|
|
The
Glenview Watch October 28, 2001 |
|
Glenview Trustee Mike Guinane campaigned on a promise to fix his neighborhood's storm water problems and the decaying roads in Glen Oak Acres. He failed in an effort to get higher village subsidies for sewers but at the last board meeting won a promise that roads would be repaired.
Then Thursday night came a fax from Village Hall announcing selection of the first three roads to be fixed in Glen Oak Acres – streets surrounding Trustee Guinane's house. On Friday morning, Guinane called Village Manager Paul McCarthy and suggested that some other roads be chosen. He knew of many in worse shape, and he didn't want constituents to think he had used his influence to gain favor for those who live around him.
McCarthy said Linden, Maple from Sunset Ridge to Glen Oak Drive and North from its northern end to Ridgewood were chosen because they met four specific engineering standards. Besides, he said, they were short roads that the village could afford to fix.
At Saturday's hearing on the 2002 budget, Guinane tried again – pleading with his fellow trustees for a change. "When they decide to repave the roads, why pick the three streets closest to mine?" he asked. The other trustees were amused. "Don't be so thin skinned," said the veteran Trustee John Crawford. "[Former Village President] Tom Smith tried to get his street fixed for years, and by the time they repaved [former Village President] Jim Smirles' road, he had moved."
Guinane's own street is not on the list for public works since it is privately owned by the residents.
LAWYER BLASTS THE PUBLIC – PLAN COMMISSION BLASTS THE LAWYER
Mike Downing, the politically-connected lawyer who represents many developers in Glenview, had no patience for the Plan Commission or the public at a hearing held Tuesday, October 25. His clients – the owners of Moore Landscaping – hope to build multi-family housing on their property near the corner of Landwehr and Lake.
The Moores were sent packing after their first hearing in January – told by the neighbors and the commission that 74 homes was too much for their 10-acre site. The land is not yet incorporated, so the developers turned to Cook County for permission to build. There, too, they were asked to reduce the density.
The newest plan is for 66 units – 13 duplexes on the north side of the property and 14 rowhouses to the south. Downing said the Moores had held an open house one Saturday, inviting all the neighbors and Plan Commissioners to see how the property would be landscaped. "It's unfortunate that we only had [three] people visit us," he said. "That's really a shame when you're trying to work with the neighborhood, and you've gone to great personal expense to try and make that happen, and you offer this type of an opportunity, and it's ignored. It's a shame."
CHECK – CHECK MATE
Chairman Silver took the developer to task for shuttling from the village to the county. "There were times I felt we were being used," he said. Sometimes I'm sitting here thinking we've got a chess game going . . .If the county were to approve it, and the village were to not approve it, where's your water coming from?"
"We already have a contract from a local water provider," Downing replied. "We would dig a well."
"We would supposedly tap into an aquifer from Lake Superior – couldn't be better quality than Lake Michigan water," said another expert on the project. Several large developments including Mission Hills in Northbrook were developed with their own private water system in the beginning. They now have city water."
THE PUBLIC REPLIES
Gwen Shenk was the first neighbor to speak. "I call this blackmail," she said. "Glenview take us or we'll go to the county!" Responding to attorney Downing's complaint about poor party attendance she added, "The village of Glenview sent all of the neighbors a copy of the Moore Landscaping plan the day before your invitation, so we all did see the plan. Furthermore, you and your client really don't seem to care what the neighbors think. . .This is all about doing business and making money."
She noted that green space, which once appeared on plans to separate the new development from single-family homes to the north had been replaced by alleys. "Late at night when people are coming home to their duplex, they're driving into their alley, and their headlights are going to be going into many people's backyards, and you have garbage trucks coming through."
"It'll be interesting to try and sell the homes with well water," she added. "Some of my neighbors have well water, and they tell me that it's starting to smell and taste bad, and over the years they say well water becomes contaminated with bacteria."
Neighbor Cindy Sawausch worried about already serious flooding problems in her neighborhood and about the impact of kids from the new development on local schools."
