ABT CONSULTANT ATTACKED -- THE WEAPON, A SHARP MIND

A consultant hired by ABT, the giant appliance dealer from Morton Grove, appeared before the Plan Commission Tuesday to tell of  the amazing tax windfall we'll realize when the company moves to enormous new digs on Milwaukee Avenue.

ABT's man, Alex Smith,  predicted the Village would see $168,000 in property taxes each year –  more than enough to cover the $162,000 cost of added services the Village will provide once ABT is here.  Then there would be sales tax amounting to an estimated $800,000.  District 34 would be swimming in cash after collecting $700,000 a year, and District 225 would see $424,000 annually – or so the young consultant said.  Chairman Tim Doron said he hoped that someone from the high school district was present to hear the news, and Commissioner Jack Bevington was so excited that he asked Alex to repeat the numbers.  Then Commissioner Howard Silver, a CPA who specializes in real estate, sharpened his pencil and burst the bubble.

Silver noted that the calculations assumed occupancy in the year 2000.  "How are we going to have occupancy in the year 2000 if this is May?" he asked.

The consultant admitted that this year was chosen for the analysis so it would not be necessary to calculate inflation or interest rates. And why did the consultant assume that ABT would take occupancy over a period of three years?

"Our absorption schedules are modeled around residential or office properties," Smith explained.

"But we're talking about ABT," said Silver.  "They're not building in phases.   They're going to move in from Morton Grove.  When you do something like this, you can't let the computer do everything for you.  You have to put some thought into what happens in real life."

Then Silver pointed out that the property tax estimate was based on the assumption that all 340,000 square feet of the store and warehouse would be classified as "retail."   In fact,  only 50,000 feet would be used as a showroom.  The rest would be warehouse,  and taxes on warehouses are far less than taxes on stores.  Likewise, Silver suggested that projecting sales revenue based on the size of the entire facility – showroom and warehouse – may have led to a gross overestimate.

Having cast  doubt on the consultant's methods,  Silver delivered his final blow, telling the public that ABT has a revenue sharing deal with Morton Grove.  Half of all sales tax is returned to the company, and he asked whether a similar deal would be expected in Glenview. The developer said talks were already underway with the Village.

The prospect of losing all that tax revenue  begs an important question:  If Glenview caves to ABT's demand, will we be asked to rebate sales tax to Target and Kohl's?  What about Suzy's Florist?  How could we give ABT a break without cutting other local businesses in? 

In the end, the Plan Commission approved rezoning of the site where ABT hopes to build, clearing the way for a Zoning Board variance to permit retail business in an area zoned for industry and a Village Board debate on the deal. The show must go on.

AND THE TEARDOWNS WILL CONTINUE

The Plan Commission also voted not to impose a moratorium on tear downs.  A crowd of about 50  builders, architects, attorneys and realtors joined a handful of unhappy neighbors of enormous new homes in a long and emotional public hearing on the subject.

Architect Tom Lindsay said the threat of a moratorium had cost him business.  He characterized the proposed ban on teardowns as an overreaction brought on by complaints from just three citizens.  Referring to one, Dick Feit, who complained that builders were patrolling his neighborhood in SUV's looking for small homes they might buy, tear down and replace with larger, more expensive models. Lindsay joked, "I hate SUV's.  If I get two other guys to come up here and ask you to put a moratorium on SUV's will you do it?"

Feit fought back with a concrete proposal for fixing the problem and restoring what another Glenview resident, Grant Ireland, called a sense of proportion and balance.  Feit proposed that homes which replace teardowns be limited to an increase of 30 percent over the average square footage of houses on their street.  Larger homes would have to be approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals with advance notice to the neighbors.

Norma Morrison, 84, spoke passionately against the practice of tearing down small homes, including the one across from her place.  "I live in a small house.  I've lived in one for 35 years.  They're going to carry me out of it.  I'm going to stay there.  It suits my husband.  It suits me.  The house across the street has housed elderly ladies since I have lived there, and I'm sure that there's at least one more single person who would happily live on Lenox Road in this impeccable little ranch."

The discussion lasted until nearly 2 a.m..  Listen for more on May 30  when the Plan Commission will hold a special meeting to try and craft a more effective ordinance to prevent what realtors are calling double-CB's (conspicuous consumption behemoths).  The Village Board hopes to consider the Plan Commission's proposal on June 6.

