It happened again. Just before 1 a.m., the director of redevelopment at The Glen appeared before a panel of weary trustees. Don Owen had a problem to report. Contractors were ready to build the next leg of Patriot Boulevard – the main north/south road through The Glen, but the soil was "unsuitable" – too soft and wet for quality road construction.

Had we known sooner, Owen said, it might have been possible to till, dry and compact the dirt, but now, with the rain falling and the clock ticking on construction season, drastic action was needed. For a cost of $260,000, Owen proposed removing 4,500 cubic yards of "unsuitable" soil and trucking in clay.

The trustees were puzzled. John Patton Jr., wondered if the contractor – who is being paid more than $3 million to build the road – had done any testing beforehand.

"No," said Owen. "The soil sampling and boring was our engineering responsibility."

John Crawford asked why we couldn’t use some of the dirt piled up by Dominick’s – or rubble left from the runways. Not suitable, said Owen. Dominick’s dirt is topsoil, and those rubble piles are actually coming from Willow Road construction and don’t belong to the village.

Donna Pappo couldn’t understand why Owen didn’t just use the 10 percent contingency fund built into all construction contracts.

"I don’t have a comfort zone right now," said Owen. "They haven’t gotten far enough along to have the road installed to know that we can cover this. . . I can’t tell you today that we can stay within the original contract, so I am requesting an additional $260,000 specifically for this project."

In other words, Owen wanted the money now because he might need the contingency fund to cover future problems.

Village Manager Paul McCarthy then moved in to defend the project, noting, "We have not exceeded any [budget at The Glen] for any of the purposes that were approved. Given the scope and the size of this project, I think it’s highly likely you’re going to see a number of other cases like this. . . It’s just a function of complexity and also our inability to be perfectly clairvoyant."

Editor’s note: Village engineers appear to have overestimated the cost of every single project at The Glen, allowing staff to say there are no cost overruns, but there have been many unanticipated costs.

In August, for example, Owen asked for an extra $200,000 for Harza – our engineering consultant at The Glen. They got that money to control lake erosion, plan construction of berms on the median strips of Patriot Boulevard, elevate a section of Lehigh Road and do a traffic study for the Mixed Use Retail Center.

For the MURC – The Glen’s downtown -- Owen needed extra cash to hire Northern Realty to market the property, despite the fact that we had already paid millions to another consultant, Mesirow Stein, for marketing The Glen. Owen said Mesirow didn’t have the expertise for a mixed use retail center.

While no one is clairvoyant, a more experienced team of managers might do a better job of anticipating the costs of redevelopment. Neither McCarthy nor Owen has done this kind of thing before, so they rely on consultants, like Harza Engineering and Mesirow Stein, to get them through. These big Chicago companies have contracts with the village. If they overlook a routine matter like testing soil before we’re ready to build a road, shouldn’t there be consequences?

If you or I made a $260,000 mistake at our jobs, chances are we’d be toast, but a $260,000 goof at The Glen means little more than a light grilling before the Village Board. McCarthy and Owen keep their jobs. Harza and Stein keep their contracts.

Debate over whether and how to limit cutting of trees in Glenview brought residents out of the woods again. The greenest of citizens, Grant Ireland, argued for strict protections. "Even though we own the property, we own the house we live in, we’re really caretakers of the property. The property has been here millions of years, and God willing will be here for millions more."

On the flip side, resident Chris Nichols complained about the infringement on private property. "I want to thank the village board for protecting us from the armies of chainsaw-wielding tree killers. . .You’re apparently deciding that some of our trees we don’t own. When you’ve decided which ones I own and which ones I don’t, please let me know. I’m looking forward to you coming over and trimming the ones that I don’t own anymore."

Arborist Bruce Horigan appeared with a tree stump and aerial photos showing that Glenview has far more trees today than in years past. He contended there was no crisis warranting regulation and predicted residents would spend thousands of dollars to remove or replace a single tree if a staff proposal were implemented.

In the end, the trustees decided that certain "landmark trees" – slow growing species like Arborvitae, Hickory, Ironwood or Oak – should be protected if their trunks have grown to a diameter of 16 inches while other species should be included in the ordinance if they are 20 inches in diameter. Trees that grow easily, like Buckthorn, Russian Olive and Tree of Heaven would not be covered.

The village will continue to allow removal of sick or dangerous trees without penalty. Still to be decided – how much a family would have to pay to remove a healthy landmark tree, what size trees would have to be planted to replace one and how easy it will be for citizens to appeal.

Trustee Larry Carlson, who opposes any protection for trees, sounded a bit like George Washington when he announced that he "misspoke" at the last board meeting. "I said I never cut down a tree. I did. Three houses ago, I took a Willow out that was wrecking my sewer system. I took it out, and I planted two trees in its place, and nobody had to tell me to do that. I managed to do that all by myself. I love trees. They’re beautiful. They enhance my property value. They’re good to look at, and I think 99 and half percent of the people in Glenview probably feel the same exact way."

