Politics & Government

Lake in the Hills Offers Cost-Sharing for Unsightly Sidewalks

Lake in the Hills residents who want to replace the sidewalk adjacent to their property for aesthetic purposes can apply for financial reimbursement from village.

The village of Lake in the Hills is lending residents a financial hand in replacing sidewalks for aesthetic reasons.

The Lake in the Hills Village Board on Thursday approved a cost-sharing sidewalk replacement program, which was designed by the Public Works Department.

Under the program, homeowners would hire a professional, licensed contractor to replace the sidewalk adjacent to their property and receive a rebate of up to $325. The reimbursement equates to about $3.25 per square foot of the sidewalk replaced, Public Works Director Fred Mullard said.

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“We maybe get five to six requests per year from residents wanting to replace their sidewalk for aesthetic reasons,” Mullard said.

“Maybe their sidewalk has pockmarks in the driveway area from the road salt, or maybe they just want it to look better because they're trying to sell their home. This gives people an opportunity to reduce their costs to replace it.”

Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mullard said the $325 reimbursement fee accounts for about 50 percent of the average cost to replace about 25 linear feet of walkway.

The program will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Rebate funding for the program is limited and repairs to sidewalks on private property are not eligible for reimbursement.

Residents interested in taking advantage of the rebate must fill out a sidewalk replacement application and submit it to the Public Works Department, according to village officials.

The Public Works Department inspects public sidewalks in the village on a four-year cycle. The village routinely replaces sidewalks that have become hazardous to residents, but has never had a program for people wanting to fix their walks because they are unsightly, Mullard said.

Residents who would like a sidewalk inspected as a possible hazard — where walks have a step separation of more than three-fourths of an inch — should contact Lake in the Hills Public Works Department at 1-847-960-7500.


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