Thank you to all who have contacted the Kane County Forest Preserve District in our effort to save the Meadowdale silo
from demolition.
I have received copies of e-mails or notes advising of your contacts to the district from over twenty MIR fans to date, including one from England. As this was not requested, I am sure that there were many more contacts I didn't hear about.
Those of you who e-mailed them probably got the same form letter reply I got. The fact that they had to prepare a form letter is a good indication that they got plenty of mail. Good!
This form letter has so much baloney in it, I replied, calling them on it. Here are the facts (italics mine):
Dear Citizen:
Thank you for your email regarding the silo located at Kane County Forest Preserve District’s Raceway Woods. The mission of the District is to preserve and restore the natural areas of Kane County.
"The mission of the District is to preserve and restore the natural areas of Kane County". I believe this is code for their long term agenda to remove all traces of Meadowdale Raceway from their portion of the property. The silo is just their first step.
Unfortunately, structures that were not maintained prior to the District’s ownership and have continued to deteriorate eventually become hazardous.
Is the silo really in unsafe condition? I understand the Carpentersville city engineer inspected it earlier this week and determined that with a little tuckpointing it would be in good shape. This would be much cheaper than knocking it down.
Actually, the deterioration of the silo, aside from the graffiti and trash inside it, has been minimal considering that it has stood with no maintenance whatsoever since the track closed in 1969.
I have heard that the Carpentersville mayor has indicated they will not issue a demolition permit for the silo until this is sorted out.
In addition, the silo has been a source of unsafe and illegal activity for a while, as is the often the case with structures where well-intentioned citizens have not the resources to preserve them.
"silo has been a source of unsafe and illegal activity"??? The whole property has been a magnet for unsupervised teen activity for almost forty years. Read the Guest Book. Over and over you see references to sneaking into the property to drink beer, ride dirtbikes, drive cars on the course, and other illicit activities. But never is the silo mentioned as an inducement.
Since the purchase and increased supervision by the forest preserve and park districts and Dundee township, it appears that this illegal activity has been greatly reduced. It has not been eliminated, but tearing down the silo will not achieve this. Clearing invasive vegetation to remove the cover for illegal activity would be both more effective and cheaper. Witness the work being done by Jack and Donna Redmer and those they have recruited on the southern portion of the property.
While we respect the interest in preserving history, the silo has not been designated by the state as an historic landmark. The cost to preserve, restore and maintain a structure such as this greatly exceeds the alternative. As responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and safety within the District’s mission, the structure must be removed.
A structure need not be formally designated a historic landmark to be preserved. The Forest Preserve District has a number of structures they maintain, as shown in the 2004 Annual Report on their website. Are these all designated landmarks? And what will it cost to "preserve, restore and maintain" the silo? It has stood on its own for over fifty years. With a little paint and sealing of its openings to prevent further vandalism, it can stand at least fifty more.
"As responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars"??? The district has obviously not compared the cost of some tuckpointing, sealing the openings in the silo, and painting it against the cost of demolishing this solid concrete structure and hauling away its remains.
In place of the silo and throughout the site the District is planning historical information kioske's/signage to show where structures once stood, the different elements of the track and the general activities that took place on the site. We are working closely with Dundee Township and Dundee Park District to implement improvements consistently on all three properties that make up Raceway Woods.
There is no way some signs and kiosks can take the place of the silo in either the memories of those who recall the track, or as a very visible signpost for all who pass by on Route 31. This is one of the last remains of Meadowdale Raceway and should continue to stand to memorialize it.
We appreciate your concern and feedback. Memories of the Racetrack are indeed special. Please feel free to visit the site often.
Visit often. There won't be much to see, but visit anyway. Forest preserves dot the landscape and we appreciate them. But there is only one Meadowdale Raceway and we must preserve what's left of it. That includes the Silo.
Kind Regards,
Monica A. Meyers
Executive Director
Forest Preserve District of Kane County
