VILLAGE MAY HIRE DESIGNER TO GUIDE NEW STORE SIGNS

Glenview's plan commission is recommending to the trustees that Village Hall hire a "nationally recognized, award-winning" graphic designer to provide free advice to local stores on their signs. The idea was proposed by Commissioner and architect Peter Brinckerhoff who thought this was one way to "guarantee good design" for Glenview's commercial areas. "Good design is recognizable to everyone," he said. "It's produced by good designers who know how to achieve it." Brinckerhoff added that this consultant should not be hired through competitive bids, since the cheapest vendor might not be the best.

Commission Chairman Howard Silver didn't like the idea of requiring the designer to be "nationally recognized and award-winning. I'm sure there have got to be a lot of good ones that may not fit that qualification, and when you put that in you're going to double the price per hour," he said. Silver also worried that some businesses might spend hundreds of thousands of tax dollars getting advice on a sign, then decide not to proceed. 

Commissioner Gary Wendt thought the program might have to be mandatory to have the desired impact, since people don't always take good advice. Commissioner Steve Bucklin disagreed strongly, saying the use of a sign consultant should be voluntary.

Development Director Mary Bak said other communities have hired consultants to help with facade improvements and the results have been "dramatic." She thought money should be set aside for this purpose in next year's budget and said the commission could continue to debate whether the program would be required or optional for businesses erecting new signs.

Resident and professional sign designer Bill Dose, who has worked with businesses on N. Michigan Avenue and Oak Street in Chicago and with merchants in many North Shore communities, approved the idea of a consultant but felt stricter limits on the size of window signs were still essential. "The most elegant logo in the world is horsey and vulgar when it exceeds proportional limits," he explained. 

The commission proposed to restrict non-illuminated signs to no more than 25 percent of a store's window. Dose said many North Shore communities enforce a restriction of 15 percent.

Another member of the Scenic Illinois group which has lobbied for a window sign ordinance, Gary Bruckner objected to a commission proposal that illuminated signs take up no more than 20 percent of a store's window. Bruckner said that was still a lot of neon and Glenview's business district could end up looking like "a honky tonk free-for-all."

The trustees are expected to debate the matter at their meeting on July 15 

Editor's note: Glenview's chamber of commerce, which has historically opposed any regulation of signs, did not send a single representative to the plan commission's final public hearing on the subject, perhaps recognizing that the village board has final say and often disregards the advice of the plan commission. The chamber boys may just be saving their breath for the village board – a group with less grounding in design and a better understanding of politics than the appointed plan commission. Glenview's business community bankrolled campaigns that elected all seven members of the board, and President Larry Carlson once headed the chamber.

VILLAGE WON'T BACK DOWN FOR WAGNER AREA DEVELOPER

A lawyer for the developer planning luxury homes northeast of Wagner Farm appeared before the plan commission last week and made threatening noises over a demand that it provide a 50-foot right-of-way along the road. The Buckingham Group pointed out that plenty of subdivisions along Wagner have been approved with lesser rights-of-way. Some provide just 33 feet. Citing a court ruling involving a gas station in Schaumburg, attorney Bob Kenny suggested it was wrong for Glenview to single out his client.

Chairman Howard Silver said the village was simply trying to plan for a time when Wagner Road might carry even more traffic and widening of the road might be necessary. Development Director Mary Bak added that the village board gave preliminary approval to a uniform requirement of 50 feet at its last meeting and would make that new rule official at its next meeting in mid July. Bak added that some of the properties described by Kenny were actually in Northfield.

The lawyer said he still thought 50 feet was excessive but would be back to discuss new plans on July 22. 

BUSINESS WATCHING

– Glenview's Plaza del Prado will be home to one of 26 suburban branches of a Seattle-based bank expanding rapidly into the Midwest. Capitalizing on consumers' desire for a friendly, service-oriented financial institution, Washington Mutual plans to open 250 more branches nationwide. The company, known to customers as WaMu, features a more casual interior. There are no teller counters or charges for personal transactions, nor does the bank charge for its ATM withdrawals, debit or checking transactions. The Pioneer Press reports Washington Mutual's formula seems to be a success with its stock up 15 percent in the last year.

– Work has begun on a showcase store for Family Video, the Glenview-based video rental chain that hopes to give Blockbuster a run for its money. Originally based in southern Illinois, the firm recently opened its new headquarters at The Glen and is building its first retail outlet near the corner of Glenview and Greenwood.

– The United Way of Glenview/Golf has agreed to merge with United Way of Metropolitan Chicago in a plan to reduce administrative costs and increase the amount of money going to needy people. The local organization and many other suburbs have been able to meet their goals over the past few years, but the mega-charity has fallen short in Chicago. Glenview's United Way hopes to raise $205,000 this year and says most of the dollars donated here will be spent here through 22 agencies serving this area.

