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Members of Glenview's library board reviewed preliminary financial plans for a new library that would be 100,000 square feet nearly twice the size of the current 53,000-square foot building in downtown Glenview.
Depending on the design and location, officials say the owner of a $300,000 home might be asked to pay between $56 and $78 a year more in taxes to build and operate the new library. The board hopes to put a referendum on the ballot next spring.
Yet to be determined: location. The board is reviewing questions for a survey, but a decision on whether to move to The Glen will not be based solely on public preferences. Costs to expand downtown could exceed costs to build at the former base. The library has issued a request for proposals from architects and will review plans from bidders next month.
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK
Like to know how village management proposes to spend your money next year? Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. That's when the trustees and staff will continue their conversation about next year's budget.
Should it be called "2001, A Debt Odyssey?" Will water rates be going up? Will the village offer financial incentives to businesses looking at the Mixed Use Retail Center or MURC at The Glen? The public is invited to show up and tune in as these and other controversies are discussed.
BOARD GIVES AT&T A VERBAL BEATING
Glenview trustees and residents took turns pounding AT&T, the company that supplies cable service to Glenview. A spokesman for the firm appeared before the board Tuesday to apologize for service outages, explaining that they were a necessary part of the upgrade that will bring 250 channels of cable, access to high-speed data service for computers and competition between local telephone companies by year's end.
To make amends for the outages, which in some cases lasted several days, AT&T said it would offer coupons good for three free pay-per-view movies or a month of free digital service. Trustee John Crawford was not impressed noting that subscribers who don't want either of those premium services get nothing.
He thought AT&T should issue credits for days without service, but the spokesman said it was technically impossible for the utility to know which homes were out and for how long. Village Manager Paul McCarthy then read from an ad placed by AT&T's predecessor, TCI: "All customers will be issued an automatic credit adjustment at the end of the project for service interruptions." In a subsequent ad for AT&T, the same copy appeared minus the promise of a credit adjustment.
AT&T said TCI had actually tried to guess how long the average homeowner was out and then awarded a credit based on that guess. The amount was about $3, and AT&T thought they should be more generous. The company added that customers who call to report outages do get a credit for the time they claim they were out.
One consumer said she had missed both the Olympics and the debates because of a cable outage. Another said she couldn't complain about outages yet since her brand new house at The Glen can't even get cable. "The Glen has been on the books to be developed for two years," she said. "I am shocked that the cable isn't already buried."
Board President Firfer wondered why some parts of Glenview are not seeing GVTV. They're subject, instead, to meetings of the Morton Grove Village Board. AT&T said it didn't get control of those properties until June, and the process of switching over is complex. The spokesman thought those areas might get Glenview service in 2001.
Firfer pressed. "Isn't there any way we can get it sooner? We've been asking for this for years."
"I know how important it is to you," said the AT&T lady. "I'll do the best that I can."
Blaming deregulation for the lack of action, Manager McCarthy railed in frustration with the Federal Communications Commission that regulates the cable industry. "They strip away the authority of local governments who have to deal with the problem in the real world emasculate them and say, We'll let competition handle it.' The problem is, there IS no competition. We have the worst of both worlds. We have defacto monopolies and zippo legal authority to get their attention."
If you have complaints about your cable service, call Julie Soto at 724-1700, extension 265.
LAST DITCH EFFORT FAILS TO STOP BULK AND SCALE ORDINANCE
Members of Citizens' Action for Proportionality tried again to persuade the board that stronger regulation was needed to prevent replacement homes from overpowering neighborhoods of modest houses. They had spent the week lobbying various trustees and a half dozen members testified against a Plan Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals ordinance that they felt did not go far enough.
Trustee Donna Pappo proposed a similar ordinance, changing formulas to produce somewhat smaller homes. On a 5,000-square-foot lot, for example, she suggested limiting builders to 2,250 square feet. On 10,000 square feet, the house could be 3,550 square feet. People who wanted to build bigger could appeal to the village for an exemption.
Trustee Rachel Cook was open to that idea and John Crawford wanted to take things a step further by capping maximum building size based on zoning pegging new construction to the scale of the neighborhood, but Trustee Larry Carlson called Pappo's proposal "more intrusive government."
