A press release from the Village of Algonquin:
Downtown Renovation Brings Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Two new electric vehicle charge stations were recently installed and activated as a part of the infrastructure improvements included in the Old Town Algonquin reconstruction. The two Charging stations are located at 106 S. Main St. and 302 S. Main St. in Old Town Algonquin.
Algonquin Village President John Schmitt
“The electric vehicle charging stations are a wonderful way for our community to express our devotion to both our community and environmental well-being,” said Village President John Schmitt.
“By creating the opportunity for those who have electric vehicles to charge them while visiting our downtown, we are opening doors that were once closed to our visitors and residents, as well as creating new opportunity for our local businesses.”
The charging stations are owned by the Village; however, they are operated and maintained by ChargePoint, an organization which operates the largest network of electric vehicle charging stations.
To use the charging stations, residents and visitors will first have to register with ChargePoint online or through their mobile app.
Once registration is complete, users will have the ability to use their mobile app and ChargePoint card to access the charging stations and begin charging sessions during their visit.
The electric vehicle charging station installation is in line with the decades of environmental leadership initiatives that the Village has undertaken.
The Arbor Day Foundation has named Algonquin a Tree City USA community for 22 consecutive years. Over the past 12 years the Village has undertaken over 135 acres of native restoration projects. And in 2017 the Village was honored by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus with an award recognizing Algonquin as a statewide leader in environmental stewardship.
For additional information and use of the system, please visit www.algonquin.org/EV.
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Mayor John Schmitt adds,
You asked about the cost of charging cars. Algonquin is investing in the infrastructure and doing a facelift of our downtown.
A major investment in our beautiful village. Providing for our businesses and residents is our job and I could not be more proud.
Algonquin is fortunate to have a true downtown and the investment is already showing results with three new businesses investing in properties.
Our goal in investing in our downtown is to create a space for our businesses to thrive and our residents to enjoy family and friends.
Just like pavers and landscaping, and benches, having charging stations are an enticement to bring people to Algonquin.
Yes, Algonquin is paying the cost of the charge.
To charge a full sized Tesla, overnight, is less than $10.
For an average plugin to charge for a two hour, $100, visit to a restaurant would be in the neighborhood of $2, a great investment for our businesses.
It’s somewhat disingenuous of the mayor to minimize the cost of this by saying that it’s only a couple of dollars per charge.
I’m sure the tab for putting in the charging stations was quite substantial.
I fail to see how providing freebies to owners of electric cars is a permissible use of public funds under the Article VIII of the Illinois Constitution.
It seems more like taxpayer financed virtue signalling than a legitimate public purpose.
In what manner do owners of all-electric cars and vehicles pay for their use of roads?
How much carbon is emitted into the air by electric generating stations other than nuclear in order to BOTH transmit and then deliver enough electricity for a Tesla to drive 200 miles?
Maybe Shoeless Joe Jackson shows up with a few pals.
Well I’d like them to start paying my gas bill.
That would be nice!
Huge quantities of lithium are required to make the batteries for electric cars, and the demand for the metal has gone through the roof.
People who are so smug because they think that they are being green by driving an electric car should read up on the environmental damage caused by large scale lithium mining.
In a quest to appear cool, blunders like this are made every day! Stupid use of taxpayer dollars.
How about some free gasoline, you know, for the mere mortals?
The electric charging stations are a fanciful farce!
Would be interested in learning any additional costs incurred such as extending utilities, capital equipment purchase, installation, etc.
And is the funding source TIF dollars?
Here’s a photo of the EV charge station at 106 S Main St, Algonquin.
facebook.com/AlgonquinIL/photos/a.156195137762661/1963265540388936
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In effect there’s an ongoing double taxpayer subsidy.
The vehicle receives free electric fuel, and does not pay a motor fuel tax.
Thus a shortage of revenue for road maintenance.
What’s with all the obstacles and barriers in what should be a a two-lane street in each direction?
Whose idea was it to impede motor traffic?
How much money was spent putting up all of that concrete stuff?
It looks as though they want downtown Algonquin to mirror downtown Galena.
Might have an idea with good intentions, but it will not work.
Main Street in that area was and remains one lane in each direction.
That part of Main Street was formerly part of Route 31, but no more after the completion of the Route 31 / western Algonquin bypass, which was completed in 2014 to bypass the bottleneck in downtown Algonquin.
It’s the portion of Main Street that is south of Algonquin Road (Route 62), two blocks east of the Fox River, extending to the Prairie Path bicycle / pedestrian trail & Route 31 bypass, in the historic downtown area (the village calls it Old Town Algonquin).
A landmark is there’s a Shell gas station at the intersection of Route 62 (Algonquin Road) and Main Street.
And the three story Renew on Main St (formerly Riverside Plaza, sold in November 2018) apartments / shops at 1 N. Main St. that was completed in 2014.
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The beautification portion of the TIF project reduced on street parking.
There is nearby on street parking in that area though.
Time will tell how that works out, but business owners usually want more on street parking not less, allowing the fastest possible access to the business.
So the trade off was more hardscape and landscape at the expense of parking.
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Here’s a time lapse video dated February 7, 2019 of the TIF project from the Village’s YouTube channel:
YouTube.com/watch?v=2bbTH34K_54
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Another video from the channel, this one November 16, 2018, explains the Village President’s rationale for the project, shows many of the business, and includes comments from some of the impacted business owners:
– Bold American Fare restaurant, 8 S Main St.
– Bullseye Pub & Eatery (owner Phil Schleifer comments in the video), 119 S Main St
– Melt Pilates and Hot Yoga, 123 S Main St (owner Shannon Tampa comments in the video)
– Farmers Insurance, 128 S Main St.
– Cattleman’s Burger and Brew Restaurant, 205 S. Main St. (owners Tony and Angelic Bellino comment in video)
– Bella’s Short Stacks (breakfast, lunch), 208 S Main St.
– Mathew R P Perrone Jr, patent attorney, 210 S Main St.
– Cucina Bella restaurant (dinner), 220 S Main St. (restaurant)
– Algonquin State Bank, 221 S Main St.
– Riverbottom Coffee and Ice Cream (morning – night), 301 S Main St
YouTube.com/watch?v=LSd07m_aoWE
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The EV charge station at 302 S Main St is at Savour Gallery and Wine Boutique at Main and Washington streets.
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Many other businesses in that downtown area.
There’s been a lot of public and private investment in that area of Algonquin including a few parks.
Speaking of parks, not sure of the closest playground.
How dumb putting up all of that concrete walls and barriers rather than allowing on-street parking. Is there not a violation of some kinds of laws that the walls and barriers prevent people with handicaps a parking area close to the stores they might want to frequent? What kind of moron(s) approved the concrete put up that displaced parking along the street to allow persons to easily access stores?