A major tenant expected to lease space at The Glen Town Center has decided not to go forward. An official at Borders told Glenview Watch the national book chain had opened too many stores and was no longer planning to locate here.

Borders came in for some heat last summer when Glenview’s village board approved a plan to move the words "Naval Air Station Glenview" on the historic Hangar One building to make way for its own name. The retailer never appeared before the trustees, but developer Oliver McMillan sent an attorney to argue that the store might refuse to open if it could not have a suitable sign, and that might prompt other tenants to bail.

"The Von Maur [department store] agreement is contingent upon Galyan’s [sporting goods] being there. Galyan’s is contingent on Borders being there. If Borders does not get the signage that they think they’re going to get, we are very, very, very concerned that could take the dominos down," said lawyer Fred Feinstein.

The warning prompted a unanimous vote to allow the sign Borders wanted.

On April 24, Iowa-based Von Maur held a public ceremony to hang a restored 1930's-era aircraft from the ceiling of the store it is building at The Glen. Marble floors have been laid and wallpaper hung at the retail site set to open in October. Press materials made mention of other tenants at the new mall but did not name Borders. Developer Oliver McMillan did not return our call.

In December 2000, Glenview’s public library surveyed residents to see where they wanted a new or expanded library to be. More than 60 percent preferred the present location, but with hundreds of families now living at The Glen, the library board now plans to ask that question again and will hire a marketing firm to do the job.

That news has ruffled the feathers of board critic Terry Wodder, a former resident who is battling plans for a large new library downtown or at The Glen. Wodder believes too little effort has been made to relocate Glenview’s downtown post office so the library could expand at its present site. The U.S. Postal Service says it does not have the money to build a new facility and cannot afford to move, but Wodder – a retired auditor – thinks otherwise.

Congress subsidizes the post office with an appropriation of $3 billion a year, and Wodder figures at least $483,000 of that is coming from Glenview on an annual basis. Under those circumstances, he feels Congressman Mark Kirk and Illinois’ two senators should be able to pull some strings. Last year, Wodder says the postal service spent $700 million on new facilities, and it now has $1.2 billion worth of construction underway.

If Glenview can’t get the postal service to spring, he thinks the community should build a new post office since expanding the library at its current site would be far cheaper than buying land downtown and building new.   What's more, he reasons, "a warehouse facility [for the post office] would only cost about $4 million. Glenview would get twice the bang for half the buck. Think of the possibilities. Once the post office relocates, Prairie Street could be converted to one-way traffic with diagonal parking, or it could be closed to create a library campus. The board should spend the money on a new site plan incorporating some of these ideas rather than a new survey."

Another Glenview landmark will soon be torn down and replaced by houses. The restaurant called Willow on Wagner will be razed to make way for Willow Estates – a development of nine homes to be built by the Dearborn- Buckingham Group. The site is about four acres, and the homes will range in size from 3,500-4,500 square feet. In presenting his ideas to the plan commission, the developer claimed he would make every effort to save mature trees on the site next door to St. Peter and Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church and across the street from Wagner Farm. Commissioner Gary Wendt was skeptical, saying he thought the plan was laid out without any sense for where the trees are. "In the parking lot there are numerous [large trees,]" he said. The developer admitted he had not done a formal tree survey, and the commission requested he do one. The matter will be back before the commission at its next regular meeting – 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13 in the Village Hall board room.

When county officials tried to purchase the right-of-way to expand Lake Avenue through Wilmette and Glenview, Meier’s Tavern balked. The owner of that business said he would lose 12 parking spaces, and he’s now asked village permission to expand his lot in exchange for agreeing to sell land to the county. Gus Pappas also wants to up the building’s occupancy from 82 to 140, and the village board has agreed to hear the request directly, by-passing the zoning board of appeals and the plan commission which would normally be asked to hear a request of this kind.

The prospect of a larger lot and tavern alarms neighbors who say the Pappas plan would put a parking lot within 15-20 feet of their backyards. Right now, the unpaved lot is nearly 110 feet away. They also shudder at the thought of more traffic and noise from a business which was there before Glenview approved residential zoning for the area. (Meier’s has been around for more than 100 years.) Five neighborhood families are now suing to keep Pappas from expanding, arguing that Meier’s already operates in violation of local zoning and has devalued their property. The case goes before the trustees on May 6.

