Two traffic monitoring devices have been installed along Purnell Road. The first is across from the entrance to Verdun Drive, and the second is closer to Winfield Road, also on the north side of the street.
The devices were installed by KLOA (Kenig, Lindgren, O’Hara, Aboona, Inc.), the company contracted by Pulte Homes to conduct the monitoring as mandated by the Zoning Board.
It’s unclear why there are only two monitors at this time, since Pulte is responsible for producing a traffic study for the full length of Purnell Road. Perhaps KLOA only has two monitors available, and these devices will be relocated in the coming days to different points along the road.
The Zoning Board Chairman did not mandate that Pulte Homes include the intersections of Garys Mill and Route 59 or Garys Mill and Roosevelt Road in the study, though since they are less than a mile from the site, perhaps those will be included as well.
According to James Stran, liason to the Zoning Board, the traffic study should be available approximately 7-10 days before the December 19 Zoning Board meeting. As we near this timeline, we’ll be reaching out to Mr. Stran to request a copy of the report and will post it to the website as quickly as possible.
Again, if you haven’t already, please mark your calendar for Thursday, December 19 at 6 pm to attend the next Zoning Board meeting on this topic. Those who spoke at the last meeting will not be allowed to speak again, so we need new speakers!
Pulte Homes is counting on “meeting fatigue” among concerned neighbors. The more meetings are held, the fewer neighbors show up to voice their concerns. Don’t let this be the case!
Stop Pulte Homes' Trillium Farm 
Wayne & Rose Kuntze
1S700 Blakewood Court
630-293-3162
Thank you for all the work you’ve done to oppose Trillium Farm!
We live on Blakewood Court and our only way out is via Purnell. Our court is 1 block west of the Winfield Rd/Purnell Rd stop sign. My husband and I attended both the October 22nd West-Win annual meeting at the Winfield Library and the County Board meeting on November 14th. We did not speak at either of those meetings but one of us would be willing to read a letter at the upcoming meeting on December 19th if we could have your help in composing our letter in order to be succinct and impactful. The board is easily bored so brevity and straightforward language is imperative. We have started pulling our thoughts together but wanted to share a few thoughts with you now.
Questions/comments/observations:
1 – At the October library meeting Pulte’s lawyer stated that they had information from a 2016 traffic study that showed 5200 or 5400 (not sure which) vehicles daily. He did not mention this at the county board meeting. If the study’s “new” numbers show less vehicles it would be a red flag as to the validity of the KLOA results. Are the two studies structured similarly? Were they conducted by the same company? Who requested the 2016 study and why? What was done with that information?
2 – Interestingly, not one of the board members is from Winfield Township. So Trillium seems to be of no concern/impact to them.
3 – What strategy was used to defeat the church proposed for Purnell Rd? Why did the board not allow that variance? Can we use that information to our favor?
4 – Are accident statistics from the major intersections available to present to the board? In particular Rt 59/Gary’s Mill, Rt 38/Gary’s Mill, Purnell Rd/Winfield Rd/Mack Rd. One of our three neighbors was involved in a serious Winfield Rd/Purnell Rd accident several years ago. Traffic is worse now. It’s all about our SAFETY!
5 – No one has mentioned that Currier Elementary School is just around the corner from Trillium. Additional traffic means more concerns for students, parents and school transportation. It’s all about our SAFETY!
6 – I believe Pulte stated that Trillium will be serviced by the Winfield Township Road District. I recommend reviewing pages 17 and 19 of the 2019 Homeowner’s Handbook to be looked at closely. These pages state what constitutes township parking violations and restrictions in unincorporated Winfield Township. The booklet is published and distributed by Highway Commissioner John Dusza to all residents. It appears that “street” parking is not allowed meaning that all vehicles in the subdivision will be required to park in their garages/driveways. Not only will Trillium be high density homes it will also be high density parking. One sentence in the booklet stands out. “The Township has chosen to enforce this ordinance (2013-07 adopted 11/18/2013) due to parking conflicts with safety and emergency vehicles.” It’ s all about our SAFETY!
