On Wednesday, June 20, the Glen Redevelopment Commission holds what could be its last hearing on the mixed use retail center (MURC) at The Glen. Village President Larry Carlson and Trustee John Crawford have urged that advisory board to get on with it – apparently fearing that anchor tenant Von Maur will bolt if speedy approval is not given for the project. Chairman Howard Silver and several of the Glen Commissioners have raised doubts about the site plan. They don’t like some of the townhouses, are concerned about the safety of five-way intersections, want a larger village green and a different look for the back of the shopping center.

The Watch recently encountered Village Manager Paul McCarthy in conversation with Plan Commission Chair Howard Silver and asked them whether the trustees’ signed contract with MURC developer Oliver/McMillan actually allows any significant change to plans for the MURC. "Come into my office and fill out a Freedom of Information Act request," McCarthy replied, turning his back and continuing to talk with Silver.

We appeared that afternoon in the manager’s office to fill out the FOIA form. Several days later, we received a note indicating that, "The requested document is over 150 pages and there are approximately 25 colored maps and renderings. The estimated cost of reproduction of the entire document is $75.80."

We were allowed to visit the manager’s office, at no charge, and view the contract there. Here are some details of the deal that was signed before a single public hearing was held:

– The plan includes 162 town homes, a total some find excessive, but if village planners want to scale back, Glenview must pay the developer $133,500 per town home.

– Along with the $69,800,000 Glenview is contracted to pay toward construction of the MURC, permit fees for the project are being waived. No other Glen contracts for residential or office park projects have excluded them, and last year the village collected $2,617,000 in development fees, mostly from The Glen.

– The widely touted "art" screen at our new cinema need not be provided if it doesn’t prove profitable. The contract allows the developer to dump that concession to culture after the first year.

– If Glenview were to walk away from the deal now, we would owe Oliver/McMillan $5 million.

– If Oliver/McMillan were to walk away, they would owe Glenview $4 million.

Editor’s note: If the MURC is a viable proposition, why are the taxpayers putting up so much money and making so many concessions? How successful has Oliver/McMillan been in attracting tenants other than Von Maur? How committed is Von Maur – the anchor tenant for this project? These are questions that should be answered before our trustees take this community down a one-way road to the MURC.

THE HOWARD SILVER SHOW – BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHELL

Plan Commission Chairman Howard Silver seemed to be in his element Tuesday, scolding and preaching his way through a hearing for the new gas station and mini-mart Shell wants to build at the corner of Willow and Shermer roads. A crowd of about 40 neighbors applauded each verbal blow, and Shell played the villain to a tee, appearing to deceive the public at every turn.

First there was the matter of traffic impact. A consultant claimed the new station would generate about 10 cars more than the smaller station now at the site during a typical hour each morning or afternoon. On the other hand, Shell’s fiscal impact consultant claimed gasoline sales would nearly triple – bringing the village lots of new tax money.

Best supporting actor – Commissioner Joseph DiMattina -- questioned the consulting team. "If there’s not going to be any significant increase in cars, where would the additional gas be sold?"

The traffic and fiscal consultants were unable to explain the discrepancy, so Silver ordered them to exchange business cards, figure it out and come back.

DOING THE NUMBERS

Silver, a certified public accountant with expertise in real estate, also challenged the fiscal impact statement. Shell’s consultant claimed the new facility would pay District 30 $61,000 per year, District 225 $38,000, the Village of Glenview $13,500 and the Glenview Park District $12,000 – triple the amounts now being paid.

Silver asked if the consultant, who admitted using computer models to reach her conclusions, had included the internal fixtures and furnishings of the building in making her calculations. She replied that she had.

"Are you aware that Cook County real estate taxes are not imposed on personal property and trade fixtures?"

"Yes, I am," said the consultant.

"Then your tax revenues would be lower," said Silver.

"That’s true," said the consultant.

Later, Silver said the estimates were off by about half.

A LITTLE TOUCH OF LAS VEGAS

Statistics aside, neighbors and commissioners seemed most concerned with the appearance of the proposed station – a bright yellow, red, black and white aluminum-clad building with an enormous neon canopy.