Her husband, Daniel, a Chicago area developer, said he had built many town home projects. "I'm laughing about this," he told the commission. "I couldn't imagine going into a community with this kind of density. They would hang me!"
His own consultants had told other towns that there would be little impact on local schools, but "inevitably it proves otherwise," he confessed. "The impact on schools is a lot greater than any of my experts ever propose."
Sawausch pointed out that the neighbors had gathered 800 signatures in opposition to the proposed development. "You're really trying to cram a lot into a very narrow site. We're using a Chicago mentality," he said. "This is not advantageous for this community."
Mary Novotny, a member of Glenview's Zoning Board and a neighbor, charged the developers planned a dense project for financial reasons, but she said they created their own financial hardship, running up large bills from their lawyer, architect, engineer and traffic planner. "You go to the village, you go to the county. You go to the village, you go to the county. These experts – especially Mr. Downing – let's face it, they're expensive."
Novotny warned that some years ago the nearby Timber Trails subdivision was served by a well. Children began getting sick, and some were admitted to the hospital. Eventually, doctors identified well contamination as the source of the problem. "Thank goodness for Glenview water," she concluded.
COMMISSIONERS, DEVELOPER TO GO ANOTHER ROUND
While several commissioners praised the landscaping and architecture, they were not happy with the density. Joseph DiMattina demanded an explanation for the large number of units. One of the developers replied, "This is still a capitalist country, and there's still a right to a reasonable return on your investment." He argued that single-family homes would not work on this narrow site unless the lots were very small – "like lots at The Glen."
Commissioner Jack Bevington asked the developer to eliminate the row houses and build only duplexes. Commissioner Linda Witt also liked that idea, and Commissioner Peter Brinkerhoff said lower density topped his wish list. They agreed to invite the petitioner back for the next Plan Commission meeting on November 13.
TAKE FOUR, THEY'RE SMALL
While pressing for less density on Landwehr, the commission thumbed its nose at the Village Board by calling for greater density on Harlem Road. That's where local architect and developer James Metropolus had hoped to build four town homes. After lengthy discussions, the Plan Commission sent his plans to the Village Board with their blessing, but neighbors came to the board meeting to voice their fears of flooding and their sense that four units was too much for the site.
Metropolus was surprised when, despite Plan Commission approval, the Village Board sent him away. Now he was back with two new plans. One showed just three town homes. The other included four scaled-down versions of the units that had won Plan Commission approval. Both had sufficient setbacks – land between the property lines and the building – to meet village code.
"I'm not particularly crazy about the fact that you're back here," said Commissioner DiMattina. "The Village Board needs to get their act together as far as what they want."
He quizzed Metropolus about the new designs, learned that each of the four units would sell for around $400,000, while the three-unit town homes would go for $500,000 and came down on the side of affordable housing downtown. "I want that in the minutes," he said. "They should reflect that sometimes the board looks at the issue of density and not affordability for our citizens."
Commissioners Bevington and Brinkerhoff didn't think the Village Board would approve the four-unit plan, but they also preferred it. Chairman Silver thought the Plan Commission should go with its gut, regardless of what the trustees might decide. "There are seven of us that sit here as planners for the village to advise what we think is in the best interests [of the community]," he explained. Noting that two architects sit on the commission he argued, "If in our hearts . . . [we believe] that we should put the four there, maybe the thing to do is. . .send it to the board."
Silver apologized to Metropolus, saying he did not want to treat him like a ping pong ball by sending him back to the Village Board with a four-unit plan that might fail. Metropolus acknowledged the risk, said he too preferred the four and thought maybe he should hire attorney Downing to plead his case. "Then your town homes will be $600,000," Silver quipped.
Metropolus promised to come back with detailed drawings of the four-unit plan to be shown at the Commission's November 13 meeting.
WAUKEGAN WATCHING
Businesses and residents concerned about the future of Waukegan Road gave consultants an earful at last week's meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Commission. They complained about dangerous and frustrating conditions on a road that carries 27,000 cars a day – a road designed to handle only 24,000.
