June. All exterior alterations, additions and new construction within the district now require advisory review by the Historic Preservation Commission. Any demolition (in whole or significant part) will require a Certificate of Appropriateness, which also must be approved by the Commission. The Gunderson Historic District includes 230 homes in an area from Madison to Harrison streets from the west side of Ridgeland Avenue to the east side of Gunderson Avenue, as well as homes on the east side of Ridgeland and the west side of Cuyler Avenue in the south 500 blocks. The Gunderson Historic District is Oak Park's third local district. The Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie School of Architecture Historic District was designated in 1973 and the Ridgeland/Oak Park Historic District was designated in 1994. Homeowners living in these historic districts are eligible for property tax assessment freezes when they rehab their homes, and typically enjoy increases in the value of their properties. For more information, call 358.5417 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.

Help develop the region's next transportation plan

The Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS), the metropolitan planning organization for the northeastern region, wants to hear your thoughts on developing safe, efficient and cost-effective transportation solutions. Over the next year CATS will be holding public meetings to update the regional transportation plan, known as Shared Path 2030. The first and closest of these meetings is scheduled for 7 - 9:30 p.m., July 22, in the Training Center of the Living Word Center, 7600 W. Roosevelt Road in Forest Park. Long-range plans for the Eisenhower Expressway, Metra, PACE and CTA are developed through this process, and your participation is important. For more information, visit the CATS web site at www.catsmpo.com, contact the Village Manager's Office at 358.5778 or email village@oak-park.us.

Residents help identify problem properties

Residents are encouraged to contact the Building and Property Standards Department with any concerns regarding property in the Village. An inspector will be assigned to investigate each inquiry. Many times an inspector will contact concerned residents in order to obtain additional information not evident during a visual inspection. For this reason a name and telephone number are helpful at the time a concern is expressed, or if you would like to be contacted with inspection results. Please remember, a property may not immediately show signs of improvement even after being inspected. Certain situations such as inclement weather or financial issues may delay the correction of violations. For more information or to express a concern call 358.5430 or email building@oak-park.us.

Employment Opportunities

Call 358.5650 or emailhr@oak-park.us

Water and Sewer Supervisor: $50,752 - $69,034 (apply by July 12)
Building Code Engineer : $54,186 - $76,500
Police Records Supervisor: $41, 325 - $57,048 (Apply by July 5)
Farmer's Market Manager: $18 per hour

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Village of Oak Park

F.Y.I. for July 2002