GLENVIEW'S DAY IN COURT

The Village of Glenview goes to court Tuesday morning to proceed with construction of a water main at the Glen.  The Glenview Prairie Preservation Project and six citizens – Sandy Hausman (co-editor of Glenview Watch) Robert and Reinoutje Walker, Louise Monroe, Esther Blackwelder and Mike Luxem -- are asking a judge to temporarily block construction of a water main through land which may provide valuable habitat to native birds, such as meadowlarks, sedge wrens, grasshopper and savannah sparrows. 

The Village is under contract to supply water to Home Depot and Catellus by June 15, enabling those builders to break ground for an industrial park south of Willow Road and a big box shopping center to the north. The plaintiffs say Glenview should enforce its Environmentally Significant Areas Ordinance before any construction begins. 

Glenview's Environmental Review Committee has begun hearings on the prairie but has yet to make its final recommendations.  At Tuesday's hearing, committee member and land planner Diane Korling said she needs to know more about the Village's goals before making a decision. 

Committeeman Charles Paine, an expert on native birds, agreed.  "Some of the decisions we make will depend on what our objectives are, and for wildlife species, the target species that we hope to maintain in the prairie will determine how we manage it to a large degree.  Do you feel that some of the grassland birds – say meadowlarks – are likely to stay, and if so, should we be doing things like removing brush in some of the center wetlands, minimizing tall trees around the edges and that sort of thing or are we wasting our time?"

Village Consultant John Chitty said such actions were not a waste of time, but he thought saving grassland birds would be difficult.  Chitty said that as new parks are built at the Glen, populations of suburban birds,  such as robins and cardinals will grow and compete with native birds for food.  By planting trees and shrubs, he explained, the Village provides perches for hawks, and hawks like to eat baby birds. 

If, on the other hand, habitat could be preserved far from homes and manmade parks, Chitty suggested that some prairie birds could nest.  "The farther we can move this back, the more we can promote grassland, the better chance those birds will have."

Sandy Hausman, president of the Glenview Prairie Preservation Project, said that Catellus has not yet purchased grasslands north of the prairie, although the company has an option to do so.  "They may opt not to buy it, and a year or two years or three years hence, we may have the option to have a much larger prairie preserve, but if you put a road down the middle of it right now, that option is foreclosed, because then you have parcelized the land as Mr. Chitty says, and that is exactly what we don't want to do when we're talking about grassland birds."

Experts including Mr. Chitty have testified that prairie birds need large, contiguous pieces of land to breed successfully.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that their numbers have dropped steadily for 20 years, and experts site the loss of habitat as one big reason for the decline.

Chitty suggested that most species that have drawn large numbers of birdwatchers to Glenview would not return due to ongoing construction at the Glen, but experts who have toured the prairie and surrounding grasslands say these birds are already coming-in.  Last weekend, they reported seeing meadowlarks, savannah sparrows and a woodcock.  They also saw wetland birds on and near the prairie –  blue and green herons, sora rails and snipes.

Volunteers who have been asked to look for birds and butterflies were not invited to address the Environmental Review Committee on Tuesday, although a wildlife biologist being paid by the Village to search for mammals, reptiles and amphibians did appear.   He said three new species had been added to his list of snakes, turtles, frogs and toads, bringing the total to six.  Sadly, he noted, two of those came to his attention (a snapping turtle and a painted turtle) when they were found dead on Lehigh Road.   "A racoon can make it across in four bounds," he explained.  "A snapping turtle doesn't stand a chance." The Village plans to erect special barriers to prevent future road kill.

GLENVIEW KIDS DO THEIR PART

Fourth grade students at Pleasant Ridge are preparing to do their part toward prairie restoration.  The kids are growing purple loosestrife – an aggressive weed that can take over in gardens, farm fields or prairies.  Illinois has made cultivation illegal, but the youngsters got a special permit and will feed their crop to beetles that eat the plant.  In June the kids will release their beetles on the prairie.   In addition to helping nature, their science project could save Glenview money.  Last year, the Village paid $10,000 to buy 10,000 loosestrife-eatingbeetles for release on the prairie and the Northern Triangle.  For more information, go to Glenviewshopper.com/ Pleasantridge.htm.

OUR READERS CHECK-IN WITH COMMENTS ON ...

