Dear Residents,

I have posted on the City web site the new State of Illinois Phase 4 guidelines for the re-opening up of more activities, more businesses and social activities. The new phase also allows for more indoor and outdoor activities including recreation, outdoor dining and various social activities. Effective June 26th the playgrounds will be reopened, indoor dining will resume with a 25% capacity limitation. City Council meetings will resume in person with a limited seating capacity. Any one attending a City Council meeting will be required to wear a mask and again, limited seating will be available with a 6 foot spacing.

The Community Resource Department will reopen Day Camp on a limited basis and the Senior Bus will resume by appointment only. We hope that in the near future we will able to provide more recreational activities also on a limited basis.

In other news, the Cook County Highway Department will be resurfacing Roberts Road in August, and expect some delays in traffic. The intersection of Roberts Road and 111th Street will be improved with a new right turn lane for West bound traffic onto 111th Street. We will also install new paver pedestrian crosswalks and construct new decorative gateway brick planter walls on all 4 corners, similar to the design in Orland Park at 143rd and LaGrange Road. This improvement will take place in 2021 from Federal, State and County MFT funds. Speaking of 111th & Roberts Rd., construction should begin within a month for a new Thornton Gas Station which will occupy the three vacant lots on the Northwest corner of the intersection.

Despite the COVID virus, our Building Department continues to see an increase in new permits for homes and business construction. Southwest Central Dispatch will be relocating from the City of Palos Heights to our new location in Palos Hills on 95th Street adjacent to the North Palos Fire Protection District Station 2. This $8 million project will begin construction this month and we are also please to announce a $2 million grant provided by the State of Illinois with the assistance of State Representative Kelly Burke and State Senator Bill Cunningham which will help significantly with the cost of the building.

I ask all our residents to please stay safe and wear a protective mask along with social distancing whenever outside your residence. We’ve come a long way and no one wants to go back as we were that last three and a half months. Any questions or information that we can provide, please call City Hall at 708-598-3400.

Sincerely,

Gerald Bennett
Mayor
City of Palos Hills