A last-minute outcry by local residents has temporarily stopped Glenview’s park district from selling-off a small section of Wagner Farm to widen Lake Avenue and the intersection with Wagner Road. Parks’ Executive Director Tom Richardson said there was no legal obligation to part with a 20-foot swath of property running about 600 feet along Lake, but if the park district refused to sell, he said the county would have to create an unsafe jog in the road. Richardson said the county would pay Glenview’s cash-strapped district $120,000 for about a third of an acre, adding that would easily cover the cost of a sidewalk being required by the village. Later, Richardson put the price of the sidewalk at about $18,000.

About a dozen residents spoke against the idea including Richard Feit, a member of the Citizens Organized for Wagner's board. He called the decision "very disappointing," questioned the lack of a formal public hearing and wondered if the commissioners were "trying to sneak something through."

Commissioner Chris Warren dismissed the idea that the park board had some hidden agenda. "We had, on the Wagner Farm Master Plan, discussed that we would probably have to give up land," he said.

Resident Linda Shepherd said she drives past the corner of Lake and Wagner every day and would prefer that no land be sold to the county. "The herd sits on that corner, and it’s wonderful to watch them. You’ll be taking a good portion of their space."

Open space advocate Mark Ganchiff also objected to trading green space for pavement. "I would hope the park district would fight this," he said.

Norma Morrison, a leader in the fight to save Wagner Farm, said she had just heard the news and urged a one-month delay to permit public comment. Morrison said every square foot of the property was "precious and must be protected."

When Feit asked to see drawings of what the county proposed to do, the parks’ Director of Leisure Services, Bob Quill, said there were none.

Long-time activist Mike Luxem wondered when the park district had last sold land to the county. Attorney Sam Witwer didn’t think it had ever been done.

In that case, Luxem argued, a public hearing should be held and drawings should be presented for public review.

Parks President Judy Beck said the district had a responsibility to ensure public safety, and she was prepared to take the county’s word for it – that a jog in Lake Avenue would be unsafe. She also rejected the idea of a public hearing, arguing that folks were already being given a chance to speak.

When one member of the audience pointed out that the public had not been notified about the issue beforehand, Beck bristled.

"Anybody who calls can get an agenda. The staff has had many discussions with the county already, and worked out an equitable solution. I’m sure Bob [Quill] and Tom [Richardson] have investigated it quite thoroughly," she said.

While Beck and Commissioner Catherine Crowley seemed ready to vote at once, Commissioner Steve Schulte wanted to hear more from the county about the safety issue and Commissioner Tom Pontarelli saw no harm in putting off a vote for one month. Commissioners Warren, Winand and Kaiser also expressed a willingness to wait, prompting President Beck to propose a special meeting at which Cook County officials could explain their plans in greater detail. No date has been set for that event.

Debate between the public and the board was heated, and Beck closed with a lecture. If the public was unhappy with the conduct of park commissioners, she suggested they express their feelings at the next election. In the mean time, Beck said she would insist on members of the public raising their hands. "I want to hear what the commissioners have to say. We didn’t interrupt you. It’s not polite."

Editor’s note: Thank you, Miss Manners. Now let’s talk about the really rude behavior here. Park commissioners are not supposed to turn their backs on the voters once elected. They’re supposed to keep listening through their six-year terms. If park board members expect respect, they should exhibit respect for their constituents. Members of the board should make every effort to inform the public of important issues well before decisions are being made. Glenview voters took the acquisition of Wagner Farm very seriously. They actually agreed to raise their taxes! For park staff to quietly negotiate the sale of even a small piece of the farm without fully informing the public is, at best, bad government. Glenview deserves a public hearing on this subject – with maps and a detailed explanation of why it would be unsafe to take ten feet from either side of the road or take the land from the south side rather than raiding the farm for all 20 feet.

The Park Board also held a preliminary discussion of fireworks in 2003. Two weeks after this year’s Fourth of July display over Glenview’s main golf course, the commissioners were not ready to announce a move to Gallery Park, but Tom Pontarelli made a compelling case. He told fellow board members that Glenview’s police and fire departments dislike the current location because access to the site is limited, said the park had been specially designed for fireworks and noted that closing the golf course on what should be a huge day costs the district money. "You can’t please everybody all the time," said Pontarelli. "The issue is: where is the right place to do it?"

