Politics & Government
Meeting Set to Deal With Road Construction
Deerfield Chamber's Victoria Street asks representatives from the Cook County Highway Department, local chambers and Deerfield and Northbrook village officials to discuss the impacts to local businesses from Lake Cook Road construction.
North Shore residents tired of have found a champion in Deerfield Bannockburn Riverwoods Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Victoria Street.
A year ago, construction on Lake Cook Road between Wilmot and Deerlake Roads took its toll on local businesses. Street knew something had to be done before it returns next summer.
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, experienced a 25 to 30 percent drop in business and one of . Matt Maynard, one of the managers of DC Sarnies, felt the effect was devastating on lunch business.
“It took me 25 minutes to drive here (to the restaurant) from the Tollway,” Maynard said. “When you only have an hour for lunch you can’t go out.”
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Street has invited representatives from the Cook County Highway Department, Chamber members, Deerfield Village Officials and their counterparts from Northbrook to a meeting Tuesday in Deerfield to talk about next year.
“We’re here to advocate for our businesses,” Street said. “As Chamber members they have to rely on us to do that for them. It will help if we know what’s coming.” She expects to learn details of the construction plans at the meeting.
Cook County Highway Superintendent John Yonan told Patch last week he was welcome to suggestions from interested parties. Street plans to speak up.
“If they’re going to close a lane perhaps they can close it at a time other than rush hour or lunchtime,” Street said. “Night work, that’s a possibility,” she added thinking that would be another way to keep distress off local business.
Staggered shifts in the large office complexes in the area like Walgreens are another idea Street thinks can be considered to ease congestion.
While Yonan told Patch last week his department is focused on completing the work by Thanksgiving, 2013, to avoid hardship for holiday shopping at Northbrook Court, Street intends to get him focused on Deerbrook Mall and other businesses in the vicinity of Waukegan and Lake Cook Roads.
“We’re going to get them thinking about Deerfield’s businesses too,” Street said. “My job is to concentrate on Deerfield businesses. Northbrook Court is important but so are we.”
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