‘Too close for comfort’: Lakeview residents concerned about plans for new Metra wall, closer tracks

Metra plans to construct a wall alongside a number of townhomes. It could possibly be 9 to 13 ft excessive. The large wall could be simply outdoors their doorways, and the Metra tracks could be even nearer to their houses. All of it has been worrying residents.

“That is shut That is too shut for consolation,” stated Craig Gunderson.

Neighbors have been dreading the plan to construct a Metra wall on the railroad’s property line inside ft of their patio doorways.

“We can’t have any vegetation anymore. We’ve a lot of timber, the timber will likely be gone and it’ll simply get replaced with what resembles a jail wall,” stated Christie Calmeyn.

The wall could be proper up towards dozens of Lakeview townhomes, together with many situated within the Picardy Place subdivision, the place these residents stay. Craig Gunderson made renderings of what he thinks all of it could appear like.

“They’ve said that it could start one foot outdoors of the property, our property line,” Gunderson stated.

Behind the wall, Metra tracks will likely be moved 20 ft nearer to their houses. The fence at the moment between the 2 could be eliminated.

“The place we’re sitting really is the place they’re proposing to maneuver the monitor over. So that you and I’d not be capable of have this dialog with their prepare coming proper down the center of the yard. We would not be capable of benefit from the outside house. I take pleasure in gardening, I benefit from the birds the character. It might all be gone primarily simply worn out,” stated Sarah Jackson.

It is all a part of an infrastructure enchancment undertaking to switch a number of bridges alongside Metra routes greater than 120 years outdated.

“There are, sadly, houses that had been constructed very near the property line within the final a long time. And people homes proper now, they’ve a small yard after which a slope going as much as the tracks. And that slope has form of been a part of their yard all this time,” Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis instructed the I-Workforce.

He stated the motion of the tracks and the wall are all being constructed on railroad property, which residents have been allowed to make use of as their very own outside house. At present, a fence sits between the outside house and the tracks.

“It’s their property, like I’ve no authorized leg to face on so far as, like, telling them that they should not come right here and rip all of this up. However they need to be good neighbors about it,” stated Gunderson.

Residents are additionally involved about property values. However most of all, they’re frightened about security if the highest of wall comes too near second-story patio decks.

ABC7 requested Gillis what Metra has to say to residents who’re involved about their security and their livelihoods.

“We selected this selection as a result of it is the perfect for the area. It is the perfect for the federal, state and native taxpayers that fund us. It is best for our riders it permits us to maintain two tracks open. We have checked out different choices that we checked out quite a lot of different choices, together with one urged by some locally that we really tried to construct the primary new monitor on the east aspect of the present. There’s simply not sufficient house on that east aspect,” Gillis instructed the I-Workforce.

Calmeyn is upset.

“There’s a greater manner take into consideration this complete neighborhood. Take into consideration being a superb neighbor,” Calmeyn stated.

Metra stated the ultimate design and actual peak of the wall are nonetheless being reviewed, including there could also be methods to beautify the retaining wall for residents. Development may begin by subsequent 12 months until the present plan modifications.