The commissioners also explored the possibility of moving Bearfoot in the Park concerts to The Glen. Parking around Jackman Park is tight, and board member Chris Warren said he and his family were forced to picnic elsewhere when they failed to find a space in the area.

"Forget that idea," said Commissioner Doug Kaiser, anticipating a public outcry over any decision to relocate the popular Wednesday night concerts.

HOME DEPOT CHANGING PLANS FOR GLENVIEW STORE

Soon after launching its Expo Design Centers in places like Vernon Hills, the Home Depot company made a surprising discovery. Those designer showroom stores draw from a 35-mile radius rather than from the immediate neighborhood. Under those circumstances, putting an Expo Center at The Glen made no sense, so management at Home Depot went back to the drawing board and came up with a hybrid store that will have some showrooms and some hardware.

Glen Redevelopment Commissioner Mary Novotny was puzzled. She had been to a Design Expo Center and to a Home Depot and could not figure out what the Willow Road facility would look like: "Expo, you walk in, beautiful slate floors, kitchens you’d kill for. Home Depot – cement floor. I would die before I’d go there with my husband for the afternoon."

"I think the intent here is to create a store where you and your husband will both be comfortable," said a spokesman for Home Depot.

"Are we talking about cement floors with birds flying around?" Novotny pressed.

"No," said the spokesman.

GRC Chairman Howard Silver was concerned with another aspect of the proposed store – a neon sign reading "Tool Rental." He could not figure out why that particular service was being advertised on an exterior wall and compared it to putting a sign over the door of Jewel reading "cantaloupes."

The spokesman explained that not all Home Depot stores rent tools.

"You know this is the North Shore," said Silver. "Everybody pays somebody else to do something. You don’t go rent your own tools."

"There’s pride in doing some things yourself," said the store representative.

"Yeah, but you’ve got to be able to do it," said Silver. "I’d cut my fingers off."

"Instead of advertising tool rental which most people won’t use," said Novotny, "Why don’t you put ‘Room Designs.’ That would attract quite a few of the ladies."

"I will take that into account," said the Home Depot man.

Glenview’s village board has voted unanimously to hire a Detroit-area consultant who will study our region and make recommendations for attracting new business downtown. The trustees rejected a second idea proposed by President Larry Carlson – that a local consultant, Steve Friedman, be paid $9,900 to study the feasibility of tearing down buildings in the 1800-block of Glenview Road – home to Hauff Hobby, the Cat’s Meow and other specialty shops – then offering public incentives to redevelop the site. Friedman is a regular at Village Hall, frequently winning contracts to assist with planning.

Trustee Donna Pappo was the first to object, pointing out that Carlson’s proposal was not "based on any professional opinion that this is the block we should choose." Pappo said Glenview’s comprehensive plan consultant had not identified the site as a catalyst to development downtown and expressed concern that a speculative study might hurt businesses at that location. "To single out a block without any real rhyme or reason – I just can’t do it to these people," she said.

Carlson thought the block was an obvious target for redevelopment. "That’s the worst block that’s down there. I don’t see anything that’s as decrepit as that particular block," he argued.

Trustee John Crawford said he did not see anything wrong with the 1800-block. "It has a small town look, and I thought that this was the type of atmosphere that would help revitalize downtown."

Trustee Rachel Cook said she would consider a study of the site, but only after the marketing study was complete – a position supported by Development Director Mary Bak, and Pappo thought the market study might identify other blocks for public development. That prompted Trustee Mary Beth Denefe to ask where such blocks might be. "Are we talking about Waukegan Road, are we talking about Harms, what are we talking about? We could be talking about Milwaukee Road. I don’t know."

"Well since this is a downtown market study, that would not make a lot of sense," said Pappo.

Crawford then proposed that the market study go forward and a review of the 1800-block be tabled, prompting a protest from Trustee Jeff Lerner. "You can’t table a proposal for three or four months. They’re not going to do the work at that price. You’re asking them to put off the work until we make a decision."

"Well they can withdraw their bid," said Crawford.

"Why would they withdraw their bid?" asked Lerner.