One resident described the difficulty of turning onto Waukegan, calling it "driving in a pinball machine," while another called it "kamikaze driving." Either way, the consultants admitted Waukegan is a troubled road. They noted that lights are timed to create gaps so drivers can access the state owned thoroughfare, but so many cars jump on from local businesses and subdivisions that the gaps quickly fill.
More complaints came from a neighborhood just west of Waukegan and north of Chestnut. Residents of Monroe, Jefferson, Melise and Rogers streets complained that traffic goes too quickly through their neighborhood and proposed a yield sign be replaced with a four-way stop at Monroe and Jefferson.
"I've lived in my little house for two years, and I've seen three accidents from my den window," said one resident. "The cars don't obey the yield sign, and nobody ever knows who should go first and who should go second. . .There are children around, and those cars are just zooming by there like it's a race track."
Others bemoaned badly neglected roads and abandoned homes, surrounded by chain link fence, that could someday be torn down and replaced by multi-family housing or McMansions.
"I live right next to a house that's deteriorating with a back door that bangs in the wind," said one resident. " Nobody seems to own it or the developer is out of town."
Another resident had asked Village Hall to tear down the abandoned buildings. He described them as eyesores and a danger to the neighborhood but said the village refused his request.
Resident Kenneth Kring voiced extreme frustration with local government, telling the Milwaukee-based planner, "I need to see someone standing where you are from the village that has answers and is accountable." The crowd applauded and Board President Larry Carlson reluctantly rose to speak.
"The problem is that the morons who won't stop for a yield sign aren't going to stop for a stop sign either," he said. "Part of that is the change in civility that has happened in our society." As for the ugly chain-link fence, Carlson added, "That is there to keep kids out. I don't know what else we can do. . .In regard to the streets, the problem is that the neighborhood is in transition. There's some construction going on, and while that construction is there, if we put new streets in, they're just going to get torn up again."
"If you wait until that fenced area finally starts construction," said Kring, "it may be a decade before we ever get a decent road."
The consultant said his company would offer some suggestions for the area in February, but a resident responded that would be too late. Glenview's Plan Commission will hear a request to rezone seven lots on Jefferson and Rogers for multi-family housing on November 13.
Editor's note: For the second time, a Comprehensive Plan Commission meeting has turned into a gripe session – a sign of deep public dissatisfaction with Village Hall. A strong leader with some vision for Glenview might take steps to improve communications and public service. We fear Larry Carlson is not that man. As he did at an earlier meeting for neighbors around Greenwood Avenue, he offered only excuses for inaction.
TENNIS CLUB CRIES FOUL AT VILLAGE HALL
Jan Dussias and her family have owned the North Shore Racquet Club on Old Willow Road since 1978, and before then they were members. North Shore claims to be the oldest indoor tennis club in the nation, founded in the early 60's, and despite stiff competition from the park district's tennis facility, the new Five Seasons in Northbrook and other private racquet clubs, North Shore is breaking even. Jan would like to expand -- to provide new recreational options for members, but she's got a problem.
To build on her land, she needs a sanitary sewer that would link up with the private sewer owned by her neighbor, a cement company called Prairie Materials. In 1995, as a condition for allowing some construction on its property, the village told Prairie it must extend its sewer to the northern property line making a hook-up with the club possible. That legal covenant gave the company six months to do so, and Jan was delighted.
Six years later, however, nothing has been done. Dussias says Prairie Materials has dragged its feet and put her off. Glenview's Development Director Mary Bak concedes the village could take Prairie to court, but she would rather Jan and her neighbor "work things out" on their own.
They need to agree, for example, on how to maintain the new sewer and who will pay for repairs. "I assume both parties are acting in good faith," said Bak, "and I'm hopeful that they will resolve their negotiations."
A lawyer for Prairie told the Watch he's been trying since December to "wrap this thing up," but he isn't sure when that might happen. "Whether or not we reach an agreement, it's strictly between us. If we don't, then that's the way it goes," he says.
He did not comment when we read from the agreement a Prairie executive signed in April 1995: "In order to gain approval for a permit to construct. . .the owner agrees to the following conditions. . .A sanitary sewer line from the end of the existing sanitary sewer to the north property line of the site will be constructed within six months of the date of the approval."
