The Lake County Commission is considering amending a recently enacted speed zone ordinance near Chester after residents express concerns about the length of the speed zone. 

Chester Township officials asked to be on the Lake County Commission’s meeting agenda on Tuesday to discuss a new speed zone ordinance that commissioners adopted in October.  The residents attending Tuesday’s meeting stated that they had not been aware of the new speed zone on 241st Street, which is a county road, until they saw the speed limit signs that the county had put in place.  The ordinance establishes a 30-mile-an-hour speed zone on 241st Street for one-half mile east and west of its intersection with 464th Avenue.  

Chester Township Board Chairman Jeff Brown told commissioners some of their concerns with the speed zone. 

Brown is referring to the request to commissioners from Sharron Anderson for a reduced speed zone on 241st Street that started their discussion on it. 

Before taking comments from a number of other Chester area residents on the speed zone Tuesday, Commissioner Deb Reinicke expressed her concerns about no one showing up at any of the four meetings where the commission discussed and eventually approved the speed zone.  

More than ten residents told commissioners of their concerns with the length of the speed zone and asked that commissioners consider a compromise.

Commission Administrative Officer Shelli Gust said that she consulted with the county’s Sheriff and Highway Department in putting together the ordinance for the commission.  Sheriff Tim Walburg said he had also had concerns expressed from local funeral directors with a cemetery located within that area, and he wanted the speed zone to be consistent in each direction off of 464th Avenue.  

Commissioner Reinicke made a motion to amend the current ordinance and reduce the distance from one-half mile in each direction, to one-quarter mile, but to leave the speed limit at 30-miles-an-hour.  Gust will put together the amended ordinance for the commissioners’ first reading of it during their next meeting on December 17th. Â