"If they’re afraid that they’ll lose money three or four months from now at these prices, all they have to do is withdraw their bid."

Over the objections of Lerner and Denefe, the board voted to put off a decision about the 1800-block.

Concerned that Lake Avenue improvements might not be complete by the end of next year’s construction season, Glenview’s public works department proposed and won approval to start early on three parts of the project – tunneling under the Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Meier’s Tavern, under Waukegan Road and along the Metra overpass near Scott Foresman to make way for a new water line.

Public Works Director Bill Porter admitted it would cost about $66,000 more to temporarily patch the roadway until next spring and to provide traffic controls, and Trustee Crawford pondered the price in public frustration.

"Do you think we’ll have much road rage when the drivers find out we’re tying up Lake Avenue this fall and then again next spring and summer?" he asked.

"I don’t think the motorists will be happy about it," Porter said, but he thought residents would be even more upset if the job was not finished by the winter of 2003.

"Better safe than sorry," said President Carlson before all but Crawford approved the early work.

Tales of abuse by Glenview’s old guard continue to pour in from the annual Fourth of July celebration. Observers said the children of former Trustee John Patton Jr. and former Zoning Board Chief Ty Laurie rode on the trustees’ float. Patton opted not to run for re-election after years of harsh public criticism, and Laurie left under an ethical cloud. His political allies gutted Glenview’s ethics ordinance a few days before the public learned Laurie’s law firm was representing a developer before the plan commission. Under the old law, that conflict would have forced him to quit.

Also raising eyebrows – the on-going participation of former Village President Tom Smith and his wife Samantha. The two again provided commentary for the annual parade on Glenview TV, mispronouncing the name of Trustee Mary Beth Denefe, mentioning Trustee Donna Pappo twice, and causing general confusion.

As the Glenview Senior Citizens’ Center vehicle rolled by, for example, Samantha remarked: "There’s the new bus they purchased two years ago ."

"The seniors are waving their flags out the bus windows," said Tom. "They have a great time."

"This was new as of February," said Sam.

"Brand new. Brand new," said Tom.

As Glenview’s Citizen of the Year passed, Samantha glowed. "Sister Paulanne is wonderful, and driving the car is our son David and his girlfriend Diane. There’s Sister Paulanne. Bless her heart. Bless her heart."

Then came the interview with Village President Larry Carlson.

Sam: "How ya’ doing?"

Larry: "Great. It’s a nice day. Boy, what a lot of nice, smiling faces out here. These kids! These kids are all with their flags. It’s great. It’s really nice."

Sam: "Wonderful, wonderful. What a great day. Larry, what do you think about the day?"

Larry: "Oh, it’s wonderful. It’s just so nice and relaxing. This is the kind of small town thing that makes Glenview the place it is. I love it. I love it."

Sam: "Thank you, Larry. Because of your leadership it’s continuing on to be a wonderful, wonderful place to live and to work."

At that point, mercifully, the two were drowned out by the Glenbrook South marching band.

Editor’s note: The egotistical conduct of some people who once held power in Glenview but are no longer in office translates into a lack of opportunity for others. Next year, let’s ask award-winning high school broadcasters to produce this show or let the band provide the entire soundtrack, and if kids are to ride with the trustees, let them be the children or grandchildren of the current trustees who routinely sacrifice family time to provide public service.

Ground was broken Monday for the new Von Maur department store at The Glen, but the dust has yet to settle on the controversy surrounding another retailer at the new mixed use retail center. Borders has been negotiating for space and wants to put its sign high on the tower of Hangar One, displacing "Naval Air Station – Glenview, Illinois" and the elevation.

After negotiating with Borders, village attorney Jeff Randall said the old base inscription and elevation could stay above the store’s name, but the lettering would be very small – perhaps too small to read. It might also be possible, Borders thought, to move the elevation to a spot east of the tower.

Lawyer Fred Feinstein, who represents the developer Oliver McMillan, urged the board to approve one plan or the other quickly. He claimed a delay might scare other prospective tenants away. "We don’t have a lease right now," he said. "If we lose Borders, we may lose Galyan’s. If we lose Galyan’s, we lose Von Maur."