The agreement also specified that the owner "will deposit cash with the village in an amount of 110 percent of that sum reasonably estimated by the village's engineer to be required to pay for the installation" of the sewer.
Prairie's lawyer says they did give the village money. Development Director Bak says they did not. We phoned Glenview's lawyers – Jeff Randall and Steven Patt. Both men were out for the week. Meanwhile, Jan has reluctantly hired a lawyer of her own.
The club's co-owner figures it will cost $75,000 to build the sewer, plus $2,000 for a wetlands permit and mounting legal fees. She knows that her property value is probably rising given its proximity to The Glen, but that's small consolation. "If I wanted to sell the club, that would be great, but I want to stay and run the club," she says. "Unfortunately, I might have to sell."
Editor's note: Something smells here, and it isn't sewer gas. Citizens should not have to hire a lawyer and spend their own money to assure enforcement of an agreement with the village. North Shore Racquet has paid taxes to Glenview for more than 20 years, but like other small businesses in town, its owners are learning that they don't get much for their money.
SCHOOLS REPORT EVEN ENROLLMENT
Despite earlier predictions for an increase in District 34 enrollment, Glenview's largest primary school district says there are 3,833 children in its classrooms, down by three from last year. A consultant hired by the district facilities committee had predicted 3,900 kids would enroll, and administrators thought they might have 4,078 this year.
The district's director of human resources said some families might have been worried by talk of crowding and enrolled their children at private schools like Our Lady of Perpetual Help which this year added a new kindergarten class.
So far The Glen has generated 160 school-aged kids – far lower than village projections of 300 youngsters, but families in the new neighborhood have 215 pre-school children, suggesting an increase in enrollment lies ahead.
Superintendent Dot Weber says four of seven schools are already overcrowded. Meanwhile, construction continues on the new middle school, and Weber hopes to hire a principal by July. The district has yet to identify a source of money to staff the school but will get a report from the Citizens' Finance Review Task Force – a group of 12 corporate experts who volunteered to look for ways to better fund Glenview schools. That report goes to the District 34 School Board on October 29 and will be discussed at its December 4 meeting.
Editor's note: While paid consultants and a village survey failed to accurately predict new enrollment, two families participating in a school contest came within one child of correctly guessing the number of children in District 34 this fall. They will receive a free lunch at the school cafeteria of their choice.
ECONOMIC SLIDE
After promising to be brief, Village Manager McCarthy spent about 10 minutes telling the trustees that his staff had revised the 2002 budget in anticipation of lower revenues. Glenview is heavily dependent on sales taxes, and after September 11, no one can say when the economy might rebound.
The village will spend no more money this year than last, and McCarthy pledges no increase in property taxes. While no cuts are planned, ten new positions will not be filled.
Next year's budget includes $2 million for maintenance at The Glen with $343,000 for Gallery Park, $142,000 for Lake Glenview and $57,000 for the prairie. Clearing snow from Glen roadways will cost $443,000. We'll spend $423,000 on utility overhead and $100,500 for water and sewer system maintenance.
The trustees will review Glenview's financial situation after the first three months of 2002 to see how revenues are holding up against anticipated expenses.
IT'S BAD ALL OVER
State Representatives Beth Coulson and Jeff Schoenberg told the League of Women Voters at its public meeting that Illinois must cut its budget by 2 percent in anticipation of lower tax revenues. Now that a new airport at Peotone is a "non-issue," Coulson proposed that the state use $75 million budgeted for land there to fund public services and education. She noted that Glenview "has some of the largest classes of any community in the state," with 22-25 kids per classroom.
Schoenberg took the opportunity to announce he will not run for re-election to the Illinois House but will seek another public office. A new political map put him in the same House District as Coulson, a popular moderate Republican, so Schoenberg will run for State Senate in the 9th District – an area encompassing all of Glenview, Golf, Evanston, Northfield, Wilmette, Winnetka, Kenilworth, parts of Glencoe and Northbrook.