"When I saw that canopy, my first reaction was, `Where on the Las Vegas strip does this belong?’" said Silver. "It sure doesn’t belong here."

The architect said he couldn’t deviate from the look of the canopy.

"Sure you can," said Silver.

"No," said the architect. "That is Shell’s worldwide image. . .The design is controlled by the parent company, Royal Dutch Shell, who is interested in having a global image where their facilities look as close to identical in the United States as they do anyplace else in the world."

Silver recalled design battles with other chains including Target. He described the store’s typical architecture as "cinder block with racing stripes. Have you seen our Target?" he asked the architect. "We spent four months with them – directing them on how we wanted Target to look."

He then told the tale of Jewel/Osco at Willow and Waukegan. "They came to us and showed us one of their prototypes and said, `If you don’t let us build this, we probably won’t build it here,’ and we said, ‘Okay, don’t.’ Y’know what? We got one with a clock tower and arches. That’s the way things go here. Just because this is prototype number two for Shell doesn’t mean it fits with the Village of Glenview. You better get a big eraser out!"

DiMattina said there was a more attractive Shell station in Hinsdale, built entirely of brick. The company’s architect said that station was in a historic section of Hinsdale, and by local ordinance, had to be built that way.

Silver mentioned a station he liked on Deerfield Road – a charming little place called Dad’s Gas. "I designed that," said the architect. "Well why don’t you make this one look like that?" said Silver.

"Different client," said the architect. "Shell’s policy is that if you have a written ordinance that’s universally and consistently enforced as to specific building materials, specific roof lines and things like that, they will be happy to comply with that."

Silver said Glenview does have policies, and "if Shell and the Village of Glenview want to have a contest to see who can do it higher on the wall, we’ll do it."

THE PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Seeming to have had enough of Silver’s rhetoric, Plan Commissioner Gary Wendt called on the chairman to let neighbors of the gas station speak.

Jerry Gerber, president of a homeowners’ association at the large pink development of town homes and condos called Princeton Club, said the group had already shared its concerns with Shell, but the company had not responded. Gerber expressed fears that perishable foods thrown away by the mini-mart would attract rodents, and noting that Mobil and Amoco stations grace the south and northeast corners of the intersection, he asked, "Why do we need three 24-hour stations?"

Sandy Silcroft, a member of his neighborhood’s board, objected to the size of the building, the amount of light and traffic it would generate. The area already contends with large numbers of UPS trucks leaving a facility near the northeast corner of Willow and Shermer.

Marshall Wolf called for a compromise with Shell, suggesting smaller lights, fewer operating hours and a brick wall to screen the neighbors. Sharon Weiss wrote a letter objecting to the larger building and taller canopy proposed, adding that the "carnival-like use" of colors, lights and signs made the proposal incompatible with the adjoining residential areas.

But it was Weiss’s husband, Mitch, who stopped the show with photographs of two gas stations Shell had built in Irvine, California. These small, attractively landscaped stucco buildings with unobtrusive signs blend well with their surroundings and beg the question: How did that community persuade a multi-national corporation to do the right thing?

The Watch talked with Jennifer Wynn at Irvine City Hall. She said there were no special standards for gas stations on the books, although the city does require that 15 per cent of any industrial site be landscaped. In Irvine – as in Glenview – Shell needed a "conditional use" – special permission to do business, and the city was able to negotiate more attractive architecture and screening for the site.

THE WAY THE WORLD SHOULD WORK

Shell agreed to come back before Glenview’s Plan Commission on July 24. Hoping the giant company would take Glenview’s wishes to heart, Commissioner DiMattina described a pattern of change that could benefit other communities. When the village forced Osco to build a more attractive building, he theorized that Walgreen’s was inspired to build nicer stores. "I envision the same type of thing happening here," he said. "We have the Mobil on the other side, and they will probably be upgrading facilities because of this, and what we do for one, we will do for others."