Editor’s note: True to form, the pro-business Glenview Announcements scolded the neighbors in an editorial that maintains they should not sue but rather sit down and talk with Pappas.

Glenview’s plan commission thinks about sixty acres of land in the northwest part of town is entitled to environmentally significant area status under local ordinance, making it eligible for special protection from developers in the neighborhood. An environmental panel charged with considering the issue had suggested protection for a smaller area, but most members of the plan commission accepted the testimony of experts – that a 10-acre parcel known as the "West Fork Reserve" or "Lot 16" was significant because it provides habitat for rare grassland birds and improves the scenic value of the open space near Heatherfield and Valley Lo.

Only Commissioner Peter Brinckerhoff was reluctant to extend ESA status to the reserve, but even he expressed "disappointment" with the performance of the environmental review commission, noting that the panel didn’t even look at the map in making its limited recommendations.

Members of the ERC include a pro-development attorney, a civil engineer, a tree expert who serves as a consultant to the village, a plant expert who works for developers and a nationally-known expert on birds who said, repeatedly, that rare and endangered grassland species need large, contiguous areas to successfully nest. The sentiment was echoed by naturalist and former trustee Kent Fuller and by ecologist Rob Blomquist who testified in support of ESA status for the reserve. Also on hand, resident Dick Feit who pointed out that habitat for grassland birds is disappearing at "an alarming rate. By combining the West Fork Reserve with the Techny Basin," he argued, "Glenview can preserve a very important breeding ground for meadowlarks, grasshopper and Savannah sparrows, sedge wrens, bobolinks and many other species."

The commission also extended ESA status to a five-acre parcel on Milwaukee Avenue known as the Woodworth Prairie. The village board will make a final decision on whether to protect the properties.

Having made our share of typographical mistakes, it is probably unwise of us to mention the errors that appear in area papers published by the Pioneer Press, but this week the full-time, paid staff outdid itself. An editorial in the Glenview Announcements seems strangely repetitious: "If residents talk rather than sue, they might have some input into how the new lot is configured. That’s the ultimate objective, isn’t it? If residents talk rather than sue, they might have some input into how the new lot is configured."

And in an article about tax receipts, the Deerfield Review noted, "Lake Bluff also saw significant increases in its sales tax revenues. The $2 million it collected in 2002 was 9.5 percent higher than 2001 revenues and 17 percent higher than 2000 revenues."

Later in the same article, reporter Marlene Hunt writes, "Lake Bluff also saw a significant drop in its sales tax revenues. The $2 million it collected in 2002 was 6.9 percent less than it received in 2001 and almost 8.5 percent less than it collected in 2000."

– Local churches are breaking new ground in their quest for real estate. A fast-growing evangelical congregation in Deerfield may lease space once occupied by Barnes and Noble near the corner of Waukegan and Lake-Cook roads. The North Suburban Evangelical Free Church already uses the parking lot at Cadwell’s Corners for overflow parking on Sundays and would like more space for the social programs it offers. As many as 800 parishioners attend the church each Sunday, coming from 35 different communities.

– Members of the Petra Presbyterian Church are pressing ahead with a suit against Northbrook. Local officials have kept them from worshiping at a warehouse they purchased in the Sky Harbor industrial park. Officials contend pedestrian safety could be jeopardized by this new use in an industrial area and that the community’s industrial land would be devalued since churches are tax-exempt. Northbrook did, however, change its law to make it easier for houses of worship to locate in residential areas.

– Skokie is using a unique approach to solicit public opinion on a possible smoking ban in area offices, restaurants and bars. Residents can now log onto the village website and send e-mail directly to the village board about that matter.

– The Chicago Tribune recently reported that many area suburbs are struggling with dramatic decreases in tax revenue. To ease the fiscal pain, Palos Heights hopes to sell naming rights to its nature preserve, while Schaumburg, Carol Stream, Downer’s Grove, Elk Grove Village and Carpentersville have raised or instituted local sales taxes. Meanwhile, Deerfield officials say their tax revenues are up more than 26% thanks, in part, to redevelopment of their downtown area, and they look forward to another windfall when The Great Indoors (an interior decorating store owned by Sears) opens at Deerbrook Mall. Vernon Hills also reports a significant increase – nearly $10 million – much of it from Computer Discount Warehouse.