"As much as I'm against government intrusion," Pappo replied, "we have an obligation to the people whose lives would be changed forever by a brick wall where they used to be able to look out at trees. I don't think that's right either."
Developer Gary Rizzo predicted that Pappo's plan would hurt property values by making homes less attractive to buyers who want to build large additions or tear them down and build new. "This takes five months of work [by the Plan Commission and Zoning Board], tears it up and throws it away. . .My plea is that we honor the Plan Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals' work that was done. . .[Pappo's plan] will make the free fall in the stock market look like a bull market, because Glenview property values will go down the sewer," he said.
Like a dog with a bone, Zoning Board Chief Ty Laurie kept stepping up to the microphone to defend his team's ordinance. Even his political allies were annoyed by Laurie's repeated demand that the board reject any other ideas. "Chairman Laurie, if you could give us your expertise without the editorials, that would be best," said Fuller. "Chairman Laurie, please!" said Firfer.
Laurie shot back: "I represent the Plan Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals, and I'm telling you that there are 11 people behind me, and there's a bunch of people at home watching this tonight that are very upset by the fact that we're micro-managing this process, that we've taken five months to do it, and you're taking [a whole different approach]."
"We're trying to explore a variety of approaches so give us a little space here," said Fuller.
DETECTIVE CARLSON'S ON THE CASE
As the debate wound toward a conclusion, Carlson told how he had made up his mind. "I decided to go out and do a little detective work. . . I got out my measuring tape and went out to see what the real world effect of something like this was," he explained. After measuring his own house and yard and finding that they fit nicely into the ordinance proposed by the Plan Commission and Zoning Board, he gave it his vote.
Editor's note: We are once again astonished by Carlson's narrow approach to government. He lives in LaFontaine a relatively new neighborhood in northwest Glenview. It bears little resemblance to the older neighborhoods that have been targeted by builders intent on profit. Does Carlson really think that by measuring his property he has accurately assessed the "real world effects" of a complex regulatory plan?
PROLOGUE
In the end, only Pappo, Crawford and Cook voted for stricter controls, and with four votes needed for an ordinance, the motion failed. The board then agreed to go with the PC/ZBA's ordinance. Pappo went along, saying that she was not fully satisfied with the proposal but some regulation was better than nothing.
Tim Doron, Ty Laurie, Jim Patterson, Mary Novotny and many other friends to Nancy Firfer spent months working on this proposal. The president herself voted for it, but in the end she gave it a surprisingly pessimistic send-off, predicting that "this will be back here in a year."
Editor's note: During the debate, village attorney Jeff Randall left his seat on the dais several times to have whispered conversations with Laurie and Planning Department Chief Mary Bak.
We find the attorney's conduct disturbing. If important legal matters were being discussed relative to the debate, shouldn't the other trustees and the public have been privy to Randall's opinions?
RESIDENTS PISSED OFF AND ON BY TEARDOWN BUILDERS
During the bulk and scale debate, Henley Street resident Mark Vogel described the "pain of going through construction." After eight teardowns in the immediate vicinity of his house, Vogel said, "I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to put up with the mud, the debris, the wreckage, the heavy equipment and the blockage of the streets."
Those abuses aside, he added, "On two occasions, workmen with these construction crews urinated in the street. . .This is an example of the kind of disrespect by these crews, and if you're going to police them then do it with some teeth. For that kind of conduct, they ought to be suspended."
President Firfer quickly put a stop to that line of discussion. "We'll get back to that," she said.
TEARDOWN KING HAS DAY IN COURT
Bernie Schmidt, a developer known for knocking down small homes in Glenview so he can erect bigger ones, appeared in court Friday to face charges stemming from his failure to protect a tree.
Neighbors of his construction site on Lenox Lane found land had been dug out around the tree and the roots cut in an apparent attempt to kill the tree and evade Glenview's moratorium. Schmidt was fined $1,200 and made to pay $7,800 into an escrow account. If the tree dies, that money will be used to buy replacement trees.