7 – Please go to the DuPage County Strategic Plan website. Under Strategic Imperatives and Strategies. At the top of the list is Quality of Life. It states:
“The County must define and fulfill its role in supporting and enhancing the quality of life for County residents.”
* Keep people safe * Maintain the social service safety net * Protect and enhance natural resources and infrastructure
Hello? It’s all about our SAFETY!
8 – Lastly, I believe we need to highlight and stress to the board that their decision will not impact or inconvenience us for a day, a week or a year…it will be a hardship and safety issue for each of us for as long as we live here.
I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from someone.
Rose
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Thank you for your comment. You mentioned you might be willing to speak at the meeting if I helped put together a letter that you could read from. I’d be very happy to do that. I can send you a draft and of course, you may feel free to modify it as you like. But I can work off the points that you outlined in your website comment.
It is concerning to us that the zoning board chairman indicated that anyone who spoke at the November meeting will not be allowed to speak at the December meeting. Still, it is critical for as many people as possible to attend the meeting to show physical concern for the proceedings. And the more people who can speak at the December meeting the better.
I’m happy to share what I know about the questions you outlined in your website comment:
1.) Pulte Homes referenced to me a traffic “memo” they put together for the Trillium Farm development. They also referenced a 2016 traffic study that showed about 5,300 vehicles per day on Purnell Road, which they stated was “well within” guidelines for that type of roadway. I have searched online, but have not been able to locate a traffic study from 2016. I’m not sure if they were imagining this? Or perhaps they were thinking of the study that was done when the church was proposed for Purnell Road?
2.) I agree that none of the zoning board members will be impacted by what happens with this development, which adds to my fear that they will approve it. In doing so, my next concern is for the Archdiocese lot that is for sale between Woods of Cantigny phase one and the cemetery. Similar zoning variances on this parcel would be disastrous.
3.) The strategy used to defeat the church proposed for Purnell Road was masses of people attending the zoning board meeting. We had more attendees to show opposition to that proposal than we’ve had for this development. Which is why we need more bodies and more speakers at the December 19 meeting. Anything you can do to spread the word to neighbors would be great! As I recall, the reasons given for declining the zoning request were that the church was not in keeping with the characteristics of area (residential) and traffic concerns. (Though my memory is admittedly not perfect!)
4.) Your suggestion about accident statistics is great! I’m not sure how to get our hands on those? I can Google it to see if that information is publicly available. If you have any other ideas or leads for how we can get that information, that would be wonderful. It would be a very powerful argument!
5.) Yes, Currier is right around the corner. I know the school already has concerns about traffic and speeding through there, as they periodically request speed monitoring signs along Garys Mill in front of the school (the kind that flash if you are exceeding the speed limit). So at a minimum, I know they have an interest in slowing traffic. It would be amazing if we could get a representative of the school (like the principal) to speak at the meeting regarding traffic concerns of an additional development. That said, they likely would also be interested in the additional student base the development might provide, so I’m not sure if they’d be willing to participate.
6.) Street parking is prohibited, but since all homes will have 2-3 car garages and driveways, street parking should not need to be a frequent issue in the development (or so Pulte would say). That said, we all have need for street parking on occasion, whether for hosting people at the holidays or having our driveways resurfaced. When this happens in Trillium Farm, there will be little space for street parking since the homes (and therefore driveways) are so close together.
7.) I’ll be sure to look up the DuPage County Strategic Plan. I haven’t seen that. It’s a great reminder to the zoning board that Quality of Life is at the top of the list of strategic imperatives and strategies.
8.) You’re right, this development will have a lasting impact on neighbors. The unsightly home sale signs we will have to look at along the side of the roadways will be an annoyance for several years, but the traffic implications will be a problem for as long as we live here. Again, a good reminder for the board.
These are all great points to raise to the zoning board. If you’re willing to speak, I’d be happy to work these points into a letter you can read. Thank you!
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