Editor’s note: It’s a serious mistake to govern on the assumption that everyone in a village thinks like you and your friends. Glenview is a diverse community, and some people don’t like trees all that much. Lake Forest has never quite recovered from its encounter with Mr. T who wiped out a small wood because he was allergic to trees, and many developers don’t think twice about cutting down trees that interfere with their plans and profits.

The final round of debate over restrictions on new homes pitted neighbor against neighbor, advocates of private property rights against those with community concerns. Neighbors of a large new house at 615 Chatham showed up to praise or damn the property. So did its owner, David Pasulka, who said it was neither fair nor constitutional for neighbors to have a say about what he builds. "The next thing we do is say we all drive Volvos on this block. We think you should have a Volvo as well."

Chris Nichols agreed, describing the idea of proportionality (limits based on the size of existing homes in the neighborhood) as "un-American and evil."

The Plan Commission and Zoning Board had crafted an ordinance to restrict the bulk and scale of new homes, and at least two developers told the board they could live with that proposal, but some members of Citizens’ Action for Proportionality or CAP thought the restrictions proposed by the Plan Commission and Zoning Board did not go far enough in preventing the construction of monster homes. They proposed a tougher ordinance that would produce homes 12-15 percent smaller, and Trustee John Crawford was the first to support it provided the village allowed homeowners to appeal if they wanted to build bigger houses.

Larry Carlson said he liked some of the ideas CAP proposed but felt the Plan Commission/ZBA ordinance offered a more balanced solution. He expressed solidarity with free-wheeling private property owners but reminded them there are limits.

"Mr. Nichols has the right not to have someone buy the property next door and put in a hog farm, Carlson said. "That’s one of the things the village protects him against, and if you stood in some of the backyards of older homes on Dewes and Henley, and looked at the way those people are looking at walls and the way the light has been cut out of their back yards [by long, tall replacements to teardowns], it’s pretty hard not to realize that there is a significant problem."

John Patton, Jr. was also satisfied with the Plan Commission/ZBA proposal but wanted houses on at least half an acre, like those in his neighborhood, exempted from regulation since it would take an incredibly big house to jeopardize light and views on lots of that size.

Patton pointed out that over the years houses have gotten bigger, and he viewed that as a good thing. "We do need to improve the older stock homes," he argued, and restricting construction too much could "rob the schools, the parks and even the village of good tax money, because as you improve your home, you’re going to pay more taxes."

Rachel Cook was inclined to go with CAP’s numbers. She decried the trend toward bigger homes, noting that as small houses are replaced, middle class families find it increasingly difficult to buy in Glenview. "I don’t know that Glenview is a community where the starting price is half a million dollars. Is that what we want to be? It’s not what I want to be."

Finally, Kent Fuller expressed the heartache of small home owners who watch as their neighborhoods are transformed by teardown after teardown. "The impact on people is real when they’re living in a modest home on a street of modest homes that are beginning to be replaced by very large and luxurious homes. . .You go down some of these streets, and it’s almost as though somebody put a sign over the door saying `leper.’ It doesn’t say ‘leper,’ but it says, ‘Poor people are living here,’ by comparison, and for somebody who’s saved and worked hard to get into that small home and is raising their children in that home, that’s an impact on their life, folks. Let’s not pretend it isn’t. . .Somebody said it was `evil’ to deal with proportionality. No! Proportionality’s a real concern."

Even so, Fuller, the consummate team player, was not inclined to vote against a plan that took nine weeks of work by the Plan Commission and ZBA. Calling it "a good, balanced piece of work," he cast his vote in that direction creating a tie that was broken by President Nancy Firfer, who also favored the joint commission’s ordinance.

Fuller and Firfer agreed that the new law would have to be tracked closely and perhaps changed if it proves inadequate.  Under the ordinance, if your lot is 7,500 square feet you could build a home of 3,350 square feet, a 10,000 square foot lot could hold a 4,000 square foot home and a 15,000 square foot propert would permit construction of a 5,300 square foot home.  The ordinance also restricts roof and eave heights.

A developer called Active Living will not be allowed to make its case for a high-density project on the southwest corner of Willow and Waukegan – former home to the Missionary Sisters convent – until it makes changes to the proposal. President Firfer branded the project "much too much" for the location, and Trustee Larry Carlson said it would be "wasting the Plan Commission’s time."

Active Living had hoped to put 344 apartments and rowhouses at the 19-acre site, many of them in former convent buildings. Its contract to buy the property is contingent on re-zoning to allow high-density construction.