Commissioner Wendt called on the developer to consider using muted colors and limited lighting. He proposed reducing the number of pumping islands and adding landscaping. He also warned that 24-hour operation might not be possible. "We’re asking that you be creative and design a facility that works for everyone."

Chairman Silver quizzed the developer’s landscape architect and rejected the idea of planting trees that would mature in 15 years. "If I were a neighbor, I wouldn’t want to wait 15 years to not see that gas station," he said. Silver suggested that a new building be designed by Shell to blend with the architecture of Princeton Club or to mirror other parts of Glenview.

Editor’s note: Several members of the Plan Commission say the right things, giving residents hope that intelligence and a commitment to the needs of residents might influence local government. Sadly, they do not always prevail. The Target is no Taj Mahal, and Silver’s excellent critique of Abt’s financial impact statement made no difference in the long run. The store got generous tax breaks from the Village Board. At the start of Tuesday’s meeting, DiMattina spoke against a large teardown replacement home that will surely create additional flooding in Glen Oak Acres, but his words did not stop the panel from approving that project.

We hope the Plan Commission will push Shell for a building that satisfies the neighbors and the community at large, and we hope the Village Board will back them. Only through skillful negotiation can Glenview become a better place. Lest we forget, The Glen will stand as a long-term monument to the failure of elected officials to negotiate effectively. The crowding of giant homes on tiny lots, the impending arrival of many more town homes, apartments and a movie theater at the MURC and the growing traffic problems on Lake, Waukegan and Willow roads are the legacy of Village Hall managers and politicians unable or unwilling to insist on certain standards.

GLENVIEW’S DAY IN COURT

Friday was a busy day for the village and its contentious residents. A judge in the courthouse on Old Orchard Road ordered Grace Maduff to lower her fence in the 3800-block of Cindy Lane – a street not far from Flick Park. The 13-foot structure is painted two shades of green and white. The village has fined Maduff $8,500 over a one-year period for violating a local ordinance that limits fences to eight feet. Mrs. Maduff cited a need for protection, saying the neighbors have thrown trash in her yard, damaged her mailbox and broken her windows. She traces the alleged feud back to Poland where she was a city girl. Maduff says her neighbors lived in the Polish countryside.

Meanwhile, in another case, Michael Zwick will continue to put his trash in front of his neighbor’s house. He’s been cited repeatedly by the village for doing so, but Zwick contends the public parkways are for everyone, so he can put the trash where he pleases. His case was continued because his lawyer could not be in court, but the judge warned Zwick’s attorney had better show up next Friday or "face the possibility of joining the sheriff in the back."

Also continued -- a case against Saturn of Glenview, which continues to violate ordinances requiring property maintenance. Saturn owns a dilapidated house on Chestnut Street and has parked a large red truck in its yard.

And, finally, the court ordered The New Canaan Presbyterian Church to remove construction debris from its property on Greenwood Road.

GLEN CLEAN UP FINDS EVERYTHING – INCLUDING THE KITCHEN SINK

The village will pay another $600,000 to clean up Glen land where the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy plans to build. The problem – more garbage than expected. The village originally agreed to pay Stiles Environmental $1,068,000 for the job, but Stiles has had to remove additional water and soil and is encountering all kinds of debris, from an airplane wing to a kitchen sink. The Navy is expected to reimburse the Village $575,000, and officials hope an insurance policy for the project will cover the latest overrun.

BOARD PREVIEW

Money continues to pour into The Glen as Redevelopment Director Don Owen returns to ask for another $158,837 for Harza Engineering. This time the cash is needed for design work to prevent soil erosion, parking lot plans at Gallery Park, a new traffic signal, Lehigh Avenue improvements and lighting adjacent to the prairie.

Owen will also ask for $38,406 to design a building to protect the irrigation system and electrical fixtures for Lake Glenview.

The board is expected to pay bills submitted by Integrated Lakes Management – $1,623 for "goose control" and $950 for trash removal along the shoreline.

