Housing

Coverage of issues surrounding people's living arrangements, in Pittsburgh, Pa., Naperville, Ill. and Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

- Allegheny County inspectors assess Baldwin housing units

published June 28, 2010 in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_687938.html


- Traffic patterns, living conditions concern Baldwin Borough residents

published July 2, 2010 in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_688653.html


- Allegheny County seeks grant to renovate houses for disabled

published July 1, 2010 in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_688357.html


- Students' reactions vary to living with construction

published Sept. 23, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/09/23/students-reactions-vary-to-living-with-construction


- Cities allow partial occupancy after inspections

published Sept. 29, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/09/29/cities-allow-partial-occupancy-after-inspections


- Gender not an issue for students living with opposite sex

published Sept. 30, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/special/2008/09/30/gender-not-an-issue-for-some-students-living-with-members-of-the-opposite-sex


- Simple business practices determine rent

published Oct. 10, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/10/10/simple-business-practices-determine-rent


- Champaign housing market remains stable

published Sept. 22, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/09/22/champaign-housing-market-remains-stable


- Study abroad housing varies by location, program

published Nov. 7, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/11/07/study-abroad-housing-varies-by-location-program


- Student-parents believe living on campus benefits children

published Nov. 13, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/11/13/student-parents-believe-university-environment-benefits-children


- Students deal with hassle of unfinished C-U apartments

published Dec. 12, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/special/2008/12/12/students-deal-with-hassle-of-unfinished-c-u-apartments


- Alpha Xi Delta leases fraternity house

published Sept. 18, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/09/18/alpha-xi-delta-leases-fraternity-house


- Renters suffer from overlooked lease details

published Sept. 2, 2008 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/09/02/lease-details-tenants-miss-are-not-necessarily-hidden


- Lock your doors to lock down on burglaries

published Oct. 9, 2007 in The Daily Illini

http://www.dailyillini.com/special/2007/10/09/lock-your-doors-to-lock-down-on-burglaries


- Tower enhancement creates controversy: Man claims dirt path intrudes on his land

published July 25, 2008 in the Naperville Sun

William Miller lives on 75th Street in unincorporated Naperville, sandwiched between an American Tower Corp cell phone tower on the west and three Crown Castle International towers on the east.

On the night of July 16, he noticed some action at the American Tower Copr sight. A dirt path approximately 6 feet wide and 100 feet long had been built on an area he claims to be the southwest corner of his property.

"What I discovered when I went down there is they jumped the road onto my property," Miller said. "That used to be underbrush and trees back there. Now it's an open road from 75th Street to the Park District land."

The dirt path connects a gravel driveway leading from 75th Street to the tower, to teh grassy fields of Meadow Glens Park.

American Tower Corp. applied for a permit to build the tower in 2003, according to DuPage County records. The 902-foot tower is used by AT&T.

Construction at the site began last week, said Megan Roskopf, AT&T's Illinois spokeswoman. Crews from the Joliet firm Camco Construction worked at the site for three days to begin installing fiber-optic cables meant to enhance the tower's service providing ability.

A Camco official said the crews did not build a dirt path and only used existing roads to access the tower.

Roskopf also said she was not aware of any trees or bushes that were cleared, though the cables are being installed underground.

"Right now, there's no way of telling who put the road through there," Miller said. "I can't say who's guilty, and I doubt if anyone will fess up. People aren't that honest to admit their mistakes."

Sitll, Miller said he has no doubt a bulldozer came onto his property and knocked down plants to build the path.

"One small tree was sawed off," Miller said. "I found the stump there."

He also said the path has been driven on by construction trucks since it was built. But AT&T workers at the site Thursday accessed the tower from the park to the south, and left their three trucks parked there on the grass.

Miller believes the parh is on his land because a property survey he commissioned in 2004 shows no easement or extra space between the western edge of his property and the eastern edge of the tower's property.

To determine where the property lines lie and what the boundaries mean for the legality of the path, Miller hired a lawyer.

"We have to investigate to see first whether the path is on his property, and if so, why it's there," said Miller's lawyer, Joe Fortunato of the Westmont firm Fortunato, Knobbe, Davenport and Arnold. Fortunato said he will bring the surveyors back to Miller's property to find the iron pipes they placed underground in 2004 to mark the boundaries of his land.

If the path truly lies on Miller's property, Fortunato siad he would notify the owners of the adjacent land that they are not authorized to use it.

Miller, 84, lives with his wife Petronella, also 84. He said he not only worries about the unauthorized use of his property, but also about the safety issues associated with a new shortcut existing between a park and a large road.

"Kids are going to run through it," Miller said. "I was a kid once too and I know if there's a shortcut, they're going to take it."

Construction at the tower is scheduled to be complete in two weeks, according to Roskopf.

Once construction is finished and all the underground cables have been installed, she said crews will restore the area.

Copyright 2008 Naperville Sun