SAVE THE DATES
The Glenview Values Project presents a town meeting called "Terrorism in America: Local Responses to the Challenges" from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.Wednesday, November 7 at the Glenbrook South High School auditorium. Congressman Mark Kirk, Fire Chief Joe Robberson and two officials from Evanston Northwestern Healthcare will speak.
The Rotary Club of Glenview – Sunrise presents its third annual holiday concert at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 2 in Glenbrook South High School with traditional music, a community sing-a-long and a visit from Santa. Tickets are $8. For details, call 374-0660.
TRUSTEE DELIVERS NEW GLENVIEW RESIDENT
Congratulations to Trustee Rachel Cook, husband David and son James. They have a new baby boy. Samuel Raymond weighed in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces on October 25.
Also on the family front, we wish a speedy recovery to Emily Anderson, daughter of Trustee Mary Beth Denefe. She is home from college, recovering from a tonsillectomy.
BEARS SIGHTED AROUND TOWN
Sightings of Jim McMahon have been reported at Village Hall. The redevelopment of the Overtime Sports Grill on Milwaukee includes several former Bears who joined with the previous owners as investors and boosters. The building is a scaled-down replica of the old Chicago Stadium and is said to have one of the largest collections of sports memorabilia in the metropolitan area.
READERS WRITE
GG has spent the week battling storm water: "Your latest Watch really hit home. We too had flooding around 3 a.m. Tuesday. We got up to turn off the sump pump, at 4:30 to turn off the dryer, and at 5:30 to turn off the washer. Both appliances seemed to have minds of their own! The gross, disgusting sewer water reached slightly over the bottom step in our basement and didn't recede until around 3:30 or so Tuesday afternoon. Then with the heavy rain yesterday afternoon, it all backed up again and stayed that way until the middle of the night.
"I called the village at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday and was most pleasantly surprised to see a public works truck in my driveway around 9. The guys were really nice, but all they could tell me was that the main pipe at Linden and Wagner was "charged" (plumber lingo for "full") and that we'd have to wait until that went down for our problem to abate.
"We are throughly disgusted with the village for so blatantly ignoring this problem. Sewer and street work was to have begun in September, and here it is almost November. Nothing has been done. The village is just so busy screwing around with The Glen and with the ‘who pays what game' that they seem to have lost all perspective, and here we sit with a dirty basement, potential damage to our appliances, and the idea that moving sooner rather than later might not be such a bad idea."
Henry has been watching Waukegan Road: "The fact that Optima has been so successful in providing tenants for the majority of its stores in the Cloisters reflects what a little effort can accomplish and highlights the failure of our village fathers to really come to grips with this problem and retain a director of development.
"Morton Grove deserves kudos for what it has done along Waukegan Road. The landscaping and street lights are terrific as are the entrance logos. Somehow they came up with the money, and one can only wonder why our village hasn't been able to do the same. We can no longer sneer at Morton Grove; we would do well to emulate it on our stretch of Waukegan Road."
Looking over the intersection of Golf and Shermer, EB writes: "The Belmont Village building has the look of a prison. Why does everything being built in Glenview have to be so out of proportion with the surrounding area? I can only hope that the remaining property in that area will be built to blend with the neighbors."
Margaret Murray Tower says Glenview should save more than Wagner Farm: "The original Wagner Farm house may soon be demolished, but I urge the village to save it. Chicago is about to spend a ton of money to reproduce one in the Lincoln Park Farm in the zoo, and in order to make way for a new fire station, Glenview is tearing its old farm house down. Why not move the 100-year-old building from the Southeast corner of Wagner and Lake to the farm?"
Carol asks about the action at McDonald's: "Does anyone know why McDonald's on Waukegan Road was roped off last week sometime? It's was closed to the public a period of time, and there was a fire truck there."
The Watch replies: An employee of the restaurant accidentally released a dry chemical meant to extinguish grease fires, and considerable clean up was required before McDonald's could reopen. The franchise owner said he has since updated the fire control system to prevent another accident.
YOUR TURN
What's on your mind? Drop us a line by e-mail or the old-fashioned way. We're at 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Thanks for reading. Dean Schott and Sandy Hausman, Co-Editors of The Watch.