– Northbrook is reconsidering plans for a new Metra station and mixed use retail center in its downtown area after projected costs nearly tripled. Our neighbor to the north blames Metra, claiming the agency wants to use people who charge too much for their work. Metra blames Northbrook for proposing additional parking, landscaping, more shelters, bicycle paths and other improvements to the site.

– The new Sunset Foods store in Northbrook has been ordered to shield rooftop mechanical equipment that is driving the neighbors nuts. Some say it’s as loud as an airplane taking off, while others say it disrupts their sleep. Legal experts contend Northbrook can’t enforce its noise ordinance against Sunset because it has set the standard for excessive noise at such a low level that almost any sound would constitute a violation.

– Glenview police report the theft of $1930 worth of candy from Fannie Mae during three separate burglaries in March and April.

– Officers warn of an increase in auto thefts on Glenview’s south side in the vicinity of Central and Greenwood roads.

– A Meadow Road resident returned home to find a suspect in his garage. The man attempted to escape on a bicycle parked in the garage, but when the homeowner held onto his bike, the intruder fled on foot.

– Just before 4 a.m. on April 16 officers observed a subject "riding a bicycle erratically in the 1700- block of Chestnut. After the unfortunate fellow ran into a curb and fell off the bike, police questioned him. He claimed to have ingested cough medicine before riding home from work.

The plan and appearance commissions will hold a special joint meeting to discuss restrictions on retail window signs Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall board room. The meeting will not be cable cast, but residents and merchants are encouraged to attend.

Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook hosts its annual fundraiser at the Northbrook Hilton at 5:30 Sunday, May 4. The event includes dinner, live and silent auctions and a comedy show. For details, call 724-2620.

A panel of Glenbrook South High School students from diverse backgrounds will share their experiences and concerns about fitting in, during a special program in the Maynard Room of the Glenview Public Library at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 30. The public is invited to this free program.

Also at the library:

There are still a few spaces left in the online consumer health sources workshop from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Wednesday April 30. This hands-on program is designed to help you find and evaluate resources related to health. Register at the information desk or call 729-7500 to sign up. Bring questions you would like to research.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with "The Art of Frida Kahlo," presented by Claire Cross at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 6. She'll explore the work, experiences and times of this extraordinary woman whose art is rooted in Mexican lore. The film "Frida," which tells the story of her relationship with famed muralist Diego Rivera, will be shown at the library at 2 and 7 p.m. Friday, May 16.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 7 International Night will focus on Poland with photographer Pat Wadecki. She has traveled extensively to the birthplace of her parents and captures the local lifestyles. See slides of Krakow, Auschwitz and Zakopane -- the jumping off point for the Carpathian Mountains.

The Glenview Symphony Orchestra and the Glenview New Church will host an open house from 2 - 5 p.m. Sunday, May 18. Meet musicians from the orchestra, enjoy chamber music, refreshments and a tour of the historic grounds. The church is at 74 Park Drive, one block west of Shermer off Glenview Road. For more information, call 920-9569.

Evanston and Skokie teamed up to open a new dog park Saturday at 3220 Oakton Street. It features three exercise areas plus separate drinking fountains for canines and their owners. Pooch Park requires a membership fee of $70 per year from non-residents. Its grand opening, to be called "Woofstock," will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 1. For details, call 674-1500 or 866-2900.

DDH writes about a Tribune report that a new library could be built at The Glen: "It seems clear now that the Unite Party, with its new board of trustees monopoly, will carry out Larry Carlson's pledge to 'Watch our smoke.' Village Manager Paul McCarthy's long range plans will now become short range as he issues direct orders to Larry and the board to implement his 'move to The Glen' master plan. Expanding on Larry's plan to demolish the middle of downtown Glenview, McCarthy and the board will think much bigger. Demolish all of downtown Glenview as we know it, replace it with a new development called Condo Canyons, while moving the post office, library, Village Hall and anything else in sight to The Glen. Then apply for a name change for the entire village from Glenview to The Glen. Need a referendum to find out if the taxpayers like the idea of moving everything to The Glen? ‘Not necessary.’ says Village Hall. After all, the developers love it, our paid consultants love it, and the politicians love it. Why bother the taxpayers? Like it, friends and neighbors? Well, you get what you vote for. Is that smoke I smell?"