SCHOOL NEWS AND BLUES

– Glenbrook District 225 may be ready to provide the tax abatements demanded by Caremark to attract the pharmacy plan management firm now located on Sanders Road in unincorporated Northbrook. Caremark is considering three sites: the old Motorola factory at 4000 Commercial Avenue in Northbrook, a vacant site at Techny and The Glen. While all three locations would eventually mean new tax revenues for the high school district, it would have to wait longer for those dollars if Caremark did build at The Glen. A tax increment financing arrangement there sends all tax revenue to the village to help pay for redevelopment of the former Glenview Naval Air Station. 

– School District 34 has hired former superintendent Bill Attea to help with the hunt for someone to replace Dot Weber at the helm. Weber plans to retire at the end of the next school year. Attea is now a professional consultant who conducts such searches for a living. He will not charge the district for his time but will get up to $10,000 for expenses including advertising and travel. The consulting firm that led to Weber's hiring charged Glenview nearly $15,000 plus expenses.

– Winkelman School in northwest Glenview may offer a full-day program for kindergartners next year at no additional cost to taxpayers. School District 31 Superintendent Debra Hill has proposed hiring a private company to offer enrichment activities before or after the half-day program now being provided by the school. Medallion, a subsidiary of the food service giant Aramark, operates more than 1,100 programs. District 31 said it couldn't afford to provide a full-day kindergarten, but parents who want the full-day program could have it by paying Aramark just under $3,000 per year. The school board will vote on Hill's proposal July 24.

THE GREEN SCENE

– Lake County is set to acquire and enhance another 1,000 acres of open space including prairies, wetlands and forests. The Forest Preserve District will spend just under $83 million – money provided through a special referendum. The additional public land will provide habitat for wildlife, walking and bicycle trails and parks.

NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORS

– Computer Discount Warehouse founder Michael Krasny, who walked away from a deal at the corner of Skokie Boulevard and Dundee when Glenbrook School District 225 refused to give him tax abatements is now interested in buying 18 acres at 1000 Skokie Boulevard – a site originally eyed by Costco. When Northbrook refused to give Costco permission to build a warehouse store, the company chose to open at The Glen on Willow Road where some say it will generate a million dollars a year in annual sales taxes for Glenview. 

– Massive community opposition could keep Finish Line Dodge from moving to the former Salvi's site on Waukegan Road in Northbrook. Village officials would love to have the tax revenue from another car dealership, but dozens of neighbors have attended public hearings and presented petitions or letters in opposition to Finish Line. They argue, and some plan commissioners agree, that the dealer could hurt residential property values in the area just north of Techny.

– Several North Shore beaches were closed June 20 because of high bacteria counts. Public health experts say E. coli and other pathogens in the water could cost stomach problems for swimmers who swallow them. The suburbs are using a new test this year as part of a statewide effort to standardize ways of measuring water pollution. Testing takes 24 hours, so swimmers are sometimes subject to a health hazard without knowing it. State officials hope that by collecting and tracking data, they can identify factors that lead to dangerous E. coli levels and begin to predict problems. Possible sources of pollution include seagulls, waste dumped by boat owners and inadequate sewage treatment in Milwaukee.

– Glencoe has added new hurdles for developers of multi-family housing in an effort to keep them from constructing large buildings on small lots. A new zoning ordinance increases building setbacks and lot coverage limits while requiring the developers to go through a special permitting process. They'll be required to prove their projects won't have a negative impact on the neighbors.

– About 255 neighbors of the Muslim Community Center on Menard Avenue in Morton Grove have hired a lawyer and may file suit against the village for allegedly failing to enforce zoning laws there. The residents contend the facility needs special permits. They accept the use of the facility as a school but say worship and other community uses bring too many cars to the neighborhood. Their complaint comes as the MCC prepares to ask for permission to build a mosque at the site. Morton Grove's plan commission has already said it thinks the 4-acre property is too small. Neighbors have offered to help the MCC find a larger location.

READERS WRITE

Karen responds to HD's complaint about a lack of parking, safe bike paths and mass transit for this year's Fourth of July fireworks: "We live three blocks from the train, and I walk to the station every morning. We also enjoy the walk from our home to the fireworks every Fourth of July. There's no reason why you can't park at the train station and walk down Dewes or Henley to the golf course. It's a fun walk. All the neighbors are out and everyone is in such a festive mood. I'd hate for stinky buses to spoil the atmosphere! There are simply fewer parking spots this year because of the development of Swenson Park. They can't park cars on the skate park like they used to park cars on the fields. The village probably wanted to get the word out so people can plan ahead. As long as the fireworks are at the golf course, parking and ease of bicycling will be an issue. I'll be sad if the fireworks move. I like my short walk, but the world we live in is full of trade offs, so I'll enjoy our fireworks at the golf course or The Glen." 

JAS was puzzled by our description of two new pools planned by the park district: "What is the operative word here: flashy new facilities or modest? Nothing about these pools sounds modest. Is it the tax hike that would be modest? While we're on parks, what is that nasty metal thing you see as you drive down scenic Shermer Road in Swenson park. Where was our Appearance Committee when that was allowed to happen. All that beautiful acreage and
they stick that thing right up by the road. Tell me that would have happened on The Glen!

