Mayor Breaks Tie, Votes to Approve Demolition for Route 59 House

The century-old Carey house has a date with the wrecking ball.

Plainfield Mayor Breaks Tie Vote, OKs Demolition for Route 59 House

The Carey family hopes they’ll have better luck selling their property without the home, which has fallen into disrepair.

Now that the Route 59 “Vision for Division” study is finished, Thomas Carey hoped to have his answer on Monday night. He got it when Mayor Mike Collins broke the village board’s tie, voting to allow his family to tear down their aging home at 14927 S. Division St. (Route 59). Carey said his mother, now age 91 and in poor health, has long been trying to sell the property. The family hopes that by demolishing the structurally unsound home, they’ll have better luck attracting a buyer. “This has been a burden for her for a long time,” Carey said, summing up his reaction to Collins’ decision in one word: “Relieved.” Opinion was split on the board of trustees, with Margie Bonuchi, Garrett Peck and Bill Lamb voting against demolition and Jim …

•  12 Comments
• Photos (1)

Lisa S.

7:51 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Watch the papers and look for signs. Most of these houses to be demo'd, old and newer, have auctions and sales to salvage what they can to help pay for the tear down.   more ›

‘Attempting Perfection:’ Plainfield Gets First Look Rt. 59 Plan

“Vision for Division” study generated resident feedback on shaping Route 59 corridor’s future.

It’s been more than six months in the making, but on Monday night, village trustees and Plainfield residents got their first look at the final concepts created as part of the “Vision for Division” study. The project took a look at the stretch of Route 59/Division Street from Main Street to Union Street, asking residents whether the once primarily residential area should remain a low-impact business transition district (BTD) or become a commercial corridor. Last summer, trustees approved a contract with Chicago-based planning firm Civic ArtWorks to conduct crowd-sourcing and come up with a plan for the area, which sees traffic of around 40,000 vehicles per day. Sign up for the Plainfield Patch newsletter The village paid the firm $5,900 to …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)

Company Will Present Final Plainfield 'Vision for Division' at March 11 Meeting

Residents can view a final draft of the proposal, including 3-D drawings, at the Committee of the Whole meeting.

Since last summer, village officials have been struggling with the question of Route 59's future: Should it remain a business transition district (BTD), or should it become a higher-traffic commercial corridor? Now, Plainfield residents will get one last chance to share their input on the issue. Civic ArtWorks, the Chicago company hired by the village to conduct the "Vision for Division" study, will present its final draft of a proposed development plan for the area from Union Street to Main Street at the March 11 Committee of the Whole meeting at Village Hall. Once a residential area, the corridor is now a busy roadway that gets about 40,000 vehicles each day, according to village planner Michael Garrigan. In a BTD, homeowners are …

• Photos (1)

Village OK's Additional Cost for Plainfield's 'Vision for Division;' Seeks Input on Final Concepts for Route 59

Residents are once again being asked for their input into shaping the Route 59 corridor.

Village trustees unanimously agreed to invest another $900 in its efforts to create a vision for the future of the Route 59 corridor on Monday.  The additional funding will allow consulting firm Civic ArtWorks to hire architect and illustrator David Carrico to complete the final, three-dimensional drawings of what the future could hold for Route 59/Division Street. Get Plainfield news delivered straight to your inbox — sign up for the Patch newsletter. Initially, the village inked a $5,000 contract with Civic ArtWorks, which was tasked with conducting a study and gathering feedback to help shape Route 59 from Union Street to Main Street. At the heart of the study is whether the corridor should remain a business transition district (BTD), …

• Photos (1)

Village of Plainfield Seeks Input on 'Vision for Division' Concepts

Visit the project website to vote for your favorites.

With the Vision for Division project entering its second phase, the Village of Plainfield is asking to visit the project web site, www.visiondivision.civicartworks.com, and voice their opinion by voting for their favorite development concepts for Route 59.  During the first phase of the project, the community provided their input and ideas regarding their vision for the Route 59 corridor, from Main Street to Union Street. The project consultant, Civic ArtWorks, distilled these ideas into a number of concepts and is now seeking the community’s feedback on these concepts.   On the project website, residents now have the opportunity to vote on concepts for parking access, the Main Street/Division Street intersection, infill development, and …

• Photos (1)

Plainfield Trustees: The Wrecking Ball Can Wait for Route 59 House

Village officials took another look at a request to raze a Route 59 home, but ultimately stuck with their decision to delay the project until the completion of visioning study.

Village officials on Monday made good on a promise to revisit a proposal to demolish a more than century-old Route 59 house — but the outcome was the same for the owner. In August, trustees voted to deny a request to raze the house at 14927 S. Route 59, known as the Carey house, until the village’s Route 59 Visioning study (Vision for Division) is completed. During Monday night’s Committee of the Whole workshop, the consensus of trustees was the same: to wait and see what the study says. Speaking on behalf of his mother, who purchased the home in 1952 with her late husband, Thomas Carey expressed frustration over the continued delay. Last week, Carey asked the village board to reconsider his mother’s request, saying the family would have …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Plainfield Hosts 'Vision for Division' Workshop

Offer your feedback on the future of the Route 59 corridor.

The Village of Plainfield will host a “Vision for Division” workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at Village Hall, 24401 W. Lockport St. As part of a study launched by the village this summer, residents will be able to offer input on the future of the Route 59 corridor, from Main Street to Union, during this open visioning session. READ: SHARE YOUR VISION FOR ROUTE 59  The village is working with consulting firm Civic ArtWorks on the creation of a vision for Division Street (Route 59). The purpose of the Nov. 20 is to encourage residents to take an active role in the planning and design of the corridor. The ideas that receive the most support from the community will direct Civic ArtWorks in the development of plans and illustrations …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)