TT writes about the condition of Glenview’s outdoor pools: "I just got done reading Mrs. S's letter to you about the condition of Flick and Roosevelt pools. The village has known about this problem for years, but there hasn't been money to do anything other than patching the leaks. Had Mrs. S. been paying attention, she would realize that the park district has been talking about the imminent demise of the two pools for several years. Yes, it does mean that we will most likely need to pass a referendum to get more tax dollars to fix the problem permanently. This is just one more example of someone expecting the best, but not wanting to spend a dime of their money to get it. This is America and there is no free lunch."

DM is keeping an eye on downtown Glenview: "It seems to be experiencing some new growth. Renneckar's is under construction. Who will be the lucky merchant to occupy this space? The new Giant party store is a giant eye sore with neon lights glowing in the dark, a space that looks like an open warehouse and balloons to distract shoppers from the view of cement walls. Glenview is very particular about who and what becomes part of this glorious village. Giant was obviously an oversight!"

The Watch replies: We have been unable to determine who is moving into Renneckar’s old space. While a building permit has been issued, sources at Village Hall claim they do not know what’s going on there, and the leasing agent is mum. As for Giant, because there was no zoning change, the store was not obliged to go before Glenview’s appearance or plan commissions for review.

Bob Sherman asks about all those police cars on Willow Road last weekend: "I was wondering what happened on Easter Sunday at the intersection of Willow Road and Chicago River. While on the way to church I saw five police officers looking into the water. Returning from church I saw two police cars, an ambulance, a fire engine, and a large crane."

The Watch replies: A man driving a pick-up truck went off the road early Sunday morning, and his vehicle flipped under the roadway that crosses the river. He walked away with minor injuries, but a crane was required to retrieve the car. The driver told police he could not recall how the accident happened.

Maggie wonders about one goal of Glenview’s historic preservation commission – to seek status for some homes built by a couple of noted architects in an eastside neighborhood known as Solar Park: "Do you know the name of the noted pair of architects who built homes in East Glenview, possibly for preservation status? Could it be George Fred Keck and his brother? Who would I contact if I wanted to help get preservation status."

The Watch replies: Yes, indeed. A number of Glenview homes were built by George Fred and William Keck. The Wisconsin brothers were Midwestern pioneers of modern architecture. George Fred built a number of historic houses in Glenview including the Sloan House in 1940 and the Solar Park subdivision in 1942. They are described as Wright-inspired, organic structures built of wood, stone and brick. Many have crescent-shaped floor plans and interesting systems for heating and ventilation including passive solar architecture. The Kecks are probably best known for their glass and steel "House of Tomorrow" built for the 1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair. It was described as "stunning and elegant." To learn more, visit jetsetmodern.com/keckarticle.htm or take a spin east on Glenview Road, turn right on Coronet and check out houses on Solar, Edgewood and Redwood Lanes. If you’d like to get involved with preservation efforts, call 847-724-0106.

MM is concerned about the newest senior residence at The Glen: "When driving down Patriot Blvd. a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that Chestnut Square, the housing development for seniors, was almost complete. Do those buildings have concrete between floors and firewalls between units? It appeared that the multi-unit building was like one large frame house. If this is the case, residents could be at risk. Maybe they have to build this way to make the units affordable."

The Watch replies: A top village official tells the Watch this structure meets all local building code requirements including concrete floors and masonry fire walls between units.

JM thinks it might be wise to fence detention ponds: "Has it ever been considered a problem that retention pools of water are open to the danger of drowning for small children? I have seen several of these in our area, and I know that private and public pools are always required to be fenced. Anyone ever brought this up?"

The Watch replies: Assistant Village Manager Joe Wade does not recall any discussion of fencing detention ponds, although some privately owned ponds have signs warning the public not to swim, fish or play near them.

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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