OP/FYI for February 2005 - Page 2

Owners of about 40 of the 100 properties near Barrie Park eligible for grants and no-interest loans so far have taken advantage of the program created to help homeowners most affected by the multiyear construction project to clean up the nearby former manufactured gas plant site. The program offers a $15,000 grant that does not have to be repaid and a $15,000 interest-free loan that does not have to be repaid until ownership of the property is transferred. The funds are intended for property improvements, both interior and exterior. For information on eligibility and the application process, call 358.5424 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us. Information also is posted at www.oak-park.us -- click on the news tab and look for the Barrie Park icon along the right margin. The program is scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2005.

Four local buildings have been designated as Oak Park Landmarks, bringing the community's total to 25. Oak Park's newest landmarks are George and James Tough House, 1045 Wesley Ave. (Joseph Bristow, Jr. 1913); Harold C. Lewis House, 950 Columbian Ave. (Kenneth T. White 1928); Andreas Brisch House, 701 S. East Ave. (Andreas Brisch 1919); and Poley Building (Charles A. Kristen 1928). Historic landmark status is awarded to a property that meets certain architectural or historic standards. Designation recognizes that the property is significant to Oak Park and that its historic character and architecture should be preserved for future generations. Landmark status also brings eligibility for tax incentives, as well as technical assistance and architectural advice from the Historic Preservation Commission. For more information call 358.5417 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.

The Oak Park Fire Department has received a grant to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), a device that provides fresh air for firefighters entering smoke-filled buildings or environments of reduced oxygen levels. The 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides funds to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, new fire apparatus, emergency medical service programs and fire prevention and safety programs. Oak Park's new SCBA will replace equipment that has been in service for 10 years. This is the fourth year the department has received the grant. Past purchases have included new protective equipment, turnout gear, a public education life safety trailer and a special rescue truck shared by River Forest, Forest Park, Cicero, Berwyn, North Riverside and Stickney, Oak Park's regional mutual protection partners. The cost of the new SCBA is projected to be $160,941 -- 70 percent of which is paid by the grant and the remaining share funded by the Village. For more information, call 445.3300 or email fire@oak-park.us.

Funding has been approved to take the free Oak Park Shuttle from a test project to a full-fledged community service. The program was launched last March using conversion vans equipped with wheelchair lifts leased from the PACE Suburban Bus System to link popular Village sites and many key mass transit stops. Operating on an hour-long loop from 10 a.m. - 5: 30 p.m., seven days a week, except major holidays, the shuttle route includes 21 stops at 30-minute intervals along an eight-mile course. Several shuttle stops offer easy transfer to a host of mass transit options at points throughout the Village, including PACE and CTA buses, and the CTA’s green and blue lines, and Metra's commuter rail west line. Riders can board a shuttle at any of the stops, which are marked by signs including a route map, a list of attractions near each stop, shuttle arrival times and nearby mass transit connection options. Future plans for the shuttle include working with PACE to secure vehicles that are not only larger, more attractive and more easily accessible, but are also environmentally friendly. The goal is to eventually secure grant funding for a vehicle that uses natural gas, has a more historic appearance and offer easy side access. For more information on the Shuttle program, call 358.5778 or email village@oak-park.us. For route and schedule information, call 615.1830. A route map and schedule is available on the Village website, www.oak-park.us.