Residents Invited to Speak Up at East Side Workshop

Residents will have a chance to help shape how a long-neglected section of town will look in the years to come. On Sept. 28, community members are invited to a public forum to hear more about the village’s and offer feedback on what types of developments they want to see when the Romeoville Metra station becomes a reality.

The station, set to open by the end of 2013 on 135th Street near the Citgo Lemont Refinery, will anchor what village officials hope will become a revitalized east side.

Funded largely by an $80,000 Community Planning Grant from the Regional Transportation Authority, a study on plans to develop the east side of town — specifically, the land to the east of the Metra station — is already under way.

Now, village officials will share the progress made so far and solicit input from residents on how the area should evolve, as well as how the east side can be linked to the planned downtown area along Route 53.

The community forum is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Village Hall, 1050 W. Romeo Road.

 “Come out and hear some of the plans for the east side,” trustee Dave Richards urged residents at the Sept. 21 village board meeting.

The forum is the second time the village is reaching out to the community for feedback on the plan. This summer, officials asked residents to on the downtown and East Side plans. For more on the plans, visit the project website.