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How then, in light of the high levels of pollution that have been discovered and the uncertainty about what remains to be discovered, could the new lakefront redevelopment plan earmark parts of this site for intensive residential uses, including single-family homes?
How much will it cost, how long will it take, and who will make the substantial financial commitment to remediate this contaminated property to residential standards, if it can be done at all?
Again, we are at a loss to explain this disconnect, other than by referencing an SOM letter we had an opportunity to read, which pointed out that its planning task did not include the responsibility of identifying possible environmental constraints.
What then is the ultimate value of such a plan, however ambitious and attractive, if its feasibility is at best an open question and at worst an impossibility?
Before our city spends another dime on plans for our lakefront that fail to grapple with the environmental challenges to redevelopment, we must tackle the less exciting but essential task of determining "what can be built where," which means assessing with substantial certainty the degrees of pollution that exist and the levels of remediation that are practicable.4
There is no use crying over spilt milk, but that $600,000 and change we are paying to SOM would have gone a long way to facilitate this comprehensive environmental study.
T.O.W.N. calls upon our city government and upon all county, state and federal officials who represent Waukegan to marshal the political will and the financial and scientific resources to address without further delay the serious pollution issues that continue to plague our precious lakefront and that stand in the way of its long-awaited redevelopment.
Only when we put the horse before the cart can we ride together into an achievable future.5
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