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EASEMENT REQUEST
Request: Requesting authorization for the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the "Forest Preserves") to grant a permanent and temporary easement to the Illinois Department of Transportation ("IDOT") at Des Plaines River Road south of Foster Avenue in Schiller Park for a total of 0.7 acres or approximately 30,325 square feet.
Reason: IDOT is seeking the grant of a permanent easement on 0.61 acres and a temporary easement on 0.09 acres of Forest Preserves property to rebuild part of an existing culvert and headwall on Des Plaines River Road over an unnamed creek south of Foster Avenue and north of the Forest Preserves' River Bend Family Picnic Area in Schiller Park.
The culvert is in poor condition, and the land around it has eroded. Improvements include erosion control upgrades at the east end of the culvert and a new headwall and sidewalk. Most of the permanent easement area is currently within the road right-of-way. A permanent easement in this area was not previously acquired by IDOT but would now be formally acquired. Only approximately 0.1 acres of Forest Preserves property outside the road right-of-way would be impacted.
The proposed culvert replacement will improve road safety and reduce erosion in the creek. The Forest Preserves would receive compensation for the value of the easements and trees.
The area for the permanent easement is 26,371 square feet or 0.6054 acres, and the area for the temporary easement is 3,953 square feet or 0.091 acres. IDOT indicates that fourteen (14) trees in total, including eight (8) live elm, bur oak and hackberry trees, two (2) dead elm trees, and four (4) buckthorn trees are expected to be removed for this project. In practice, once a project subject to tree mitigation fees starts, occasionally more trees will need to be removed than originally estimated. In such instances, the Forest Preserves will increase the Tree Mitigation Fee in accordance with the Tree Mitigation Plan (See Board Item No....
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