VILLAGE BUYS NEW EASTSIDE FIRE STATION SITE
Glenview has found a site for its new fire station across the street from Wagner Farm. Purchase price for the one-acre lot on the southeast corner of Lake and Wagner is $640,000. The village had talked about putting the station on Wagner Farm but abandoned that idea when it provoked a public outcry. Trustee John Crawford, who helped to select the site, said an electronic system would be installed giving emergency vehicles the ability to trip a traffic light on Lake in an emergency.
The lot is bounded on one side by the forest preserve, and Crawford said fire trucks and ambulances would come in on that side, minimizing noise problems for neighbors.
Norma Morrison, a founder of Citizens Organized for Wagner (COW's), thanked the board for choosing a site other than the farm and on behalf of its black and white residents said, "moo."
Morrison also began research on an old house at the site. It was the original Wagner family homestead and could be moved to the farm itself for preservation and restoration.
Editor's note: Glenview's new historic preservation committee should probably be involved in this matter, but Village Board President Firfer has yet to appoint a chairman for that group which has taken no action since its members were chosen several months ago.
PARK DISTRICT WANTS PUBLIC INPUT ON WAGNER & SKATE PARK
Got an idea for Wagner Farm? A committee formed to help decide its future will be listening to the public at 7 p.m. this Wednesday at District 34's headquarters, 1401 Greenwood Road. COWS has mailed nearly 1,000 postcards reminding residents of the meeting.
Also from the Park District comes a call for volunteers to help sell pumpkins and gourds at the farm. If you're available, talk with Bob Quill at 657-3222.
And finally, skateboard fans are invited to attend a public meeting next Thursday (10/26) at 7 p.m. in the Rugen Center. Officials are planning a skate park and they need the advice of adolescent experts. To get it, they've been leafleting kids at the gazebo in Jackman Park, a frequent hang-out for skaters, and at eateries popular with teens.
One Glenview boy, known as "Rocky," has been advising the Park District for years on this subject, but with the passage of time, he's lost interest in skating. "Guess what he's doing now," said one commissioner. "He's in a rock band. I saw him on the GBS cable."
"Oh," said another. "It's been so long that I thought you were going to tell me Rocky's in law school."
"Or Rocky's an attorney," said a third, "representing kids injured on skateboards."
NICOR SAYS "NO" TO SOUTH GLENVIEW
Citizens hoping to keep nine acres of open space near the corner of Golf and Shermer will have to come up with the cash before a private buyer is found by the current owner, NICOR.
In a letter to the Glenview Prairie Preservation Project, the gas company's real estate manager says he has no interest in donating the property to Glenview or its park district:
"The Glenview parcel is a significant asset to our company, and we are obligated to our ratepayers and stockholders to receive its proper value. NICOR Gas has been supportive of the communities we serve, but this type of in-kind giving is outside our contribution guidelines."
A survey of more than 250 households around the NICOR property showed the vast majority (200) wanted a park, athletic fields or some other form of open space at the site. Eighty-six percent of those surveyed thought Glenview needed more open space, and 71 percent said they were willing to pay for it. Twenty-four percent said they'd spend a hundred dollars a year to keep the land open. Thirty percent offered $50 a year and 33 percent would give $50 a year to prevent development of the property.
The land is zoned for industrial use, making it a potential bargain, but the park district is already paying for its new recreation center, soccer fields and Wagner Farm.
FORE!
Glenview golfers can expect higher prices come spring. The Park District Board voted unanimously to increase rates at the Glenview Park Golf Club by eight percent. The cost of a member card for residents will also rise from $45 to $50, but seniors can now get a card for $43 and full-time students will be charged only $25. The card entitles golfers to substantial discounts on green fees. Rates for the new nine-hole course, expected to open in August, have not yet been announced.
DOMINICK'S SETS GRAND OPENING AND RE-OPENING DATES
The new Dominick's on Lake at The Glen is set to open on November 9. And the company will host a grand re-opening for its remodeled store on Waukegan Road just north of Glenview. The firm says the shopping center around its Glen store is also on schedule with 70 percent of the retail space leased. Among the shops: Hallmark cards, Prudential Real Estate, a beauty salon, florist and a dry cleaner.
