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The
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The brochure for Sybaris describes the Milwaukee Avenue business as a "romantic paradise." Its owners say they're running a club that provides entertainment, but local officials say Sybaris is a hotel and should pay hotel taxes.
The village may take Sybaris to court, and the prosecution should be an easy one. In their own promotional material, Sybaris quotes John Gray, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus: "One of the simplest and most powerful ways to rekindle passion is to get out of the house on a romantic getaway. Spend the night at a hotel."
Proceeds from Sybaris could be substantial. Pay a $30 membership fee and get a four-hour afternoon getaway at the "Victorian Whirlpool Suite" for $79. The "Chalet Swimming Pool Suite" goes for $190. Overnight rates range from $115-$520. The facility boasts 38 cottages, and on a Wednesday afternoon, at least two dozen cars were in the parking lot.
"Sybaris is unlike an ordinary hotel," say founders Char and Ken Knudson in their brochure. Regardless, the village of Glenview looks forward to collecting the tax from this extraordinary resting spot.
IS HISTORICAL BUILDING MOO-VING TO THE FARM?
As citizens committees and Park District Commissioners debate what to do with Wagner Farm, a surprising proposal has gone public. For months now, movers and shakers in Glenview have known about the idea to move the old Wagner farmhouse to another part of the property, allowing a caretaker to live there, and importing another historic farmhouse to serve as the museum.
The house in question was built by one of Glenview's founding families the Hutchings around 1864. It sits on the east side of Waukegan Road, just south of Grove, and serves as headquarters for the Glenview Historical Society. That organization has had financial troubles, and some members might like to sell its valuable land on Waukegan while preserving the house at another location.
No word on who would pay for the relocation, but during a visit to Glenview last year, Illinois' Director of Agriculture was shown the house that might be placed at Wagner Farm if money were available to move it.
Historian and architect Walker Johnson recently studied the Wagner's house and found it a fascinating place, but some members of the park district board and committees planning the future of Wagner are not so impressed.
They think the Historical Society's house is a finer example of old Glenview architecture and would be pleased to see it at the farm. One interesting footnote: The charter for Glenview's Historical Society says that if the organization were to fold, its assets would go to the Glenview Park District. While we have no reason to think the Historical Society is moribund, the Park District would almost certainly be happy to inherit land that could be sold to improve its own bottom line.
Editor's note: Wagner Farm's Steering Committee held a public listening session last week, and a majority of the 60 people who came indicated the farm should be kept as it is: charming, simple and unadorned. They said "no" to a petting zoo, urged the park district to resist any commercialism and wanted the barn to keep its unpainted look.
WATER RATES GOING UP WHILE PROFITS LEAK AWAY
The proposed village budget for 2001 contains a substantial increase in village water rates 25 cents per thousand gallons or $25 per year for the average household. At the same time, the village concedes that 12 percent of the water we buy from Wilmette is lost in transmission through leaks in old pipes.
BUILDING BOOM A BUST FOR TAX COLLECTOR
Local officials have forecast big bucks from all of the development we've seen in Glenview lately, but the numbers are disappointing. Despite the presence of Target and Kohl's, a new Jewel at Heatherfield and a new Walgreen's on Greenwood, local sales tax in 2000 is expected to total $5.5 million, up less than $350,000 from last year's total $5,158,800.
Never mind. Village management says next year will be better, with sales tax revenue projected to rise to $6.3 million. That number presumably includes money from additional stores on Willow like Office Max, Michael's Crafts and Famous Footwear, the new Dominick's and other stores in its shopping center at The Glen and Abt.
Editor's note: The Watch wonders how many local businesses went under during the past year and how many will be driven out next year? Does this represent an increase, and if so what is Glenview doing to help existing businesses?
RETURN TO SENDER
Glenview's postmaster has changed his mind and will be staying here rather than taking the top job in Mount Prospect. Bob Slickenmeyer declined to provide details on the decision, saying only that it was personal.
