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lockportlegend.com NEWS
the Lockport Legend | April 26, 2018 | 5
City Council
Plans for new post office approved at meeting
Jessie Molloy
Freelance Reporter
The Lockport City Council
approved a measure to
create a new post office facility
during its April 18
meeting, despite objections
from some neighboring residents.
The new facility is an expansion
and relocation of the
post office currently located
at 1059 E. 9th St. The new
facility is to occupy the vacant
space in the Lockport
Plaza development, located
at 954 E. 9th St., and serve
all of Lockport and Homer
Glen. The space, which
shares a parking lot with
Diamond Billiards Bar and
Grill and sits just behind the
Dairy Queen, has been vacant
for 10 years and backs
up to a residential area.
In addition to relocating
the post office to the space,
the development plan allows
for a small gravel and grass
section of the building’s back
lot to be paved over to create
five or six additional parking
spaces and for part of the
building to be knocked down
and rebuilt as a loading dock
capable of accommodating
a semi-truck. Additional
landscaping work is also to
be done around the building
to compensate for the additional
paving.
Two residents who live in
the subdivision behind the
new facility were present at
the meeting to voice their
objections, and City Administrator
Ben Benson noted
that several others had called
the City to question the plan.
Benson acknowledged
that the 45 mail trucks which
would be stationed at the facility
could create some additional
noise, and told the
residents that there would
not be constant disturbances.
“This is not a 24-hour
facility,” he said. “I don’t
know where that rumor came
from. They will have operations
between 4:30 a.m. and
6 p.m. with about 50 employees,
who will park out
front. The trucks will leave
the back lot in two shifts at
about 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and
return between 4 p.m. and 6
p.m. No trucks in the post
office’s fleet are equipped
with backup alarms, so there
is no need to be concerned
about that noise, either.”
Benson also said that
while the facility will include
a large loading dock,
only three trucks will come
in on a daily basis, and only
one of them will be a semi.
“UPS and FedEx will each
have one of their standard
delivery trucks coming in
each day and the Post Office
will send one of its semis
which will use the truck
bay,” he said. “It will not be
a constant in and out.”
Other concerns expressed
by the residents included increased
fumes and the lack
of a sound barrier.
The City said that this usage
should not create any
more fumes than any other
parking lot, and reminded
residents that the space has
always been a parking lot.
While no official noise barrier
will be constructed, a
large fence is to be erected
along the property line between
the lot and the adjacent
properties.
Alderwoman Catherine
Perretta questioned if the
employee parking in front
of the building would create
issues for customers of
the post office or other businesses
in the development,
including Napa Auto Parts,
which will be occupying the
front corner of the post office
building.
Benson and Mayor Steve
Streit noted that while customers
may have to park farther
down the lot, the development
does include about
350 parking spaces, and is
rarely near capacity.
Streit also shared that
Diamond Billiards Bar and
Grill will be moving out of
the space in the near future,
however, he said, “it has
nothing to do with this development.
They may not
even stay in the city.”
The board voted six to one
to approve the development
plan, with Perretta casting
the dissenting vote. Alderman
Jim Petrakos was absent.
The U.S.P.S. will now
move forward with the
building permit process and
will begin construction as
soon as possible. Benson
said no hard date has been
set for the relocation into the
space, but noted that they
want to be settled in before
the Christmas rush begins.
Road construction
The City Council also
voted to approve a contract
for road work on the 7th and
Washington project.
The winning bid on the
project went to PT Ferro for
a total of $735,510.61. This
comes in significantly under
the estimated project cost
and the amount budgeted
for the work. Originally, the
project was estimated to cost
$967,384 and $1 million was
allocated for it in the budget.
“We came in considerably
under budget on this project,
and I think it proves going
out to bid earlier in the year
is always a positive,” Director
of Public Works Brent
Cann said.
The project consists of
complete road reconstruction
including new storm
sewers and water mains, new
curbs and gutters, and complete
resurfacing of Washington
between 8th and 7th
Streets, and 7th Street east
from Washington to Madison.
The project is slated to
begin in four or five weeks
and be finished by mid-October.
Cann also issued a reminder
that 9th Street will
be closed from State Street
Please see council, 10
Homer Twp. Public Library
presents…
Arts & Crafts Vendor Fair
Saturday, April 28
10 am — 2 pm
Crafters, Vendors, Raffles, Make ‘n Take, & Bake Sale!
@ Homer Township Public Library
14320 W. 151stSt. ~Homer~ Glen ~ 708.301.7908
In partnership with
& Service Club known as
Homer Township Oak Arbor