An initial step toward granting homebuilder T.R. Hughes further building permits for construction projects in Fairview Heights was taken on Tuesday night.

The Fairview Heights Planning Committee voted unanimously to recommend that a hold on permit applications filed by the company be lifted.

The action comes two weeks after the entire City Council voted to deny further building permits to the company until a number of issues involving the Summit Springs subdivision were addressed. The Summit Springs subdivision is located on Bunkum Road near Illinois Route 157.
Residents of the new subdivision have expressed dissatisfaction with building debris left behind after construction, drainage issues, erosion problems and the placement of fire hydrants, which in some cases were put in the middle of sidewalks.

Over the last few weeks, work crews from T.R. Hughes have been working to address most of the complaints.

A number of residents were on hand at the Planning Committee meeting, which took place just prior to Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, to confirm that progress is being made on the various problems.

“We’re continuing to move forward with various corrections,” Steve Thomas of T.R. Hughes told the Planning Committee. “We will be here any time you want. We didn’t know about some of the complaints because we weren’t asked to attend some of your meetings. We will respond to anything you need us to do.”

The full City Council is expected to approve a motion lifting the ban on building permits by the T.R. Hughes at its Nov. 6 meeting.

In addition to the complaints leveled against T.R. Hughes, residents and aldermen have expressed dissatisfaction with streets in the Summit Springs subdivision.

“They’re some of the worst-looking roads in Fairview Heights,” said Ward 1 Alderman Norm Miller. “Eventually, they’re going to cost the city a lot of money to fix.”

Thomas pointed out that the roads were built by Freeburg, LLC and were not the responsibility of T.R. Hughes.

In action taken at the City Council meeting, aldermen approved a resolution allowing the mayor to enter into a contract with Petroff Trucking Company Inc. for work on a project designed to widen Longacre Drive from Ruby Lane to Illinois 159. The contract is worth $549,221.05.

The council also approved a $1,500 expenditure for the repair of paved shoulders along St. Clair Avenue from Bunkum Road west to the French Village MetroLink Station.

Source

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 25th, 2007 at 9:13 pm and is filed under Building Construction, General News. Tags: Aldermen, Auyl, Bunkum Road, City Council, construction, Design, Fairview Heights, Fairview Heights Planning Committee, Freeburg LLC, French Village MetroLink Station, Illinois, permit applications, Petroff Trucking Company Inc., Plain, Planning Committee, Ruby Lane, St. Clair Avenue, Steve Thomas, T.R. Hughes, TYCO. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.