For the last several months, Ameritech has been placing urgent calls to Hinsdale government. The message: We need more space.
So far, it appears the village may be willing to put Ameritech on hold.
Concerned about the impact on nearby homes and skeptical of Ameritech’s claim that it has no other options, the Hinsdale Plan Commission recently voted against recommending a special-use permit to allow expansion of Ameritech’s switching station. The matter is expected to come before the Zoning and Public Safety Committee and the full Village Board in April.
The building, 120 S. Lincoln St., has become cramped because of demands brought on by popular telecom products, Ameritech officials say. Within 18 months, the company will be out of room and no other options are available, they say.
That urgency failed to sway plan commissioners.
They view the station as inappropriate for the residential area and would prefer an expansion to the north rather than on the west portion of the Ameritech lot, said Jeff Finlay, commission chairman.
Ameritech says the switching station is crucial to the company’s regional service. It is a gateway hub that routes local calls and provides long-distance service for fax and modem lines.
Ameritech wants to expand the building by 60 percent, from 37,000 square feet to 59,400 square feet. The company is seeking approval for a third floor that would increase the building’s height from 31 feet to 48 feet. Because zoning for the property does not allow such changes, the company needs a special-use permit.
During a public hearing phase, held over two months, the Plan Commission heard from nearby residents who fear the expansion would be unsightly and hurt their property values.
Ameritech has pledged to look into developing a prairie-style design that would give the building a sloped roof and a more refined appearance. Those touches would add $1 million to the project. The expansion is expected to cost $4 million to $5 million, said Ameritech spokeswoman Julie Balmer.
“We’re trying to work with the community to come up with the best solution,” Balmer said. “We’ve tried to find ways to make this facility and the expansion of it more appealing aesthetically, and different options have been considered to modernize the look so it’s not this outdated ’50s-style building.”
Ameritech wants to begin construction soon and complete exterior work in a year. Work on the inside would be finished by the end of 2001, Balmer said.
“Does it surprise me that a company that size does not have a Plan B?” Finlay said. “It would surprise me. But at the same time, I can understand why they would not let that on.”
Balmer said the cost of relocating the switching station could approach $100 million and take up to five years.
Bob Saigh is among a group of neighbors who say the location is inappropriate for the industrial use. He was guarded in his optimism over the Plan Commission’s recommendation.
“We see it as encouraging, but we also realize it’s just another step in the process,” Saigh said. “We don’t consider it over.”
Finlay has expressed misgivings about the company’s promise to revise the design, which he termed “cosmetic” and “intrusive.”
Built in 1955, the station has been expanded four times, most recently in 1978. Since then, the number of local service lines has grown by more than 60 percent, from 40,000 to 65,000.
In addition to the lines within Hinsdale, the switching station handles about 90 percent of local calls for Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Willowbrook, Darien and Westmont, according to Balmer. It also handles calls for Oak Brook, she said.
The site’s resources have been strained by a federal mandate that Ameritech give space for the equipment of competing telephone companies that provide local service, Balmer said.
Several other companies have equipment at the Hinsdale site including AT&T, MCI/WorldCom, Nextlink, Covad Communications, Metropolitan Fiber, NorthPoint Communications and Allegiance Telecom, said Balmer said.
