Comment EI-5571
Received or sent (printed as 2/15/2008)
On behalf of the Georgetown Homeowners' Association, I would like to communicate our agreement with the opposition expressed by the Village of Frankfort to the acquisition of the EJ&E Railway by the Canadian National Railway. Our subdivision is located close to the intersection of this rail line and Harlem Avenue in Frankfort. We currently experience loud whistle noise with each train that passes through this intersection. The noise of both the train and the necessary whistle warning at this intersection are at this time considered little more than an occasional nuisance. The proposed sale and resultant increase in train traffic, to more than five times the current level, seems to be more than any community should be asked to endure and more than any corporation should be allowed to impose. The traffic along Harlem Avenue is already expected to increase dramatically because of a project that will widen this state road from 2 lanes to 4 lanes and an island. Completion of this project, and the proposed increase in train traffic crossing this major roadway, will result in major traffic congestion and stalls at the main entrance to our subdivision as well as a tremendous increase in the amount of car/truck exhaust pollution created by the traffic stalls. Frequent traffic stalls at our main entrance presents a major safety hazard to all of the Georgetown residents because of the potential access problems that emergency vehicles will experience during train transit times. Additionally, the impact on the air quality, and increase in the frequency of whistle noise experienced by homeowners near the rail line and Harlem Avenue, will dramatically change the quality of life for our homeowners. All Georgetown residents and visitors will be impacted by what is likely to be hourly disruptions caused by train transits through this area. Finally, there is a wildlife preserve area located to our east in the Village of Matteson which we believe would also experience adverse effects from the increased noise and air pollution from both the high volume train traffic and the high volume car/truck traffic on the major north/south roadways of Harlem and Ridgeland Avenues. This project must not be allowed to go through as proposed. We implore officials at the STB to consider the safety and environmental issues that this sale, and resultant increased train activity, will inflict on our residents. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or would like additional information. We hope that a resolution that takes our concerns seriously will be forthcoming. Thank you for your time and attention to this important issue. Signed: Sharon Jackson, Vice President, Georgetown Homeowners' Association, P.O. Box 1192, Frankfort, IL 60423 Home address: Sharon Jackson, 7260 Virginia Court, Frankfort, IL 60423
Submitted by: Sharon Jackson · Georgetown Homeowners Association · Frankfort, IL
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-35087/comment/EI-5571 · back to the docket sheet