Trustee John Crawford took offense at that tac. "I’m tired of being rushed into decisions," he said. "We were told by Dene Oliver that he would work with Borders, and that we trustees and members of the Hangar One Foundation should not talk to Borders about this. He felt he would be able to settle it with them. . .I would like to talk to Dene Oliver and ask whether we can now talk to Borders about historic preservation of the inscriptions on that tower."

Feinstein again pressed for a decision, saying an okay for the sign and subdivision of the property were both needed to keep the project moving. He admitted he had not been party to talks with Borders but said he had talked with Redevelopment Director Don Owen. Then, finding that Owen was in the board room, the lawyer added: "Strike that. I did not talk directly to Don. Here’s Don, and he’ll be able to speak for himself, and I didn’t mean to speak for you."

Owen told the board it would be alright to decide the placement of Borders’ sign later – that subdivision was what the developer really needed, and the board obliged, putting off a vote on the sign but clearing the way for construction to begin.

A street sale survey of more than 50 people shows strong support for a new library located in a landscaped plaza downtown. The Glenview Chapter of Scenic Illinois found 92 percent of those polled liked that idea, and 90 percent want the North Branch of the Chicago River to be improved for public enjoyment. Ninety-four percent said Waukegan Road needs some strong building guidelines to make it more attractive, and 86 percent favor using a village-owned lot on the northwest corner of Waukegan and Lake to build some kind of centerpiece for the community. There was less support for a measure strongly favored by Glenview’s comprehensive planning consultant – landscaped medians along Waukegan. Only 69 percent favored them, although planners argue they would look nice and improve the flow of traffic by restricting the number of places turns would be possible.

– Library trustee Donna Berndt has resigned citing career and family pressures. Berndt was elected to the board in 1995 and served as its president from 2000-2002. The board is accepting applications from anyone interested in filling the vacancy. If you’re interested, stop by the library’s business office or call 729-5000. The deadline for submission is August 15.

– Glenview’s comprehensive plan consultant will unveil recommendations for downtown and Waukegan Road at an open house Thursday, August 15 at 6 p.m. in Village Hall. Among other things, PDI recommends drafting design guidelines for Waukegan Road and a sign ordinance to better regulate the look of downtown.

Mark Ganchiff is concerned about Glenview’s water supply: "Great Lakes water is in demand throughout the world. You might remember a failed venture to ship Great Lakes water to the Middle East in super tankers a few years ago. Now the French bottler Perrier wants to tap a stream near Muskegon that feeds Lake Michigan. The 400 gallons per minute Perrier proposes to pump from the Lake Michigan watershed may not seem like much, but conservationists are concerned about the precedent that would be set if our water supply becomes a commodity. A group of Michigan residents is suing to stop Perrier. For more information, visit www.saveMIwater.org. We put up with the lousy climate that makes the Great Lakes possible, so why should a French company profit by selling our local treasure?"

The Watch replies: Actually, Perrier is owned by the Swiss multi-national Nestle which bottles about 80 brands of spring water including Ice Mountain, Ozarka, Poland Spring and Calistoga. The company is also hoping to build a plant near the Wisconsin Dells. That controversial plan is the subject of a public radio report by Watch Editor Sandy Hausman. To hear it, visit www.theworld.org, click on "5-day archive" and check out the show dated July 19.

The Watch replies: The post office continues to plead poverty, so if we want that facility to move, we may have to provide financial assistance. While there is no local prohibition on postal trucks parking at the paint store, there is an ordinance banning parking on the sidewalk. Maybe Glenview’s new bicycle patrol could start ticketing those trucks that now block pedestrian passage on the west side of Lehigh Road.

BT is looking ahead to the next Fourth of July: "I'm hearing through the grapevine that the Fourth of July parade as well as the fireworks are going to be moved to The Glen. Is this a done deal? It seems that tradition has been thrown to the wayside in Glenview. I'd be interested to know what the thought process was when considering this kind of move. We should move Village Hall to The Glen. The board could then be alongside the residents that they care about the most."

MJ asks: "Any news on 2003 Fourth of July Fireworks location? Last year, someone at Village Hall said they would be at Lake Glenview in Gallery Park. Seems like it's easier for more residents to walk to the golf course or just look up from many front and back yards rather than walk across Lake, down Patriot, and over to the lake. Driving could be a problem since there will be little parking."