The trustees will also consider designating some new areas as "environmentally significant" – putting them under the regulatory eye of the Environmental Review Commission. The proposal includes a 10-acre lot along the Chicago River, the river itself and the Woodworth Prairie at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Greenwood. A firm called Conservation Design Forum – the company that has been working on the Air Station Prairie and Techny Basin – would get $12,500 to study the first two areas and $8,500 to study Woodworth.

Editor’s note: We’re astonished the village would pay anything to study Woodworth – a five-acre parcel owned and operated by the University of Illinois, surrounded by busy streets, strip malls and fast food restaurants. Surely the Ph.D. botanist who oversees that educational preserve can tell the village whatever it needs to know, and we question the wisdom of putting Woodworth under ERC supervision at all. Based on their past performance, some members of the Environmental Review Commission know little about prairie and others are not environmentally friendly.

As for the other two areas, we wonder if Friends of the Chicago River – a group which received a substantial donation from the village last year -- could do the study necessary at little or no cost to taxpayers.

We also question the payment of nearly a thousand dollars for shoreline clean up at The Glen. This summer, on two occasions, citizens willingly collected trash along the banks of the Chicago River at no charge. Surely volunteers could have been found to help with Lake Glenview’s litter problem. And while we’re on the subject, could Village Hall please install some trash cans around Lake Glenview and the Techny Basin to minimize the need for future clean ups?

BUILDING BOOM IN NORTHBROOK

While it can’t compare to the construction frenzy in Glenview, neighboring Northbrook has its own building boom. The village has moved Techny Road in anticipation of constructing a new thoroughfare connecting Willow and Waukegan. It will be called Founders Road and will be built if a nearby office park is developed along Waukegan Road.

Northbrook’s Village Board has okayed plans for a new grocery store at the site of the old Jewel on Cherry Street. Sunset Finer Foods plans to demolish the building and will break ground for a new one across from its existing store in July.

Crate and Barrel will also be building a super store this summer at Northbrook Court with 50,000 square feet of selling space for furniture and housewares.

Should you wish to reach any of these locations by bike, Northbrook hopes to make that easier. Our neighbor to the north is setting up a planning committee of village officials and citizens.

IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Bannockburn has imposed a three-month waiting period on anyone planning a teardown – this after the community nearly lost a home built by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Morton Grove has approved hikes in the prices of business licenses, liquor licenses and alarm fees while planning budget cuts for 2002. The community will lose about $3 million a year in sales tax when Abt moves to Glenview.

School District 219 is trying to figure out what it should do after learning that cost estimates for renovating Niles North and Niles West do not include classroom equipment. The system is already spending $102 million to accommodate growing enrollment, and officials estimate classroom furnishings could add $10 million to the bill.

Wilmette Police have charged a 16-year-old boy with arson after a fire destroyed part of the new addition to Highcrest Middle School. Damage was set at $75,000.

Village Planners in Northbrook say they like preliminary plans for a 16-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Lake-Cook and the Tollway. Developer Ed Schwartz wants to build a J. Alexander’s restaurant, an Extended Stay America hotel, and 118 condos.

Northbrook is debating a plan to lower its speed limit on local streets to 25 miles per hour. One Plan Commissioner said the change could bring more revenue from speeding tickets, make the community safer and make its residents happier, but another expressed doubts about whether a lower speed limit would actually cause people to drive more slowly.

PLANNING FOR GLENVIEW’S FUTURE

School District 34 has invited the public to come and talk about the future of our public schools at 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 18 at 1401 Greenwood Road.

The Comprehensive Plan Commission wants your views on the future of Glenview. Their hearing takes place Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at Village Hall. Come at 6 p.m. to study relevant maps and drawings, to fill out a survey and talk with village staff and consultants.

READERS WRITE:

PM is watching your tax dollars at work: "I will be interested in learning _ and I know you will tell me _ who foots the bill for a testimonial affair for former village trustees. If it's other than the taxpayers, I will buy both of you dinner at the Valley Lodge – but not more than $25. I'm retired and cheap.

