CRAWFORD STANDS ALONE

A group supporting the re-election of Trustee John Crawford had hoped to find him a couple of running mates for the next local election, but more than a dozen people who originally expressed interest eventually turned them down. Some said they preferred to run in 2005 when a majority of seats on the board will be up for grabs. Others said they feared the campaign tactics used in 2001 by the Unite Glenview Party. "There’s no question that they have had a chilling effect on politics in the village," said one long-time observer. "UG spent $70,000. They used professional pollsters to tell them what to say and targeted mailings to tell lies about their opponents. Nobody wants to face that in 2003."

Crawford, however, said he’s looking forward to the campaign. "I would run even if someone could see into the future and told me I would lose," he told The Watch. "I think there are some important issues to be raised."

Among those issues, Crawford vowed to pursue reform of Glenview’s commissions and boards. "On the one hand we have some that haven’t met for years," he says, "and on the other hand we need some new boards, including one committed to traffic and pedestrian safety."

He admitted that as the board’s lone independent he might not be able to assure passage of any specific ordinances but said he could be effective "in calling matters to the board’s attention and watching things for the taxpayers." He points proudly to a warning he issued last year after Village Manager Paul McCarthy proposed a municipal contract with Enron. Crawford, who keeps a close watch on the financial pages, thought that might be unwise. A few weeks later the company declared bankruptcy.

At 78, Crawford would be the oldest and most experienced candidate in the April election. An attorney by trade, he served as chairman of Glenview’s zoning board and as a village trustee from 1971-1979. He again won election to the village board in 1999 as part of a grassroots campaign to unseat three incumbent candidates. He is a World War II veteran and retired captain in the U.S. Naval Reserves.

St. Peter and Paul’s Church is praying for relief from a village requirement that it provide storm water detention in exchange for permission to build onto its facility at the northeast corner of Wagner Road and Lake Avenue. Church officials say the detention would cost $190,000. They have offered to remove some pavement already in place and to donate some land for area-wide detention if Village Hall agrees to waive the requirement.

While former Village President Jim Smirles is a member of the church, he did not appear before the board. Instead, a member of the parish council stood up to make the case at last week’s board meeting. Lee Poteracki had just begun to speak when Village President Larry Carlson, a long-time political ally of Smirles, interrupted. "If I could summarize, Saints Peter and Paul recently got approval to put in a bell tower, a handicapped elevator and canopy for some walkways," Carlson said. "This, unfortunately, triggered detention requirements that is part of the ordinance. Because of that, even though the church has offered to reduce impervious surface in other areas, because detention was never put in in the first place, that ordinance does apply."

"This afternoon it was brought to my attention that in the past there have been talks with the church about letting the village have or use some of their property to establish an area-wide storm water detention facility," said Carlson. "In other words, it would be for more than just the church’s property. It would be for some of the surrounding area too. Is that the case?" he asked Poteracki.

"Yes, subject to the fact that granting that kind of an easement would require formal. . ."

"We, we, we’ve got a lot of things to discuss," said Carlson, again cutting Poteracki short.

"That’s exactly correct. That is our offer," said Poteracki.

"Is this something the board would care to pursue?" asked Carlson. "I think to have some property available to take care of some of the heavy rains from the neighborhoods – this might be very beneficial to the village and would also help out St. Peter’s."

"Subject to working out the details, it sounds like this could be a win/win situation," said Trustee Mary Beth Denefe – another member of Smirles’ political party.

Glenview’s Development Director Mary Bak offered a note of caution. "The discussions that you’re talking about could well take a year or more. In the original stormwater studies of the area, this general neighborhood was identified as a potential location for centralized detention, but we would need to do a fair amount of engineering to find out whether or not we can actually collect the water at this location."

Bak said the board could allow the church to go forward with its construction while engineers and consultants explore the feasibility of using church land to control flooding.

Trustee Donna Pappo wondered if the church could be required to provide detention later if no deal could be struck. Bak assured her that such an agreement could be crafted in the next two weeks.

Village Manager Paul McCarthy then came to bat for the church, noting that the possibility of a large detention area near the church was first raised in the mid 80's. "I don’t want to leave the impression that this was an idea sprung full blown out of the head of Zeus today," he said.

McCarthy, who frequently sprinkles his remarks with literary references, stopped suddenly, realizing the double entendre some might perceive in a discussion of the Greek Orthodox church. "Greeks – Zeus. Sorry," he said chuckling. "Nothing significant there."

