Oak Park's Village Board tackled a packed agenda Tuesday, Sept. 1, with items including a pedestrian bridge design, an affordable housing resolution and a garbage-rate ordinance.
The board considered a motion to accept the Plan Commission's recommendation of Bridge Design Concept C for the Home Avenue Bridge replacement. The concept features a tall singular arch creating a "gateway" effect over Interstate 290, the CTA Blue Line and the CSX railroad corridor, according to the village's project page.
The bridge is village-owned. Village engineer Bill McKenna has estimated the proposed designs would cost $12 million to $15 million, compared with $8 million to $10 million for a standard state-funded bridge. McKenna said at a July 8 open house that the village would pursue federal grants that could cover up to 80% of the added cost.
"I think if you wanted to have a bridge that was more impactful, more visible, you'll go with the C," architect Miguel Rosales said at the same July event, as Oak Park.com reported.
Also on the agenda: a resolution increasing Stantec Consulting Services Inc.'s engineering contract for the bridge's Phase I design from $1,817,234 to $2,422,299.
Affordable housing at 855 Lake St.
The board considered a resolution authorizing subordination of a restrictive covenant at 855 Lake St. The item is tagged as a Housing Trust Fund matter on the meeting agenda. Details of the project and the developer were not included in publicly available agenda materials.
Garbage rate ordinance
Trustees introduced an ordinance amending the village code's garbage, refuse, yard waste and recyclable materials collection rates. The ordinance received its first reading Sept. 1. The specific proposed rates were not listed in available agenda documents. The village's current monthly rate for a 96-gallon refuse cart is $31.13, and a 64-gallon cart costs $28.27, according to the village's January/February 2026 newsletter.
Zoning history session
Trustee Chibuike Enyia, seconded by Trustee Derek Eder, moved to direct the Community Relations Commission and the village's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office to host a public education session on the history of zoning. The motion comes as the village's Shape Oak Park initiative moves toward a Plan Commission public hearing tentatively set for Sept. 17. That initiative proposes updating Oak Park's zoning code to allow duplexes, townhomes and small-scale multi-unit buildings villagewide.
No date or venue for the zoning history session has been announced.