Editor’s note: Glenview Watch had initially agreed with Firfer’s first impression, but we wanted to hear more. Alas, the developer refused to provide us with details, suggesting that we wait for his presentation to the Plan Commission. We turned, instead, to a planning expert who thought the density of this project, called Northpointe, would be no problem. He argued that most of the small residential units planned would be occupied by seniors who don’t drive all that much and pay taxes while sending no children to our public schools. He thought the plan to preserve and renovate two older buildings was a novel notion in this age of teardowns.

We might still argue for less density but would have liked the Board of Trustees to hear details. Then again, it was 1 a.m. Let’s hope the matter appears earlier on the agenda if Active Living comes back.

Using a technique familiar to Glenview’s Trustees, School District 225's Board awarded a 7.6 percent raise to Superintendent David Hales in a private meeting around midnight. The Glenview Announcements reports that Hales will now earn $11,120 more annually with a salary and retirement payments totaling more than $157,000. Even so, board members say he’s paid less than many other superintendents on the North Shore.

One member of the board, Northbrook resident Jim Seymour, voted "no" on the grounds that such matters should be decided in public sessions at an hour when citizens are still awake.

FALL FUN – PUMPKIN PIE AND STINKY SNEAKERS

It’s surely one of the stranger competitions planned for Northern Illinois next weekend! The people who make Odor-Eaters insoles, sprays and powders are sponsoring a "Rotten Sneaker Contest" at Gurnee Mills. Kids between the ages of 5 and 15 are invited to bring their smelliest athletic shoes into the mall near J.C. Penny at 1:00 p.m. October 14. The child judged to have the smelliest pair wins $200, a collection of deodorizing products and a trip to the national Rotten Sneaker Contest in Montpelier, Vermont, this spring.

Closer to home, the pumpkin, gourd and mum sales continue at Wagner Farm, offering the public a rare chance to look around the property, and Carrot Top is holding its annual Haloween Festival with pumpkins, indian corn and gourds galore. The kids will find two "bouncers," a haunted walk, two characters in truly scary costumes and a colorful maze to crawl through. Adults can sample freshly pressed apple cider while browsing the collection of fall flowers and holiday decorations. Admission for kids is $1. Grown-ups are free. The event, now in its fifth year, was masterminded by the brothers Corrigan – Jim, Pat and Charlie – who manage the off-beat grocery and garden complex just north of Target on Old Willow Road.

"Are we the only community that ignores our senior citizens by not allowing them a reduction? Also is it possible that our rates are the highest around? Morton Grove, Skokie and other suburbs have special rates for seniors. I might add the importance of seniors using this facility for their long term health."

The Watch Replies: Actually, AW, there is a senior discount, although the Park District didn’t call it that. Planners thought most seniors would be available Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. when recreational facilities are hardly used. They offer a membership for that time frame at a reduced rate – $265.

The average rate for a regular resident member at 10 surrounding recreation centers, including Morton Grove, Skokie and Wilmette, is $375 per person -- just what Glenview is charging.  The average for seniors, however, is $189 -- lower than the $265 Park Center will charge for a limited membership here.

The reason, say Park District officials, is that taxes have not been raised to pay for the impressive facilities at Park Center, and they need the revenue to pay off the debt. Note that for all memberships, there’s a $25 discount for signing up by January 31.

Jimbo asks about Fourth of July fireworks:

"Is it true that the 4th of July fireworks are moving to The Glen? If so, I'm saddened. I have a party every year because the show is in my backyard. Was there ever a vote on this? Who makes these decisions?"

The Watch replies: The Park District will decide based on a recommendation from the Village Board, but not yet. Executive Director Tom Richardson says the grass at Gallery Park needs time to establish itself before 10,000 people descend. That means the fireworks in 2001 will be in their usual location.

You can bet there will be a public hearing before the Village Board votes on moving the party in 2002, but the odds are against you, Jimbo. Richardson points out that traffic and parking problems will be minimized by a move to The Glen, and Gallery Park was designed with a special area for shooting off fireworks safely.

"Glenview Watch correctly reported that Sierra Club has endorsed State Rep. Elizabeth Coulson for re_election, but incorrectly said that Coulson is the only Republican we are supporting in Illinois.

"In fact, over a third of our endorsed candidates for the Illinois General Assembly are Republicans. We think this is an excellent indicator of the bipartisan appeal of environmental issues, and of the growing concern among suburban voters over the loss of open space

and other impacts of poorly planned development.

"Coulson does indeed stand out. She is an articulate advocate for smart growth, natural areas protection, clean air and renewable energy, and protecting Lake Michigan and other Illinois waters from toxic pollution. However, we are pleased to report, an increasing number of Republicans in the Illinois Legislature are also worthy of conservationists' support."