Trustee Rachel Cook noted that the park district had just built a parking lot for the church at taxpayer expense – a lot to be shared by visitors to Wagner Farm. "I would like to know a little bit more about the financing of something like this," she said.

Crawford noted that the village would spend "a lot of money" to purchase other detention sites in the area – perhaps $1 million-$2 million." He thought using church property at no charge would be a very good deal for Glenview. "I don’t know what we would work out on construction costs," he added, "but I think it’s an ideal solution."

"At the risk of moving into the area of advocacy, for which I apologize," said the village manager, "this might represent one of the last economically feasible projects in the immediate neighborhood, because the park district has a long-standing policy of refusing to use any park for detention purposes, so that rules out any reconfiguration of the Wagner Farm property, and there isn’t an awful lot between that, Glen Oak Acres and the river."

"It sounds like we’d all like to explore this further. Can I get a motion to continue this?" asked Carlson.

Trustee Mary Beth Denefe obliged, and the board voted unanimously to discuss the proposal at its next meeting.

"Thank you very much," said Carlson to Poteracki. "I think we may have some creative solutions here."

Editor’s note: Creative indeed! While the church’s offer may be a sincere and laudable gesture of cooperation, it may also be a convenient way to evade its legal responsibility to assist with flood control in Glenview, and even a short delay could tip the board in favor of a deal which is less than fair to the taxpayers. The devil is in the detail, and the deal will not be struck until after the next local election. By then, all but one member of the village board is likely to owe his or her election to Jim Smirles, a key fundraiser and organizer for the political party formerly known as Unite Glenview. How large an area would really benefit from the proposed detention? How much, if anything, is the church willing to pay toward construction. These key questions must be answered before any bargain can be assessed.

Many parts of Glenview are not served by detention ponds and other methods of flood control, and the village board is about to vote for a second time on fees to be imposed when residents of those areas undertake construction. Some builders may have hoped to slide in under the wire, applying for building permits before the new requirement takes effect, but the board voted to delay any permits until it has taken a final vote on the new fees.

Local architect Tom Lindsay appeared before the trustees last Tuesday to protest. Noting that no public hearing was held before a moratorium on permits was imposed he demanded, "Was that legal?"

"It was legal or else we wouldn’t have done it," replied Village Attorney Jeff Randall.

"There’s no public hearing normally on ordinances," added Village Manager McCarthy. "The board, from time to time, opens the mic, but there is no right to debate publicly on items the board is acting on."

Lindsay again asked to speak.

"Whether you address it is up to the board," said Randall.

"I don’t think we’ll have a public hearing tonight," said President Carlson. "We would be interested in what you have to say either at our next meeting or if you’d like to put it in writing."

Lindsay said the public was poorly informed on the matter. "I would like to see something in the village newsletter in plain English," he said. "People need to have some understanding of what the cost might be for a typical homeowner. I’ve had interviews in the last couple of weeks with people considering additions, and the rumors are unbelievable. A lot of people still don’t know what this is about. This is a significant tax on people doing additions. People considering a family room may have to pay another $8,000-$10,000 to comply with the new ordinance. It’s a shock."

He noted that public hearings went on so long and so late, and the outcome was so complicated that "ninety-seven percent of this village doesn’t understand."

"One of the things we want is good communications with the public," said Carlson. "I’ve had people ask me about this. Despite almost a year of hearings, they didn’t understand that this does not effect areas that have stormwater detention."

Trustee Mike Guinane, a professional home contractor, requested yet another public hearing on the matter. "A lot of people don’t know about this, and I’ve gotten phone calls on this issue. [Lindsay] hit the nail right on the head. This is a tax! You’re imposing a tax. You can call it a fee, but when that homeowner wants to build a second story addition, and you want to assess a fee of $6,000-$8,000, people should know about that, and we should hear from the public on that".

"We need to put some money aside for centralized detention in areas that do not have it," Carlson replied. "That involves what is, in fact, a tax. If we don’t have the tax, we’re not going to have the money to do the stormwater detention."

"And those homeowners. . ." said Guinane.

"Wait, wait, let’s not debate this. . ." said Carlson.

"But we’re assessing these homeowners. . ." said Guinane,

"No!" said Carlson pounding has gavel. "We are not going to go through this tonight. We’ve gone through this for a year. Let’s not start debating it all over again."

Trustee Crawford added that the matter first appeared on the plan commission’s agenda in December 1999 – a little over three years ago. He agreed that the public still seemed ill-informed about the matter and, noting that reporters from the Chicago Tribune, the Pioneer Press and the Glenview Journal were in the audience he suggested, "maybe we should talk to them."