And Mark Levy says: "Where in The Glen are they proposing moving the fireworks? There's not enough parking that I can see. I just tried to send this observation to the village board using their website comments page, but apparently the page is broken."

The Watch replies: Gallery Park was designed for fireworks, and while it'll be less convenient for lots of Glenview residents who enjoy the golf course location, it'll be easy for the town's newest residents __ people who live at The Glen. There should also be a substantial amount of parking at the shopping center across from Gallery Park, the Park Center and the office park along Willow. It would also be possible to run shuttle buses from the new Costco lot and Target. No decision has been made, and the park board will probably hold hearings before taking a vote, but we certainly seem to be moving in that direction.

An anonymous reader asks: "Who sold Glenview down the river to the highway departments – County and State? Who cut the deal to widen Glenview and Waukegan roads and destroyed our downtown business district? Who anointed the Village Manager Grand Poobah? Who does he report to? How can Glenview continue to alienate Wilmette residents when Glenview depends on Wilmette for water?"

Editor’s note: On paper, Village Manager Paul McCarthy reports to the village trustees and they, in turn, report to the voters. In fact, Manager McCarthy has been in his job since 1983 and the voters have slept through some of the most exciting times in Glenview history. As a result, it is McCarthy who calls the shots. As for Wilmette, we suspect the water will continue to flow as long as Glenview continues to pay.

After writing to the Watch about a lack of landscaping in the median strip along Milwaukee Avenue, CB is pleased to report improvement: "You must have some pull. For the first time in years, the 3-foot high weeds growing in the median of the Milwaukee Avenue overpass were cut. There are still weeds there but they are only 6-inch weeds. It would be nice to fix up that entire bridge."

Editor’s note: Alas, we don’t have that much pull. Milwaukee is a state road, and Springfield is a little tight right now. If Glenview votes to fund a landscaped median on Waukegan Road, however, residents along Milwaukee might reasonably ask for village funds to beautify their part of town too.

CM has watched the expansion of Jennings Chevrolet and Volkswagen. His note is titled "Green versus Black: I watched land turned to tar! It was depressing, invasive and now downright ugly. The irony is that Jennings will be making room for more of what pollutes the very air we breathe – vehicles like the Chevy Avalanche. I am hoping for news of a halt to the plan."

The Watch replies: Actually, the expansion involves Jennings Volkswagen – a line of cars with better fuel efficiency and lower emissions than the dreaded SUV’s.

JL is keeping watch over the Costco site: "What is going besides Costco on the northern portion of The Glen? Seems like a pretty big hole is being dug on the western part of that lot."

The Watch replies: So far, Village Hall says Costco is the only building under construction on the north side of Willow at Patriot, but work will soon begin on a new Harley Davidson store.

And Lou is Glen watching: "I am sorry to see that the observation platforms that the village authorized for viewing construction at Hooverville – er, The Glen – are still there. At a cost of $20,000 apiece, the lookouts are a continual reminder of the orgy of excess that has gone on in Glenview's new downtown. Perhaps they can be donated to a church."

Betty Tessien says Glenview is about to host an amazing athletic event: "The best blind and visually impaired athletes in the world will be at Flick Park and the new Community West Park beginning July 31 for four days. Teams from cities across the U.S. and Taiwan will be traveling to Glenview to compete in the 27th Annual World Series of Beep Baseball. Beep Baseball is a modified game that uses a ball that beeps and bases that buzz. The National Beep Baseball Association is a non-profit charitable organization that organizes the tournament, standardizes the rules and provides the officials. You will be totally amazed at the speed and bravery of the players and the teamwork shown. Please show the spirit of Glenview and come out to support the athletes. Games are free. See the NBBA's web site at www.nbba.org for more information or call John or Karren Lykowski at 724_8844."

YOUR TURN: Write to glenviewwatch@aol.com or 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. If you haven’t already done so, please consider making a contribution to support The Watch. Non-deductible checks should be payable to Glenview Watch. Thanks for your support and for reading. Dean Schott and Sandy Hausman, Co-Editors.

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