FEW COMPANIES BID TO HELP GLENVIEW PLAN
The Comprehensive Plan Commission met in late August and vowed to finish its work in about 18 months, but the group has not convened again. It seems that after requesting bids from about 80 consultants, the village heard from only two prospective vendors. One offered to do the job for $85,000 while the other wanted $285,000.
Village staff is now contacting some of the companies that failed to bid to see why they weren't interested. Officials hope to have a contract with someone by early February.
SCHOOL MEETING TURNOUT: TWO PARENTS, LOTS OF QUESTIONS
While this year's school referenda have provoked hot debate in the community, it could be that most folks have made up their minds. An informational meeting at Springman Thursday drew just two parents. Several officials from District 34 and the PTA appeared with charts and graphs. They urged voters not to take revenge on the children for agreements made by the village deals that deprived the schools of impact fees from developers.
The parents asked if their children would be allowed to attend the new school? Will Springman have more than its share of low-income kids, students who need special help and youngsters who don't speak English? Officials could give no answers since new boundary lines have not yet been drawn.
The Glenview Announcements may have fed the anger of those who feel like second-class citizens looking in on The Glen. Reporter Lynne Stiefel wrote that the new school would be 19,000 square feet bigger than Springman and would have different architectural features: "The three-story building has been designed with elevators, an atrium, glass and sky lights, a field house and food court."
During the informational meeting, school officials assured the parents that both of Glenview's middle schools would be excellent, and that half of the new chairs and books ordered for middle school students would be going to Springman.
Editor's note: For those still looking for information on the referenda, we recommend a look at this week's comprehensive coverage by Lynne Stiefel in the Announcements. You can read her on line at www.pioneerlocal.com.
GLEN WATCHING
Public Works Director Bill Porter has done an interesting analysis of The Glen. Ten percent of Glenview's roads are there along with 13 percent of its sidewalks. All will require maintenance.
The Glen also has more street lights than the rest of the village combined 40 percent more to be exact. That means folks who live on dark streets in other parts of Glenview will be paying to change the light bulbs at The Glen.
THE SCORE ON LOYOLA SPORTS FIELDS
Loyola Academy outlined plans for 16 sports fields atop the Lutter Dump Tuesday a spokesman telling the Plan Commission, "We have phenomenal potential on this site to benefit Loyola, to benefit Glenview." The school pointed out that most of the site would remain green and be used intensively for less than half the year.
Traffic would come in via Chestnut and Johns Drive, creating the specter of traffic tie-ups as kids are picked up from after-school practice. Attorney Mike Downing said Loyola would add a right turn lane so cars would not back up on Johns Drive waiting to turn onto Chestnut. He also said the school would contribute something toward a traffic light at the intersection if it becomes necessary. Downing stressed, however, that most of the increased traffic on Chestnut would be caused by development at The Glen.
Loyola said it would keep most of its varsity games in its home stadium in Wilmette, reserving the Glenview fields for practice, freshman and sophomore games that would, presumably, draw fewer people. Portable stands will be erected along with lights and a sound system, but Downing said special shielded lights would be used to minimize the impact on neighboring Valley Lo. Ditto for the speakers. They won't be as powerful as the ones used at Glenbrook South.
Finally, promoters say Glenview's Park District and other groups might be able to use the fields when Loyola doesn't need them.
The fields would pay no tax to the village, its park district, library or schools creating a net loss of $23,720, and its unclear what this development will cost the village in services. Loyola claimed it makes just three or four calls a year for emergency medical services to injured athletes.
The wild card has yet to be played. Loyola is talking about building an indoor ice rink. Plan Commissioner Joseph DiMattina's son played hockey for four years, and he estimates the crowd for some games at 2,000.
Editor's note: Loyola pledged to pay for their share of costs for a traffic light at Johns and Chestnut if one is needed, and the Plan Commission happily accepted the offer. No one bothered to ask how Loyola's share would be calculated. Will it be based on the percentage of cars the sports complex puts onto Chestnut, which will be relatively few or on the percentage using Johns, which could be a much larger number.
