Community Corner

Your Views: Making New Lenox a Better Place

We asked New Lenox Patch readers this week to offer their ideas for ways to improve the town. Here's a sampling of the responses.

From the ambitious to the readily achievable, from upscale aspirations to the socially conscious, offered many ideas in response to this week's Community Agenda survey.

Let's take a look. 

We asked: What’s the best thing about New Lenox?

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You said ...

  • The fact that with all the growth, we still have a small-town atmosphere. Let's keep it that way!
  • Progressive government.
  • Great location and potential for growth. Can't wait to see commercial growth around 355.
  • It is a great place for families.

We asked: What would you like to see improved in town?

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You said ...

  • Stopping this runaway spending of the village.
  • The parked cars in subdivisions.
  • With all of the growth potential, we should be seeking out higher end stores and businesses to come to New Lenox.
  • Traffic congestion is bad on Route 30.
  • Better security and garbage cans at Metra lot.

We asked: Are there businesses you would like to see in New Lenox that we don’t have?

You said ...

  • Pot Belly's and Popeye's.
  • Trader Joe's.
  • High-tech industry.
  • More home improvement stores and some "fancier" restaurants.
  • How about some family entertainment? Mini-golf? Arcade?
  • Portillo's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's. New Lenox should be inviting higher end stores and businesses instead of White Castle and Aldi.
  • Less banks, more homegrown novelty shops.

We asked: Are there services that would make New Lenox a better place to live?

You said ...

  • Provide a recreation/fitness center.
  • Neighbor grievance arbitration.
  • Better/more hours for the Fresh Farmers Market - I can never make it on a Saturday morning.
  • Public bus transportation to JJC, Will County Health Dept. etc.  More public bus transportation in general.
  • More Village transparency online. Email links for Village Board & Staff, individually.
  • Shelter for abused women and children.

We asked: Can you think of something in another town that New Lenox ought to have?

You said ...

  • More upscale shops and restuarants to keep riff raff out.
  • A property owner wall of shame.
  • A nice hotel. Not a run down motel.
  • Roller rink, animal shelter, public swimming pool.
  • Extension of Will County Health Dept. Services to support our families living without health insurance and transportation.
  • Water Park
  • A DOWNTOWN! (like Mokena/Frankfort)
  • Landscaping in the concrete islands by the Metra tracks as well as various places on Route 30. I think with the rebuilding of the highway, it would be a good time to incorporate some landscaping.  Maybe some asthetically  improved street lighting along 30, Francis, Cedar.
  • Would be great if New Lenox had a health center like The Core Fitness and Aquatic Center in Lemont.

Check back every Monday for new questions so you can share your ideas, suggestions and even your own questions.

Then, every Saturday, we'll publish some of the most interesting responses and begin to report on followup articles about the future of New Lenox and whether any of your ideas are being considered or could be possibilities for our village.

Have more to say? Email editor Michael Sewall at michael.sewall@patch.com.


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