Lindsay then made his final plea – that until the law changes permits should be issued under the existing ordinance, which only requires the provision of storm water detention on lots of one-half acre or greater.

Carlson then called a halt to discussion, saying the matter would be continued until January 21.

Noting that many golfers begin their day at sunrise and are ready for a sandwich and a beer when the rest of us are sitting down to breakfast, Glenview’s park district asked permission to begin serving alcohol at 7 a.m. on Sundays.

Trustee Denefe moved for immediate approval, but Trustee Crawford didn’t like the idea. "It’s the custom of most people to go to church on Sunday. If we did this for the park district, every tavern in town would want us to change their hours too."

Attorney Randall said Glenview would not be obliged to change the rules for taverns or grocery stores – that the legal exception could apply only to golf courses.

Denefe again moved to approve the request, but the motion died for lack of a second.

The Plan Commission holds its first round of hearings on possible regulation of neon signs when it meets at 7:30 tonight (January 14) in the board room of Village Hall. The proceedings will be cablecast on channel 17. The Glenview chapter of Scenic Illinois, a local group supporting stronger rules governing the appearance of public places will argue, "Neon signs are generally associated with highway corridors, carnivals and entertainment districts, and that cluttered or garish signs can create a negative impression of merchants and the overall business district." Representatives of the chamber of commerce are expected to argue against government regulation of neon.

The panel will also consider a new traffic plan for Midwest Bank at the Glen Oak Plaza and a proposed condo project along the eastern boundary of Gallery Park at The Glen. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 15, The Glen Redevelopment Commission will consider plans for the new Kohl Children’s Museum.

Glenview’s public library may soon begin enforcing a two-hour limit on people who park in lots east and south of the building. If the library board approves, car tires would be marked with chalk so police can spot, ticket and tow those who overstay their welcome. The library’s executive director says warnings would be posted in the library, and parkers would not be towed on first offense. What’s more, people planning lengthy research at the library could get official permission to leave cars for more than two hours. The library has a total of 91 parking spaces. Planners have estimated the need at 250.

– The man behind more than a dozen thefts from cars left unlocked while patrons paid for gasoline may, at last, have been arrested. Glenview police say a suspect was picked up by Cook County Sheriff’s Police after leaving the Gas Depot at Lake and Milwaukee.

– Another thief could be suffering heartburn behind bars. He was busted after removing 16 boxes of Zantac and Pepcid AC from Dominick’s at 1340 Patriot Boulevard.

– A patron of McMahon’s Steak House was charged with battery after he spit on another patron following an argument.

– And a new resident of The Glen may have had trouble finding his way home. Police charged the man with driving under the influence after they found him sleeping in his car at the intersection of East Lake Avenue and Waukegan Road.

– Glenview police also report at least seven overnight car burglaries on Meadowlark, Clover Ct., Glenview Road, Knollwood and Burnham Court, while a reader warns of several home burglaries in Glen Lake Estates.

The North Shore African Violet Society meets Tuesday, February 4 at 7 p.m. in the Maynard Room of Glenview’s library, and locals are especially welcome. That’s because the group, which has about 15 members and charges $5 a year in dues, cannot afford what the library will charge non-residents for a meeting room this year. (While several members live in unincorporated Glenview, none live in the village.) A spokesman for the group said African violets are the most popular houseplant in the world -- a lot easier to grow than orchids. Club members can learn the fine points of cultivation and competition in regional, state, national and international contests. For details, visit the African Violet Society of America’s website at www.avsa.com.

– Trustee Jeff Lerner suffered a strolling injury last week, breaking his leg during a fall en route to his mailbox.

– At the request of residents, the trustees approved a parking ban in the 3300-3700 blocks of Winnetka Road, adding to the growing list of streets near Glenbrook South High School where students will no longer be able to park. Parking was also limited in the vicinity of St. Phillip’s Church off Pfingsten Road just south of Lake Avenue where students have also been leaving their cars during the school day. Trustee Donna Pappo proposed a formal conversation with school officials in search of a solution to the parking shortage. Carlson asked the village manager to arrange a meeting between himself and Principal Dave Smith.

– The board approved two new baseball training facilities – The Baseball Learning Center at 1510 Paddock and The Strike Zone at 2025 Johns Drive. Village President Carlson quipped that Glenview is becoming "The Batting Cage Capital of the Midwest."

