Title/Name/Summary
143rd Street and Wolf Road Intersection Widening - Section 106 National Historic Preservation Act Review
History
QUICKFACTS
Project
143rd Street and Wolf Road Intersection Widening
Purpose
To review a local historic asset to the Orland Park community and its relationship to and impact by the intersection widening project by the State of Illinois, Department of Transportation and Cook County Highway Department per the National Historic Preservation Act’s Section 106.
Requested Actions: None
Project Attributes
Address: 14299 Wolf Road
P.I.N.(s): 27-05-302-004
Size: .49 acres (21,320 square feet)
Comprehensive Plan Planning District: Orland Grove Planning District
Comprehensive Land Designation: Neighborhood Mixed Use
Existing Zoning: E-1 Estate Residential District
Proposed Zoning: N/A
Existing Land Use: Office/ Institutional
Proposed Land Use: N/A
Surrounding Land Use:
North: BIZ General Business District - Retail Shopping Center
South: E-1 Estate Residential District - (across 143rd Street) Automobile Service Station
East: BIZ General Business District - Retail Shopping Center
West: BIZ General Business District - (across Wolf Road) Financial Institution
Preliminary Engineering: N/A
OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND
The proposed intersection improvement is a part of the ongoing Phase I Study of 143rd Street corridor widening. The general scope of work for this project is to widen 143rd Street from two (2) and three (3) lanes at various points to generally five (5) lanes. Several coordination meetings with IDOT have been held with CBBEL engineers. IDOT has jurisdiction of 143rd Street and the south leg of Wolf Road, while Cook County has jurisdiction of the north leg of Wolf Road.
This intersection improvement will be funded through Federal funding channels. As a result, CBBEL engineers and the Village are proceeding through IDOT’s federal project development process. As part of the Federal process, the various environmental components of the project are reviewed by IDOT and other State agencies.
A review of historic buildings/structures has identified the Yunker Schoolhouse to warrant National Register of Historic Places (NHRP) consideration. IDOT has directed the project team to avoid impact to this and other structures (the IDOT memo is attached for reference).
Per IDOT standard protocol, whenever a project is sent for archaeological survey and/ or when a historic property is in or directly adjacent to a project area, coordination with the state historic preservation office (SHPO), the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), is required. IDOT must obtain concurrence from IHPA for any impacts to the historic property.
The IHPA looks to the Village of Orland Park, as a Certified Local Government, for guidance on significant impacts to this historic property. As a result, this public meeting is conducted to obtain any feedback or comments related to the project. Per Section 3-102 of the Land Development Code, the Plan Commission carries the obligations and duties of the Village’s historic preservation program. The Commission’s comments are required since this road and intersection widening project goes through the Old Orland Historic District and impacts a number of local landmarks and historic properties.
The Yunker Schoolhouse
The Yunker Schoolhouse is the historic name of the building that is located at 14299 S. Wolf Road, the northeast corner of the intersection. The property is no longer a school and serves as an office building. The structure was surveyed in 2009 by McGuire Igleski and Associates. The historic building survey found the building to be in “Good” condition with “High” integrity. The original construction date is circa 1910 and served as a one room schoolhouse for School District 134.
The 2009 survey also found the building to be eligible for local landmark designation and to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the past, the Village has reached out to the property owner to designate the historic property as an Orland Park Landmark per Section 5-110 of the Land Development Code. The property owner, Mr. Richard Connor Riley, Esq., however, did not entertain the correspondences. As a result, this historic asset is not an Orland Park Landmark at this time. The Village does consider the structure to be part of the local heritage.
The Yunker Schoolhouse is the last remaining one room schoolhouse in Orland Park and it sits in its original location.
The 2009 historic building survey form is attached for further review.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION & CONTEXT
The proposed improvement currently avoids impacts to the Yunker Schoolhouse building and maintains existing access, which meets ADA standards.
Right-of-way is required from the property and there will be impacts to existing trees, sidewalk, and landscaping. Currently, the subject site’s property lines effectively extend to the centerlines of the 143rd Street and Wolf Road roadways. A dedication/acquisition of right-of-way is required to install the proposed improvements. This will mean that the right-of-way lines of 143rd Street and Wolf Road will border the building proper at the front porch.
A small segmental block wall (two feet tall), similar to the one that exists today, will be installed at the right-of-way line behind the proposed sidewalk in order to provide pedestrian accommodations at the intersection.
SITE PLAN
The building will not change location. However, the lot size will be decreased. As the subject site currently reaches to the centerlines of both roadways, the 143rd Street property line will be moved 47 feet north, closer to the building; and 40 feet east, closer to the building.
This amounts to a total of 12,618 square feet of lot area reduction. The total lot size will then be 8,702 square feet. The property will become legal non-conforming to the E-1 Estate Residential District, in which it currently resides. Any rezoning would be to the BIZ General Business District, the minimum lot size in which is 10,000 square feet. The property will be rendered a legal non-conforming lot even upon a rezoning in the future.
MOBILITY
143rd Street is an IDOT minor arterial road in the Village of Orland Park.
Wolf Road is also an IDOT minor arterial road south of 143rd Street. Wolf Road is a Cook County minor arterial road north of 143rd Street.
BUILDING ELEVATIONS
There are no building impacts to the Yunker Schoolhouse following this roadway widening project.
LANDSCAPING
A landscape plan is currently not under consideration. However, the roadway widening does account for pedestrian amenities in the parkways, with some streetscaping.
The final details of these will be planned as part of Phase 2 of the project. This discussion mainly deals with the right-of-way widening and the dimensional impacts to the building.
DETAILED PLANNING DISCUSSION
Variance(s)
As a result of the roadway widening and the widening of the right-of-way lines, the building setbacks fronting 143rd Street and Wolf Road will essentially be reduced to zero along 143rd Street and approximately less than five (5) feet from Wolf Road.
The setback reductions are technical variances. Since they will be the result of roadway widening, they will be considered legal non-conforming and will not require a public hearing to issue variances. This was the policy established by the Village during the La Grange Road widening project for properties similarly affected.
Historical Asset
The Yunker Schoolhouse is a historic asset that contributes to the local heritage of Orland Park. It is not an Orland Park Landmark. It is also not located within a local historic district.
Recommended Action/Motion
No action required.