By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOBART – Motorists driving near three Hobart village parks won’t be able to travel faster than 15 mph when children are present.
In response to concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety, the village board passed an ordinance June 15 to create two new speed limits, which will apply to Fontaine Family, Jan Wos and Four Seasons parks.
The ordinance creates a speed limit of 15 mph when children are present for the following village roads:
• The portion of Lear Lane from a point 100 feet west of the frontage of the road and Fontaine Family Park commencing to a point 100 feet east of the frontage of the road and Fontaine Family Park.
• The eastern lane of Adriana Court, 100 feet south of the frontage of the road and Jan Wos Park commencing to the intersection of Adriana Court and Centennial Centre Boulevard, with the intersection being a roundabout.
• The southern lane of Centennial Centre Boulevard commencing at the intersection of Adriana Court and Centennial Centre Boulevard, with the intersection being a roundabout, to a point 100 feet east of the frontage of the road and Jan Wos Park.
When children are present in Fontaine Family or Jan Wos parks, Village Administrator Aaron Kramer said the speed limit on those roadway sections would be 15 mph, otherwise, it would be 25 mph.
“We can’t adjudicate some of these kids in their own yard, or we’d have to put 15 mph (signs) in every subdivision in Hobart,” he said. “There’s a lot of kids.”
Kramer said having speed limit signs 100 feet from either side of the parks will make it possible for motorists to see a sign and the park so they know to slow down.
“Speed limits are not going to stop speeders,” he said. “They’re hopefully going to deter speeders or slow down drivers.”
The other new speed limit zone the board approved will be a continual 15 mph, which will apply to Four Season Drive along Four Seasons Park.
Kramer said the speed limits will be enforced upon being publicized with signs being posted.
“There has to be an ordinance,” he said. “It has to be in our… municipal code so that the officers have an actual ordinance number to cite.”
Once the signs are up, Public Works Director Jerry Lancelle said flags will be placed with them so they will be more noticeable by motorists.
“The ones down on Leer Lane and Centennial (Centre Boulevard), we’ll probably flag those,” he said. “The 15 mph (signs) on Four Seasons (Drive) we can (flag).”
Lancelle said 15 mph school zones in Hobart are on a county road, and the ordinance was necessary to establish that speed limit on a village road.
Regulating dogs
In other action, the board took a step toward changing how the village regulates the number of dogs allowed in a residence.
Board members removed the conditional use process out of the zoning code for keeping additional dogs to have all licensing and regulation of dogs addressed in one location in the municipal code.
Kramer previously informed the board there appeared to be errors and contradictions for regulating the number of dogs permitted in a residence.
He said one clause in the code stated a conditional use permit was required to keep more than two dogs in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential district.
However, Kramer said another clause stated someone keeping more than two dogs has to file a statement with the village clerk-treasurer.
While discussing the issue earlier this year, board members stated they favored a limit of two dogs for any property less than 2.5 acres, with five dogs being the maximum allowed for any property with more than 2.5 acres.
Kramer said a subsequent ordinance recreating the limits of the number of dogs will be presented to the board next month.
Closed session
Kramer said the board took action on four items in closed session, which included:
• Approval of a development agreement with PDK Investments, LLC, to develop approximately 11.25 acres of real estate within Tax Increment District No. 2 to construct eight apartment buildings and a clubhouse. The village will provide initial financial assistance to install utility and stormwater infrastructure, as well as a future refund of a portion of the property taxes if the development has an assessed value of more than $14 million.
• Approval of the development agreement with Tosa Construction and Development, Inc., to develop approximately 13 acres in the Hemlock Creek fifth addition. The agreement requires the developer to install streets and other infrastructure to the village’s specifications.
• Approving a 60-day extension to Aug. 31 of the option by purchase with Hobart Family Dentistry, LLC, for the development of a dental clinic at 565 Larsen Orchard Pkwy.
• Approval of the settlement, pending the terms of mediation, in the How Landscaping Service vs. Village of Hobart et al litigation.