October 5, 2020
Dear editor;
The traffic noise that comes from Orchard Road into Sans Souci on Aurora’s West Side and other residential areas north and south along Orchard, is one of the biggest quality of life issues in Kane County District 4.
This otherwise quiet neighborhood sounds just like the Indianapolis 500 all day, every day. Right now a thin wooden fence is the only barrier between Orchard Road and all of the residential areas that run along it. This fence provides some visual privacy, but is not sufficient to protect the 140 homeowners of San Souci, plus thousands of other homeowners, from the traffic noise. We need a sound barrier wall to protect our residents from this noise pollution.
It is a complicated issue, because it involves several governmental bodies. The city government of Aurora, for example, is responsible for the maintenance of the fence, whereas replacement of the fence with a wall, would require a 50-50 split between the Aurora and the Kane County government in capital funding. The estimated cost of the sound barrier wall is $2,500,000.
You may think that nobody has money like that right now, and you are right. What we need to do is begin a budgeting process that will plan for this future expense, appeal for extra funds from the State of Illinois government, and come up with a viable plan to prepare for these expenses over the next two or three years. This problem has been at least 10 years in the making. The city government of Aurora, at alderman Carl Franco’s urging, is already beginning this budgeting process. Now we need Kane County and the State governments to start making those same budgeting plans. The federal government is not involved because Orchard Road is four lanes at Sans Souci, so no federal grants will be available.
We need the cooperation of every level of government to get a sound barrier wall built along Orchard Road to restore the peace and quiet of our neighborhoods. This kind of noise pollution is a serious quality of life issue. We must start working on a solution today.
Mavis Bates, Aurora