"As for all the money being spent at the Glen (MURC and other things), why don’t the citizens of this fair community get exorcized enough to vote against this free spending? They certainly voted with their pocketbooks on the school financing issue. Why didn't they take the same philosophy to the polls when the trustees were running? I'm just venting. I know that's life. Bobby Byrd's again chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Larry Carlson's president of the village, and it's always someone else's money.

The Watch replies: We have asked the question but not yet gotten an answer. Will let you know when we find out who’s footing the bill for that Valley Lo party in honor of Nancy Firfer, John Patton Jr., Kent Fuller and Joyce Schmidt. We have no quarrel with a publicly-funded gesture of thanks to these long-time volunteers, but if it’s public, the public should be invited. Some governmental bodies, including the state of Illinois, prohibit the use of tax dollars for such private functions. Instead, friends and co-workers share the cost of the party.

RW writes to ask about local landscapers hooking up to village hydrants: "A reliable source tells me the shopping center on the northeast corner of Lake and Waukegan roads. is allowing a landscaping crew to fasten their hoses to the fire hydrants. Is this a breach of safety regulations?"

The Watch replies: This arrangement is actually allowed if private companies get a permit from the village. Water usage is then metered. Contractors pay a $35 permit fee, a $500 deposit, a dollar a day to rent the meter and $4.43 per thousand gallons. Glen Oak Plaza applied for a permit and received an okay on April 23.

T thinks more properties are going on the rental market in Glenview and wonders what can be done: "My family and I have been noticing that there are several houses for rent in Glenview, and more and more people are following suit. It seems that the houses are for sale for a little while, then the ‘For Sale’ signs are replaced with unsightly ‘For Rent’ signs. We live in a nice neighborhood and don't wish to see our lovely streets peppered with rental houses that won't be taken care of. What is going on?"

The Watch replies: No government agency tracks the rental market, so we can’t say if there’s actually more rental property out there, but we would urge you not to panic. Sellers who have bought a new house often rent the old one with an option to buy in order to assure income while their first place is on the market. That means your new neighbors may eventually be owners. What’s more, the rent for homes in Glenview isn’t cheap. Those who pay it will have every right to demand that the landlord keep their homes and yards looking nice, and the landlord – who may be hoping to sell -- will also have an incentive to maintain the property. Finally, village laws do require people to take care of their houses and yards. If you have a complaint, call Village Hall at 724-1700 and ask for the manager’s office.

Susan offers her thoughts on Chestnut Street: "Before nine million other people lose a tire or break a rim, would you please ask Metra to fix the Chestnut Street crossing. They certainly won't make us wait until The Glen is finished will they? Also, now that Chestnut goes through to the west across Lehigh and cars come east across Lehigh, the lights are going to have to be figured differently so people don’t get stuck on the tracks."

The Watch replies: Cook County will soon begin work on Lehigh, and this intersection is likely to get some attention, but we urge you to share your concerns with your County Commissioners – Gregg Goslin or Cal Sutker – just to be sure. Sutker can be reached at 312-603-6383, and Goslin is at 312-603-4932.

For those who dislike the architecture at The Glen, another reader writes to tell us about the latest in residential options. A Tennessee company called MaxPower Aerospace offers customized homes inside old 727 jets. "The aircraft is secured to a column and the column is secured to your lot or underwater on your submerged property. Water, sewer and electricity will be connected and both wings will have decks with handrails so you can sit outside above the trees (or sea) and enjoy the breeze. During high winds or hurricanes, your home will smoothly change direction, pointing into the wind. The main living area is 11 x 110 feet, and the asking price just $290,000."

The Watch replies: Cool – but will it fly with Glenview’s Zoning Board? For details, go to www.maxpoweraero.com/homes/pageone.htm

YOUR TURN: Share your views on local issues and news. E-mail to glenviewwatch@aol.com or snail mail to 3537 Maple Leaf Dr., Glenview, IL 60025. Your comments are an important part of the Watch, and we look forward to hearing from you. We are Sandy Hausman and Dean Schott, co-editors of Glenview Watch.

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