– Midwest Bank and Trust at the Glen Oak Shopping Center on Waukegan Road won permission to expand its facility and eliminate two drive through lanes.

Students at Springman, Hoffman, Pleasant Ridge and Glen Grove schools have done their part to launch the new Attea Middle School – voting on a mascot and official colors. The kids selected "The Flyers" as a suitable name for future students and teams and settled on blue and silver to compliment the aviation theme. Charles Terry, principal of the school which opens this fall, said the choices "honored those who served our country and recognized that the ground the school is built on is a former Naval air station."

On reading our early election coverage, DLD wrote: "Sandy you are the best thing that ever happened to the Unite Glenview Party. They might raise $200,000 this year because of your efforts. Keep up the great work!"

The Watch replies: Your note raises interesting questions, D. Why on earth would anyone spend $200,000 on a local election? Who would contribute so much money? What do these contributors have to gain? What do they have to hide? The Watch will be watching.

LA is sorry to see the holidays end: "What a treat to see the lamp posts decorated and lit throughout the village this season. Can we find out why, for the second year in a row, the decorative lights in the block north of Glenview Rd on Waukegan Rd have been out?

"By last count there are 31 dry cleaners in our village and surely more on the way to service the residents of Hooverville. (During the depression poor folks erected shacks within view of the White House to demand economic assistance from Washington.) The irony is that we have but one lonely, overused and expensive monopoly car wash in our village. Can we know why we have but one source of clean vehicles?"

The Watch replies: Public works expressed surprise at your claim that the lights were out.  Anyone else notice this? As for your car wash question, we know they can only be built in industrial areas, and just one application has come before the board during the past three years. A local entrepreneur, hoping to erect a car wash at the eastern gateway to The Glen, was politely told by the village board to forget about it.

Andy German writes: "Like Bill Turgeon, I recently discovered Glenview Watch online while surfing the Internet. My parents moved us to Glenayre Park in the summer of 1968, and I must say that those formative years spent attending Lyons School through Glenbrook South have stayed with me to this day. Glenview will remain the place where I narrowly escaped many a teenage calamity. Eventually I grew into a semi-responsible adult and moved to the Southeastern United States where I witnessed the transformation of many lovely forested areas into the same monster rebuilds Bill spoke of during his trip home. As a capitalist and land owner, I am not anti-development, however I have fought tooth and nail the reckless and thoughtless development strategies that similar communities have followed in allowing big developer money to speak louder than the voices of long-time residents. I have lived this battle here in Atlanta for years now and seen communities completely (and I mean completely) change their character not for the better when the city council decides to sell out for tax revenues. Do not believe that the developers and architects behind these monstrosities are always acting in the community's best interest. They are not. Remember, once the trees are gone and the foundations are poured, it's impossible to undo it. In the South we're fond of saying, ‘I don't have a dog in this fight.’ But y'all do. Best wishes and God bless all of you in my home town."

FS reports that buses are again "parking on Glenview Road at Harms or sitting in the turn lane while their drivers go into the White Hen. If you or I did it, we would be ticketed! This is illegal and dangerous. They make it difficult for traffic and set a really poor example!"

The Watch replies: We called this matter to the attention of Glenview’s finest, and a deputy chief from the police department contacted the director of transportation for the Cook County Sheriff. Let’s hope that puts an end to this problem.

BD calls our attention to another new business in town – a Russian craft shop next to the Irish Connoisseur on Waukegan Road: "Their charming window display is more of what we need for our pedestrian streetscape. Also, the closing of Gabriel's Trumpet has little to do with lack of success or sales on the North Shore or specifically Glenview. (There were big problems whichspilled over from their downtown Chicago store.) Its closing is a real loss to the downtown, and like the closing of Hamburger Hamlet, everyone thinks that somehow Glenview failed them when in reality these were broad corporate-level decisions to close."

Greg writes from someplace called Deerfield: "I don't live in Glenview. Actually, I'm not sure where Glenview is, but I know it can't be far from my home in Deerfield. I came across your October 7, 2001 newsletter when I was searching for information about a snow plowing company called Pro Plowing, Inc. I suspected that this company was a fraud when I was recently billed for plowing that they never did. The information in your newsletter helped confirm that."

Soufle sees a way to earn some extra cash at Wagner Farm: "How hard is it to get the USDA to grade eggs, or train someone to do so. Speaking of Wagners, I wonder how all the Rose Wagner Charitable Foundation proceeds are being spent."

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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