TRUCKERS TRAPPED IN GLENVIEW
A joint effort by state police, officers from Glenview and Northbrook forced more than a hundred truckers to roll their rigs over portable scales on Old Willow Road Monday. Some vehicles were taking that route anyway. Others were forced to divert from Willow or The Glen. The end result: one driver who was improperly licensed was banned from getting back behind the wheel, four trucks were taken out of service because of mechanical violations, and companies paid more than $5,500 in fines for vehicles that were well over state weight limits. "That's why your roads are in such bad shape," said the chief state inspector.
GOING TO THE DOGS
A reader recently bent our ear about her neighbors who have a veritable pack of dogs in their home five pooches to be exact. The barking drives her nuts and makes her kids nervous about playing in their own yard, yet the village says it can do nothing.
We checked on the claim and found that, in fact, local ordinance allows up to ten pets per household with no more than five dogs, cats or a combination. We asked Assistant Village Manager Joe Wade what help was available to this reader, and he suggested a call to Glenview's little known Dispute Mediation program.
Administered by Director of Building and Zoning Phil Knudsen, the program invites neighbors to sit down with a mediator to work out excessive noise complaints, lifestyle conflicts, property access or damage complaints, disputes linked to race or ethnicity, landlord/tenant problems and issues of housing discrimination. The service is free. For more information, call Knudsen at 724-1700, extension 216 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. He'll contact the other party for you and arrange a meeting with the mediator.
READERS WRITE:
Mrs. Larry Carlson takes us to task:
"I would advise your readers that my husband and I do not live in LaFontaine, and our home is about 40 years old. We do not live in a subdivision that is new like many others."
The Watch replies: The Carlson's subdivision, Woodland Grove, is right next to LaFontaine, and the housing stock is very similar. Our point stands. Such subdivisions are not being targeted for teardowns.
Kathy Schulte proposes an architectural tour of dry cleaners in downtown Glenview:
"Keeping the library at or near its present location would go a long way toward helping the village justify the significant expense involved with upgrading the downtown area and expanding the number of residential units. If the library moves to The Glen, there will be one less place for people to walk to in their fabulous Walk To Everything' location. Of course, the village could start an architectural Tour of Cleaners' to get the walking started.
"I have noticed a good deal of empty retail space downtown recently. How about a temporary teen center? It might actually make money if there were games available and could easily be vacated or moved if a viable tenant is found. There is nowhere for teens to go, public or private, and contrary to popular belief, most of them are very nice kids.
"I am thrilled to see that extremely ugly Kraft building being torn down. I always wondered how they were able to build so close to the street. Heavily landscaped parking will be welcome and improve the sight lines at that curve."
EC wonders why the folks in south Glenview don't just take up a collection:
"If the village won't buy the open space owned by Nicor, the neighbors could form a conservancy, or maybe set up a special service district. It sounds like there are enough people who favor preservation to fund a pretty big loan."
FW wonders if the law was broken by whispering officials at Village Hall:
"I am not a lawyer but I believe that when village attorney Jeff Randall met with both Zoning Board President Ty Laurie and Planning Director Mary Bak, they (Laurie and Bak) violated the open meetings act. They should have requested a short adjournment for any discussion or addressed the chair by reference."
The Watch replies: While state law requires public bodies to debate and vote publicly on most issues, it does not apply to conversations between individual officials and members of staff. We do, however, wonder about compliance with another provision of the Open Meetings Act.
By law, our village board is supposed to keep written minutes from all meetings including private ones which are permitted to discuss real estate, personnel or legal matters. Every six months, the trustees are supposed to review minutes from those executive sessions and decide whether they can be made public.
Because the trustees are developers of The Glen, they have held dozens of executive sessions over the last few years to talk about real estate. The board has publicly debated and completed most sales of that property, so you might think most of the minutes would be available for public inspection.