LOCAL ARTIST IS NEW YORK BOUND INSPIRED BY GLENVIEW'S PLAN COMMISSION AND VILLAGE BOARD
It's a dream come true for 40-year-old Claudia Bianchi. She's been painting since the age of 10, her work is on display at Glenview's Studio 34, and a New York gallery wants to sign her.
Bianchi, who paints in her small south Glenview home, has been stymied in efforts to build a second-story addition. She and husband Craig pleaded with the Plan Commission and Village Board, but were delayed by the infamous teardown moratorium that set strict limits on residential construction.
"I'm really influenced by life, and I deal with my problems through painting," said Bianchi. "I was out of space in my little studio, so I came up with this idea of painting on a series of small canvases, then putting them together into larger works."
Inspiration was followed by opportunity when Claudia's 7-year-old son, Colin, told his art teacher about his talented mother. Janet Conlin is part owner of Studio 34, and she invited Claudia to exhibit there.
"He's responsible for getting me this show," says Bianchi. "If Colin hadn't bragged about me, this never would have happened. He's my little agent."
Buoyed by her local success, Claudia decided to "come out of the closet as an artist. I finally felt I had something good enough for New York. I went out there and did some cold calling, just going up and down the streets, leaving pictures of my work, and within two weeks I heard from this gallery in Soho. They're not only giving me an exhibit, but they want to represent me for a whole year!"
Bianchi's work will be shown in New York this spring. You can see her paintings at Studio 34 (in the Olympia Shopping Center opposite Glenview's public library). The show runs through November 3. Gallery hours: Monday - Thursday noon-6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
After sitting through most of a contentious six-hour meeting of the Glenview Village Board, a local developer told the trustees, "I was sorry I was going to miss the presidential debate tonight, but I was certainly entertained here!"
READER'S WRITE:
Rick Nasello urges fellow letter writers to identify themselves:
"I think the people who have their opinions printed in the Glenview Watch should not be afraid to let the Watch use their names. I think it will give more credibility to the Glenview Watch and show that we, as citizens of Glenview, care about everything that goes on in our community and that we support the Glenview Watch. So lets show some intestinal fortitude and let the Watch use your name."
PM wants details to help him decide about District 34's referenda:
"According to John Ranz's recent explanation in the Glenview Watch, there is ample capacity in the District 34 schools for the projected growth over the next five years (capacity for about 600 more students as of late 1999). Yesterday I received campaign material which recommends a new school at an estimated cost of approximately $25 million, not including staffing, contingencies and operational costs.
"Nowhere in the literature, nor in any other publication we receive, can I find detailed information about how each school is affected by in-coming students and by the projected growth at The Glen. There is no explanation of how redistribution of students might solve the problem. I had visited the District 34 website and had not found the information that I was seeking. The projected growth to approximately 4,400 students by 2005 is shown, but nowhere is there information about true capacity.
"Am I expected to seek this information by visiting the schools or going to the school board or the district offices in order to decide whether to increase my taxes? Can the proponents of increased school spending, in these days of school failures, continue to blow smoke without substantive information to support their proposals?
"I don't suggest it is the responsibility of the Glenview Watch to monitor the schools, the administration and the teachers' union, but it would be helpful if you could direct those of us who are interested in being informed to good sources of information. It is certainly a lot easier to vote "No" on a District 34 proposal, which any reasonable person must believe will cost us at least twice the forecast over the next 10 years, than to spend forty or more hours trying to find the truth."
The Watch replies: Position papers from both sides and a video are available at Glenview's public library. Check with the reference desk, and if you don't find what you want, call District
34 or any member of its board to ask your questions.
GI sets the record straight about sidewalks to Winkelman:
"In this week's Watch, the article on sidewalks quotes District 31 officials who argued that kids could not walk safely to Winkelman or Field schools (on the east side of Landwehr where a sidewalk has already been built) unless a sidewalk was built along the west side.'
"I live in Indian Ridge, and my son goes to Winkelman. I don't think there is a sidewalk on the east side that connects to the school (I believe the one that is there stops a few blocks north of the school). Are there plans to put one in?
