Super-Conservative Jack Roeser's Shows Environmental Side

It fits into the concern he has shown for preserving the factory buildings near the bridge in Carpentersville, but Jack Roeser’s use of an “environmentally friendly” asphalt replacement will certainly be a surprise to many of those critical to his opposition to Carpentersville School District 300 bond issues and tax hikes.

Daily Herald reporter Patrick Garmoe got the story of Roeser’s Otto Engineering’s new permeable north parking lot.

Ironic that Crystal Lake Kiwanis just heard similar suggestions from former Democratic Party State Representative Ricca Slone for protecting our watersheds. Slone’s votes and views are not described as conservative.

And A-LAW, the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water, is now promoting a new Kishwaukee Water Authority to keep developers from sucking the aquifers dry (my words, not theirs).

The cost of the new surface is 20-30%, more than asphault, but Garmoe reports,

Proponents say their permeable system will absorb every drop of water that falls on it, even during the heaviest storms — eliminating all runoff.

And, it’s “designed to absorb water and allow it to soak into the ground, recharging the aquifers below.”

And, “the parking lot will conceivably last for half a century, unlike the five- to 10-year life span of asphalt driveways, lots and roads.”

Sounds like it is time for some serious cost-benefit analysis.

It reminds me to the year I scored 100% on the Illinois Environmental Council scorecard.

So why did Roeser do it? Here’s what Garmoe says,

Otto Engineering, for example, chose to make half its new parking lot permeable so the retention pond it built could be far shallower and smaller than otherwise legally required, said Chris Bruske, facilities manager for the company.

The general manager of Advanced Pavement Technology, Chuck Taylor, located in Oswego, is apparently frustrated his product has not taken off in Chicago’s rapidly growing suburbs.

And, there are even McHenry County angles:

a housing project south of Marengo now winding its way through McHenry County’s approval process. The environmentally friendly subdivision could be built with only permeable streets.

Not to mention that Magengo’s Paveloc Industries is a marketing partner.

That frustration is probably similar to that of McHenry County Solarcrete promoter Pete Konopka.

Solarcrete is a proven way to save energy costs which I wish I had know about when we put out stucco addition on our home.

More at McHenry County Blog, of course.