PUBLIC HEARING'S A PUBLIC INSULT

Plan Commission Chairman Tim Doron is in no hurry to draft a new ordinance controlling teardowns, but when it comes to public comment on the subject, he's in a big rush.  Last Saturday, Doron convened the second of three public hearings.

The first, held at Village Hall on a Tuesday night, kept the public sitting from 9  to 11 p.m. while Commissioners,  members of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Village staffers reviewed various regulatory tools tried by other communities to prevent construction of monstrous homes where smaller houses once stood.

Shortly after 11 p.m., Chairman Doron did a head count of citizens who wanted to speak and imposed a limit of three minutes.  One resident, Richard Feit, had spent hours researching and preparing his 15-minute presentation on the topic.  He asked for the right to go longer but was shouted down by Doron who felt – in fairness to other members of the public –  that Feit should not exceed the time limit.  Doron assured Feit that there would be two more public hearings at which he could speak.

On Saturday, Feit came again with his charts and notes, but it was Doron and the other appointed officials who did the talking about  teardowns.  "I want the audience and I want the public to have the benefit of hearing what we're thinking," Doron explained.

After two hours of listening to each other, the Commissioners turned their attention to the public, and Doron decreed that this time each person would get just 30 seconds to speak!

Doron then took a moment to diss the Trustees, saying some of them had threatened a moratorium on teardowns if the Plan Commission did not provide a proposed ordinance by July 18.  "This is too important to rush through.  I still feel we're going a little fast, and you know what?  So be it.  That's their prerogative.  If they want to impose that moratorium, that's their business."

The most interesting observation of the morning may have come from developer Bernie Schmidt who said the Commission was searching for a technical solution to a political problem.  It could be argued that the best technical solution to the problem of  teardowns is to regulate homes relative to the size of their lots, but good politics dictates another approach known as "bulk averaging" in which home size is prescribed  relative to the size of the neighbors' homes.   Since the Plan Commission is an appointed body with a technical mission and the Village Board is an elected body with a political bent, it would not surprise the Watch to see our Trustees rejecting whatever the Plan Commission recommends.

STICKER SHOCK IN GLEN OAK ACRES

Glen Oak Acres, a neighborhood of wooded lots and winding lanes, has long lived with serious flooding problems.  For years, the Village said it could not install storm sewers without damage to beautiful old trees.  This year, a village consultant came-up with plans to drain standing water while preserving the country charm of that community.

The problem, of course, is cost.  Village planners divided Glen Oak Acres' 565 homes into groups that would share a common drainage point.  Then, depending on how many households are in each group, families were told what they would pay.   The range is great: $400 - $1200 per year for a period of ten years.  If more than half of the households in a group agree, the project would go forward, leaving some residents with a bill they are unwilling or unable to pay.

If residents don't agree to the Village plan, officials threaten to delay road repairs which are badly needed in the area.  "The roads are worse than those of a third world country," says Mike Guinane, President of the homeowners' association.  "Aside from minor pothole repair, these roads have not been maintained for over 30 years."

The Village agrees that road work is needed.  Manager Paul McCarthy says some roads are like jello.  He argue that continued flooding would cause roads to degrade, and given "scarce Village dollars, it is not fiscally responsible to invest in pavement repairs in areas without proper drainage."

The village has offered to shoulder 25 percent of the $3.6 million bill, but Homeowners' President Guinane says that's not fair.  Noting that many area residents are senior citizens who already pay high taxes, and casting an eye toward possible hikes for the schools and library, he predicts many will be unable to afford the charge.

One resident referred to spending at the Glen and wondered why the Village couldn't foot the entire bill for storm drainage at the Acres.  "They're spending money over there like the Beverly Hillbillies," she said.

Glenview realtors are also concerned.  They note that people buying a home in the Acres would assume responsibility for the annual payments, perhaps hurting property values or making home sales more difficult.

MCCARTHY GOES TO THE MOVIES

In an apparent effort to make this topic more interesting or perhaps to make their arguments more persuasive, Village Manager Paul McCarthy and an engineer from STS Consultants, appeared in a 30-minute video produced by Glenview TV.  McCarthy sits in front of a brick  wall with a green plant and the Village logo propped-up beside him.

"Hi, my name is Paul McCarthy, and I'm the Village Manager in Glenview.  I wanted to introduce this video presentation today because this is an experiment.  It is an attempt to try and reach out and communicate with constituents about a specific problem to a specific area and give you an opportunity, sitting in your own livingroom, to listen to the full story."

After acknowledging that this topic causes eyes to glaze over, McCarthy proceeds to induce that condition with a history of flooding in the Acres and an explanation of the challenge ahead.  Then, the Godfather of Glenview issues a warning: If Glen Oak Acres agrees to the proposed management of stormwater, road work will start soon.  If not, the village will walk away.

"This isn't a sales tape," says McCarthy.  "There's no incentive here to force anything down anyone's throat.  If it is the conclusion of the neighborhood that they don't want to have these improvements done, that's fine.  We'll respect your wishes and move on."

NO TALKS WITH NORTHBROOK OVER WILLOW ROAD

Glenview is proud of the fact that it designed the Glen to be "pedestrian friendly," and the Trustees recently forced construction of a sidewalk near the intersection of Willow and Landwehr despite protests from many neighbors.  Ironically, those residents and thousands more in northwest Glenview will find it difficult to reach the Glen's prairie and park, the new nature preserve at Heatherfield, Target and Kohl's without driving because there is no sidewalk along Willow from Shermer to Lehigh.

A group concerned with the future of Willow Road released the results of a survey on the subject.   Of 1,200 area residents questioned, 71 percent said they have ridden a bike within the last year, but 83 percent won't peddle down Willow because, in most cases, they feel unsafe.  The same was true for pedestrians.  On the other hand, more than half said their behavior would change if they could ride or walk safely. 

One possible stumbling block to a sidewalk is the need to cooperate with Northbrook.  Our neighbor to the north controls some land on both sides of Willow.   Relations between the two communities have been frosty due to competition for development, disputes over funding of High School District 225 and enmity between Village Board Presidents and Managers.  The trustees of Glenview and Northbrook meet once a year to discuss joint concerns, but 2000 is our year to play host, and so far no invitations have gone out for the annual August pow wow. 

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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