In a note titled "Soy Sorry" KF responds to our story about a medical study conducted with seniors from Glenview:

"There is lots of conflicting evidence about ths uses of soy. My gynecologist is affiliated with Northwestern, and I consider her to be bright and knowledgeable about these things. She prescribed soy for me. I take it in the form of a pill called Soy Care. It has 25 mgs of soy isoflavones, and 300 mgs of calcium too! It has 're_regulated' me, and calms the PMS symptoms, too. My doctors said I could use this for a while, as a transition until I decide if I go the hormone route."

"Since the spring, our street, Covert Road west of Michael Manor, has been under construction: first, new sewer connections, then new curbs, and finally, a street repaving. When the construction company dug out the sewer lines, they left large holes in the parkway up and down Covert. All summer long we have had to view these depredations of our front lawns and now we

are into fall and soon into winter. Will the village ever get around to remembering that this area is also part of Glenview, that we too pay taxes to the village, and, last but not least, that we all have the same opportunity to vote on our officials’ continuation in their offices.

"I have seen the parkways in the new Glen development built, filled with dirt, sodded, and manicured not once, but twice in the last five months. As I write this letter, those parkways are being dug up, filled up again, and are in the process of being resodded, or replanted, for the third time!

"Meanwhile, the village tells the Covert Road residents that we must wait for the parkway holes to "settle" before the contractor can fill and resod them. Why don't they have to wait for five months at The Glen between excavations? It seems to me that the village can get the work done if it fits their agenda. Can we get on the village agenda before the snow flies?"

"These people who are supposed to represent the interests of Glenview do NOT! Most people I’ve spoken with are against all this development. Who is for the additional traffic that these stores will bring? Did Doron speak out for open space during the 1989 referendum? And how could his political pal, Jim Smirles, say that he would leave preservation of open space to the developers? That's like having the cat feed the mouse. How absurd!"

GPN writes about a formula (width-squared times three) that will apply to narrow lots in the new "bulk and scale" ordinance:

"When reading about the new math, I thought it was an Abbott and Costello routine. Some of the board members should have their grade school children explain the math.

"However, I am still confused. If there is a 50 ft. by 150 ft. lot, the maximum size house that could be built is 50 X 50 X 3 or 7,500 sq. ft. A 7,500 sq. ft. house on a 7,500 sq. ft. lot? Is this correct, or do I need a math lesson? This would be much smaller than my quarter acre lot and I have a 2,800 sq. ft. house.

"I would appreciate a clarification."

The Watch replies: What you're calculating with the "width_squared times three" is the area to be used in figuring maximum building size. In other words, if your lot was 50 by 180 (very long and narrow), you would calculate your building size using 7,500 square feet as your base.

Applying the formula agreed on by the Plan Commission and Zoning Board, you could construct a 3,350 square foot home on that lot.

"For those voters who are anti the school referendum, I ask that they first spend a day visiting the schools and seeing how their tax dollars are spent and needed. They will notice children being instructed in hallways and staff rooms. Schools are very different from the way adults were taught 30 years ago. Before passing judgment, visit the schools!"

But John Ranz says his mind is already made up:

"In 1998, District 34 reported total capacity of 4,325 students. September 1999 enrollment was 3,729 students. We have paid for multiple additions to every school in the system over the last several years. I understand that education has a new style that requires a different usage of space. This is what these additions were built to accommodate.

"The board needs to have the guts to move boundaries to accommodate changing student enrollment and eliminate overcrowding at individual schools. If this was done, we would not need a new school, and therefore would not need to bust the tax cap to pay for staffing it. VOTE NO ."

A shepherd was herding his flocks in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand new Jeep Cherokee advanced out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in an Armani suit, Feragamo shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and an ESL tie leaned out of the window and asked our

shepherd: "If I can tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?

The shepherd looks at the yuppie, then at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers "sure!" The young man parks the car, whips out his IBM notebook, connects it to a cell_phone, surfs to a NASA page on the Internet where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system, scans the area, opens up a database and some 60 Excel spreadsheets with complex formulas.

Finally he prints out a 150 page report on his hi_tech miniaturized printer, turns around to the shepherd and says, "You have here exactly 1586 sheep!"

"This is correct. As agreed, you can take one of the sheep" says the shepherd. He watches the young man make a selection and bundle it in his Cherokee.

Then he says: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me my sheep back?"

"Okay, why not," answers the young man. "You are a consultant," says the shepherd.

"That's correct," says the young man. "How did you guess that?"

"Easy!" answers the shepherd. "You turn up here although nobody called you. You want to be paid for the answer to a question I already knew the solution to, and you don't know anything about my business because you took my dog."

Your Turn. What's on your mind? Send us an e-mail. We are Sandy Hausman and Dean Schott – GlenviewWatch@aol.com.

To read past isssues of Glenview Watch, Click Here