The Watch replies: Architectural drawings of the new pools suggest colorful and diverse new aquatic centers, hence our choice of the term "flashy." On the other hand, these facilities will not be the elaborate regional water parks some communities have opted to build. 

PJK is pleased to hear about plans for new pools: "Over the weekend my family and I went over to the Centennial pool in Wilmette and it was so nice compared to what Glenview has. The Centennial facility charges a lot more if you are a non-resident. Will the future Glenview facilities do the same (currently it is the same price for everyone)? I would hope so since Glenview residents will be paying more taxes to build them, plus it will help keep the crowds down.

AH followed our advice and called county's highway department about a safety problem linked to Lake Avenue reconstruction – then wrote: "Cook County came through and placed concrete barriers to protect pedestrians on a small stretch of Lake Avenue during construction! A big thank you to project engineer John Biensel who listened to my concerns and took action."

Sharon Schuster, who heads a local publishing firm called Publications Plus, was surprised to hear about village plans to commission a book on the history of Gallery Park: "About the $38,000 the Village Board agreed to spend on a four-color, 40-page book on Gallery Park, did they go out for bids? Did I, as a graphic designer with offices in Glenview who would have liked a chance to bid on it, miss the notice? Had I had the chance to bid on it, I'm sure I could have suggested a more cost effective approach. Since I feel it's part of my job to counsel clients, I might even have suggested that the community really didn't need a book, roughly the size and look of a typical non-profit's annual report, devoted solely to Gallery Park. Instead, I might have suggested a publication that described all parks and attractions in the changing Glenview landscape."

The Watch replies: Your letter makes great sense, Sharon, but in the Wonderland world of Village Hall, sense is apparently in short supply. The book will actually be published by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill – a pricy Chicago firm that designed Gallery Park, and since most other recreational facilities in Glenview belong to the park district, publishing a comprehensive book would require village and park district cooperation -- also in short supply.

Biff Thiele has heard enough from Glenview's best-known library board critics: "Guys, we get it. You made your case. The post office saves $4 million by moving to donated land at The Glen and Glenview taxpayers save an additional $20 million by adding on to the library at it's current location. In the court of public opinion, the official case is lost by default, because the village and the library still refuse to answer the two basic questions which you and the Watch have posed over and over again. Is there a demonstrated demand for such a large building with so many services, and could money be saved by building a new post office at The Glen, while building on to the existing library at its present location?

"In my opinion, these questions are being ignored, because the village and the library don't care about saving money. After all, it's not their money that they plan to spend. They fully intend to move all the village essentials out to their new little town on Patriot Boulevard., and our downtown will be left to wither in the breeze. All the consultants and studies and savings in the world don't matter to these people. It's just smoke and mirrors to cover their real intentions. 

"They aren't happy with the results of their previous survey where 60% of those responding said to leave the library where it is, so they are going to do a second survey, and to make sure the public doesn't screw up their plans again, they will not allow the current location option to be considered.
We're being led like lambs to slaughter, here. These bums don't give a hoot what we think. They will continue to plow full speed ahead, out of control with their plans, and we are expected to just stay out of the way and write those checks. As I continue to watch his smoke, I would just like to once again thank Larry Carlson for nothing. A leadership roll infers that you lead. Tell us your plan and quit jerking us around."

John Ranz and Terry Wodder aren't giving up. After reading about the amenities Glenview's library board hopes to offer in a new building they write: "No tanning beds? Until the library board conducts a patron seating study to prove it needs three times more many patron seats per capita as recommended by one of the nation's leading authorities on library planning, comments like those in last week's issue of Glenview Watch are just another pathetic example of the board's use of smoke and mirrors. We urge the readers of Glenview Watch to support a compromise plan we call the BEST solution – short for ‘Both Expand to Save Taxes.' By simply adding on to the present library, the board will save the taxpayers almost $15 million by not replacing the space they have already paid for and which their own consultant said was in ‘very good condition.' With the money saved, the village can then make the post office an offer it can't refuse, and the citizens of Glenview can enjoy all the goodies the library board has planned for them plus a brand new post office at The Glen. If the library board doesn't include this compromise plan in their upcoming survey it will prove they are determined to build new regardless of cost, regardless of need, regardless of the BEST interests of the citizens of Glenview they were elected to serve."

DS wonders: "How long Waukegan Road might be under construction."

Joe & Barbara Downey are disgusted by developments in the village they've called home for more than four decades: "After 43 years, five months and 26 days, my wife and I have had enough. The City Fathers have run roughshod over the older settlers, who enjoyed the 40 years of The City Fathers listening to and representing all the residents in Glenview. Now, The City Fathers have paid no attention to those of us, that attended meetings after meeting where The City Fathers lied to us time and time. They are power brokers the listen to highly paid consultants that are interested in money, not the best interests of Glenview. The Glen is all about money. We sold our house and have moved. We thank The Watch for keeping us so well informed and even representing Glenview when no City Father seemed to care about anything other than The Glen."

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.

To read past issues of Glenview Watch, Click Here