URBANA – Although no vote was scheduled on the issue, about a dozen local residents appeared before the Champaign County Board on Thursday night to speak on the proposed $27.5 million Olympian Drive project.
Most opposed the proposal, contending it would be costly and unneeded and would take about 85 acres of good farmland out of production.
“The time has come to put this project to rest,” said Janet Scharlau, who lives on North Lincoln Avenue, near to where the planned east-west road would be built.
“This is a classic case of the proverbial road to nowhere,” said another opponent, Bill Cope of Champaign.
But a number of project supporters, including Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing, Champaign County Economic Development Corp. Director John Dimit and Habeeb Habeeb, a member of the local chamber of commerce board, spoke in favor of the road, which would link U.S. 45 and Interstate 57 north of Champaign-Urbana.
Prussing said the project “is an opportunity we’ve worked for for many years.”
Habeeb noted that planners a generation ago foresaw the need to improve Duncan, Windsor and Curtis roads on the outskirts of Champaign-Urbana.
“Your job is not to think about what we need tomorrow,” he said. “Your job is to think about what we need tomorrow and the next day and five years later and 10 years later.”
The county board, which debated and listened to comments about the Olympian Drive project for almost 2½ hours, could vote in March on one provision of it – an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Urbana regarding timelines, funding and other responsibilities.
Local officials say it would be 2013 at the earliest before any construction would begin.
Cameron Moore, director of the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, said he expects the cost of the project to hit $30 million. Last year’s state capital bill included $5 million for it. The Illinois Commerce Commission is expected to provide nearly $10 million for a bridge over the Canadian National Railroad tracks.
More than $2.5 million in federal dollars has already been appropriated. A local match of $5 million to $6 million would be required, as would $8 million to $10 million more in federal funds.
Eight of the 27 board members missed the meeting – Democrats Jan Anderson, Lloyd Carter, Matt Gladney, Alan Kurtz and Brendan McGinty, as well as Republicans Chris Doenitz, Brad Jones and Steve Moser.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services