Another email to the County Board, this time about “contractor discretion.”

To: Ken Koehler, Chair, McHenry County Board; County Board Members

From: Fleming Road Alliance

Re: Update on Fleming Road Alliance Position on Improvements for Fleming Road.

Dear County Board Representatives:

Construction Destruction: It became very clear at the last CAG that tremendous destruction of the roadside and trees will occur under
Realigning the slopes in certain sections changes more than just the slope of the road.

Realigning the slopes in certain sections changes more than just the slope of the road.

It impacts the roadside slope as well.

This then requires more fill or grading, in turn damaging more trees and impacting the drainage (see Curb and Gutter, Ditching, Drainage).

In addition we have been informed that the contractor actually doing the work has a great deal of discretion as to how to “fix” what he may consider a problem.

Walter Dittrich said that the “contractor will do his best” and Jeff Young said that they will have to “massage the dirt.”

This is less than comforting, even with a MCDOT Construction Supervisor on the site.

We are aware of the problems in the past with

• Alden Bridge and
• Walkup Road

and are very concerned.

When asked why the slopes had to be realigned when there are no statistically supported safety concerns applicable, MCDOT cited “standards.”

As you know the trend today is to make the road fit the environment starting with Context Sensitive Solutions and ending with variances to the AASHTO Green Book as published by the FHA.

Again, application of variances is strongly requested.

Fleming Road Alliance Organizing Committee

Ed Bennett, Mary Moltman. Lisa Rhoades, Marti Jadd, Linda Ramsey, Stanley Jarosz, Phyllis Keinz, Kevin Keesee, Emily Berendt, Deb Staley, Bjorn Mattsson