ABT: CR writes, "The ABT family is telling the Glenview leaders that they will be good neighbors on Milwaukee.  Based on their record in Morton Grove, DON'T BELIEVE THEM!"  (A list of links to Pioneer Press articles followed – stories detailing complaints about noise and efforts by ABT to expand and extend their business day.)

ARCHITECTURE: AR complains about "Big ugly boxes, big little boxes – they line Waukegan Road and include our Village Hall.  Is this the face we want to show the world?"

BUILDING GLENVIEW BUSINESS:  KO says, "The heart of Glenview remains at Glenview Road and Waukegan Road.  I think the improvements made at this crossroads are a great start to a revitalized area.  Unfortunately, I think the Chamber of Commerce is tired and worn out....We need new ideas, young perspectives, energy and drive!!!"

"It's pretty obvious," he adds, "that the Village is trying to get the hottest and the hippest for the Glen, so their efforts in downtown development have waned.  I am not complaining about the Glen, and think the Park District's community center will be absolutely terrific, but I say, in these booming economic times, there are enough entrepreneurs, restauranteurs, grocers, florists, artists, musicians, etc. to fill up all the retail space in all of Glenview and then some.  What we're lacking are people with enough vision, creativity and experience to find enterprises to fill the empty spaces.  With all the new residential units being built in the "walk to everything" downtown area, there had better be places for the people to walk to, or many of those newer residential units may remain empty."

"This is not rocket science," KO continues.  "I envision the ‘old' downtown as a ‘specialty shop' area with one-of-a-kind stores.  Let's do whatever we have to do (like free rent for a year) to get some of these to attract others.  Let's develop the river walk downtown and provide some reasons for people to take a stroll and look in the shop windows.  What was the point of spending a significant amount of money improving the streetscape if the Village is going to stop having any interest in this area?"

KO concludes: "With regard to the Glen residential development...those cookie cutter houses are ugly and look like everything else going up north, south and west of us.  What a shame.  It was a great opportunity to design homes with some connection to a rich architectural history in this area.  All that talk and money for nothing."

ON A RELATED NOTE:  HLH is concerned about the Village's focus on development at the Glen to the "near exclusion of the rest of the community."  He notes that Planning Director Mary Bak is often busy with Glen business, and Don Owen, who is called our Economic Development Director, devotes ALL of his time to the Glen.   "As a matter of fairness," he writes, "doesn't it seem that there should be a person hired to devote full time to improve the economic character of the rest of the Village?  In fact, the two issues are quite inter-related as indicated by the departure of Dominick's from the middle of Glenview after its five-year commitment expires. [Dominick's is building at the Glen.] A new economic development for eastern Glenview can be justified as an expense of the Glen."

EDITOR'S NOTE: The idea of an economic development office was proposed by Norma Morrison several years ago and by candidate Rachel Cook during the last election.  Glenview Watch wonders why this idea is going nowhere – and, while we're on the subject of unfulfilled promises,  what's become of the historic preservation commission established by ordinance in October of 1998?  Village residents sent their resumes to Board President Firfer, but not one applicant has been appointed.  Meanwhile, developers have removed the front door from our historic Dahlquist building.   What do you think?  Click "reply," write and "send."

DUST: DY writes: There are days when driving north or south on Lehigh Road is like driving in a desert storm.  Clouds of dust are so thick you can see only a few cars ahead of yours.  Illinois EPA supposedly has warned the contractor to wet the roadways to hold down dust as required by law.  Yet, these dust storms continue.  Is the Village Board or the environmental committee aware, or even care, that they are breaking the law?  The situation is bad and getting worse.  In the dry weather, the semi-trailer dump trucks are raising huge clouds of dust. To believe that our Village Officials have not noticed the situation is a laugh, and it is against the law.   

SCHOOL TAXES: JR says, "If you want something to watch, try the tax hike and referendum for District 34.  Advocates claim they're 15 classrooms short, but there's no accounting for how some space in our schools is being used.  On paper, we have room for 5500 students, but administrators have done a poor job of managing the space we have because they feel the public has deep pockets."

TRADER JOE'S: Rhonda Newman writes "I heard that Trader Joe's was going to open a store on the North Shore while I was in Arizona in February – but in Glenview!  We are very lucky."


YOUR TURN

What's on your mind? Drop us a line by e-mail at GlenviewWatch@aol.com or the old-fashioned way. We're at 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Thanks for reading. Dean Schott and Sandy Hausman, Co-Editors of The Watch.

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