But when we sent a Freedom of Information Act request for minutes from the three most recent executive sessions for which they are available, here's what we got.
November 18, 1997: "The board discussed and made recommendations with regard to department head salaries for fiscal year 1998. There being no further business on the agenda, the executive session was adjourned at 9:50 pm."
January 6, 1998: "Attorney Randall advised that the Village could lease the right-of-way if Mrs. Ruchniewicz provided a $2 million policy which would not cover the village but would make sure she is covered for any problem on the ROW for which she or the village is sued. This would not run with the land, and it was the consensus to approve this.
"Dr. Yonan has requested closing earlier and staying until March. It was the sense of the Board not to approve this and that Dr. Yonan should vacate the property at closing and when the village has paid for the property.
"Attorney Randall distributed a memo on this matter and asked the Board's determination on it. There was consensus that to not have the coffee shop open at the depot is embarrassing, but that the lease with Mersdorf not be approved. There being no further business on the agenda, the executive session was adjourned at 9:20 p.m."
March 17, 1998: "There was discussion with regard to the possibility of adopting the 5+5 early retirement plan and IMRF military credit plan. It was the sense of the Board to not adopt the 5+5 plan but to approve the IMRF military credit plan. There being no further matters to be discussed the executive session was adjourned at 9:50 p.m."
Editor's note: The Watch isn't planning to call the cops, but it seems to us that state law has been broken. When was the last time the trustees reviewed the minutes and how can they justify keeping so much information secret even after deals at The Glen are done?
Ken Bertolucci weighs in on the subject of using one's name on comments sent
to the Watch:
"When you printed my comments about the lack of planning for downtown and
proliferation of dry cleaners, I asked you to print my full name. Since I made the comments, I stand behind them and felt it was my responsibility to make my identity known.
"Within a week, I received a newsletter called "Glenview Straight Talk." I assume it was sent to me due to my comments in the Watch. The Straight Talk spent the first paragraph defending their decision to be anonymous, due to "the criticism that has been received from those who disagree with Sandy Hausman."
"What a crock! In a democratic society, we all have the right to heard and make comments on our views and opinions. To hide behind the cloak of anonymity restricts open discussion, since you can't debate a ghost. I urge the authors of Straight Talk to get out of the closet and have open discussion on the issues. If reasonable people disagree, so be it. The strength of our community and our country depends on the ability to discuss, debate, and reach solutions that benefit the greater good."
The Watch replies: While we welcome folks putting their full name on letters to the editor, we don't feel it's essential. Some people are shy, and some people worry that their kids or their business might suffer because of their personal views. There's no real harm in anonymity, as long as others are free to respond, and we try not print anything anonymous or otherwise that we feel is in error.
Award winning middle school teacher Rob Blomquist thinks moving the Historical Society's house to Wagner Farm is a fine idea:
I think it would make field trips easier to plan and broader in scope. There would be more room for buses to park and drop school children off at Wagner, and I also think the Historical Society house would get more visitors. I think it would be a great addition to the Wagner site. Many historic Deerfield's historical village is on a school district property and has several buildings that were moved there.
Mickey Safstrom's waiting for the clean-up team:
"About a year ago a new sidewalk was poured between Belwood Lane and Westbrook School. This sidewalk is used by the neighborhood children to walk back and forth to school. This sidewalk runs between 3151 and 3203 addresses. It also connects with another new sidewalk which runs east to The Glen.
"In the course of installing the sidewalk the yard and grass surrounding it was torn up, rubble left on site, etc. An effort was made to re-grade and restore the yards but was only completed on the west wide of the walk at the end nearest to Westbrook School. The rest of the area has been left
in a disgraceful condition for nearly a year now.
"When will this mess be cleaned up and the rest of the sod installed? We realize that The Glen is getting priority, but there are still quite a few of us out here in west Glenview who would like our neighborhoods to look nice too."