"Also, I notice there is no continuous sidewalk on Willow from Landwehr to Pfingsten. Part of that stretch may actually go through Northbrook (even on the south side of Willow), so I would imagine a sidewalk project would entail an agreement with Northbrook.'"
The Watch replies: There is a sidewalk most of the way from Willow to Winkelman on the east side of Landwehr with a short lapse around the Apache Day Camp. As for Willow Road, you're right. Cooperation would be needed to get a continuous sidewalk built from Landwehr to Waukegan. With all of the new construction in that area, we think it's time to make sidewalks on Willow a priority when trustees from the two communities meet next month.
And Amy Brossard wants a sidewalk connection too:
"Good point about the lack of sidewalks on Lake, Willow and many other Glenview streets. Whom do we petition to improve the pedestrian/bicycle access around town? I remember hearing that each of our main thoroughfares is the jurisdiction of a different government body and that we have no say in the matter. Will the Glen's developers provide for sidewalk/path access from each part of Glenview to the Glen? What are the plans? Do we have a village sidewalk/path commission?"
The Watch replies: There is, alas, no sidewalk commission, but you can take your case to the developer of The Glen the Village Board and to the Comprehensive Plan Commission. Both bodies are charged with community planning and should make a commitment to connect all parts of Glenview to its new defacto heart. You can drop each of the trustees a note at Village Hall, 1225 Waukegan Road, and watch for opportunities to testify before the Comprehensive Plan Commission.
It's true that the state owns Waukegan, Golf, Shermer and Willow and the county oversees Lake, but the village still controls residential streets and could devise a safe system of bike paths along existing sidewalks and through parks. From Nancy Firfer's home on Lizette, for example, one could bike on walks along Pfingsten, Maple Leaf and Mary Kay to Jennings Park. At that point, village construction is needed to take cyclists safely over or under the railroad tracks to The Glen.
John Ranz cheers Deano Vass for his observations that special programs are accommodated in school buildings that don't have enough room for the mainstream curriculum, and that redistricting could solve current crowding problems:
"Thank you, Deano Vass. Finally somebody besides CARE and a few others has begun to see the light. The issue is mismanagement of our resources, not more space and more programs."
Maybe it was a coincidence, but one week after we printed Stu Hamilton's streetside complaint, village crews showed-up to finish their work:
"Thanks to the village for getting our street's parkways completed, and special thanks to the Glenview Watch for prompting the village to get the work done. Suddenly, after no activity in several months, the village's contractor showed up and got the parkway holes filled, topsoil spread, and sod put down. Looks great. I wonder if the election had anything to do with it."
FL's been thinking about all those commissioners serving in expired terms:
"If the terms of Doron and hordes of others expired years ago, could it not be said that the activities of these committees are null and void? Are we looking at a big legal mess here?"
The Watch replies: You pose an interesting question, FL, but local ordinance allows folks to serve, even if their terms have expired, until their successors are appointed by the President of the Village Board and approved by the trustees.
MLH agrees The trustees need a raise:
"I'm so glad you added the information about trustees' compensation. Kudos to them for working so hard and getting so little! I agree that the amount should be raised: can we take it from The Glen since that appears to take up the majority of the Board's time? Just kidding."
The Watch replies: Not so fast, M. We think you're onto something. Since The Glen is a development being run independent of other village business, you might be right in suggesting that some compensation come from that enterprise. After all, we're paying an army of consultants and counting on a long-term financial gain. Why shouldn't the board of directors be compensated too?
JDE mis-read our story on Loyola's plan for playing fields at the Lutter Landfill:
"Do I sense objection to Loyola's proposal from the "objective" reporters of Glenview Watch? What better use for a former dump site than a nonprofit organization (probably supported by people like the Wirtzes) to develop the site. It would provide taxpayers' children, who elect to go to a prep school, recreational and scholastic athletic programs at no expense to Glenview residents. I would think you, who object to District 34 proposals to benefit our children, would look with favor on someone else providing these facilities at no expense to local taxpayers.
The Watch replies:
We have no objection to Loyola's plans and are neutral on the District 34 referenda. Believe us, JDE. When we have a view on something, we'll let you know. Ballfields? Fine with us. Tax hikes? Let the voters decide.