|
|
The Glenview Watch
|
|
The national spotlight shone on Glenview last Wednesday when the commercial real estate section of the New York Times featured a story about The Glen. Noting that other military bases had been slow to redevelop, reporter Terry Pristin described Glenview’s rapid construction of The Glen. “The flat prairie landscape is now dotted with hundreds of houses, red-brick stores and office buildings, all linked to the rest of Glenview by newly built roads,” she wrote.
Pristin said 2,900 of the expected 4,000 new residents had
arrived, “many of them young families from Chicago.” She noted that Glenview got the land at no charge, faced no
limits on the amount of debt it could acquire and was willing to support
the effort with big bucks. In
addition to the $175 million spent on infrastructure, she said the
“village has paid $52 million in overhead for the project, $70 million
in interest and $83 million in incentives, mainly through tax increment
financing.” On the up side, Pristin said Glenview had earned nearly $200
million from land sales.
After a tour of the development, she wrote that The Glen Town Center is 86 percent leased, but Village Development Director Mary Bak told the Times, “The Town Center still poses a big risk for Glenview because it is not on a major highway and was unable to lure some of the better-known retailers. My kids are still looking for The Gap.”
Pristin also said the office park was having trouble attracting tenants, with 43 of the 87 remaining acres undeveloped and the speculative office building at Patriot and Willow only 55 percent occupied.
One other measure of the new neighborhood’s success is yet to
come, according to Glenview’s Economic Redevelopment Director Don Owen.
He told Pristin, “For marketing purposes we named it ‘The
Glen.’ But that name over
time will go away, and this will be just another area of Glenview.
People will say, ‘I’m on Patriot Boulevard in Glenview.’”
GLEN RESIDENTS REJECT REALITIES OF NEW URBAN LIFE
When architects from Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings and Merrill planned The Glen, they foresaw a pedestrian-friendly community, a place like some city neighborhoods of the 1950s, where neighbors would talk on their front porches while children played on the sidewalk, where your local pizzeria was right down the street. They called this style of development “the new urbanism,” but it’s clear that people who moved there thought they were buying in the suburbs.
The latest case of conflict between planners and residents involves homes near a shopping strip at the new Metra station. Agostino’s Pizza is preparing to open there, next to Egg Harbor, but residents told The Glen Redevelopment Commission they don’t like the idea. Dan Doeden, who lives in a Cambridge home behind the retail center, said he fears a drop in property values.
When he bought his home in 2001, during the first phase of development, Doeden said no one knew what was going in at the Gateway Shops. “We certainly weren’t told there were going to be restaurants, pizza parlors serving alcohol.” Doeden says he bought “on good faith” after questioning developers who promised extensive landscaping to shield the neighborhood.
“There was supposed to be a 3-foot high berm providing a park-like view from Lilly Avenue to prevent the intrusion of headlights and the view of automobiles for residents of Lilly. That hasn’t happened,” Doeden complained, adding that headlights shine directly into some bedrooms and “all the way down our street.”
“Some of the residents have had their homes for sale. One was unable to sell because buyers were quite concerned about what was going on across the street,” Doeden said.
He also worried that the new restaurants won’t allow cigarettes, so dozens of smokers will be “standing outside that building in public areas, huddling together facing out town homes, and that’s going to mean increased noise.”
Finally, Doeden said traffic, trash and parking would likely become problems for the neighborhood and have a negative impact on quality of life. “We had all heard that this was an urban concept, but the concept is not necessarily the same as the execution of that concept.” In addition to providing the joys of city life, he opined, Glenview was “importing all the problems that they have in Lincoln Park as well.”
Another resident told the commission she did not want the pizza parlor’s patio open until 10 p.m. on week nights and 11 p.m. on weekends. She said she had young children, and her neighbor was a light sleeper. “Noise travels a lot more when it’s quiet at night,” she explained.
Doeden then submitted a petition from the neighbors demanding the
developer be made to put in the promised landscaping and a 6-foot-high
fence across the western edge of the property.
THE VILLAGE REPLIES
Commissioner Ron Greco sounded skeptical when he asked how headlights could be a problem. After all, he said, the only restaurant open is Egg Harbor, an eatery that closes well before sundown. Doden said construction workers are sometimes at work by 4:30 a.m., and restaurant staffers also arrive early.
Commissioner Mary Novotny also pressed Doden, saying earlier plans had called for a microbrewery at the site. She seemed surprised that the neighbors were balking at a pizza parlor. “Would you rather have a microbrewery?” she asked.
Doden conceded pizza was probably preferable, but he said buyers
were not told about plans for the microbrewery either.
THE DEVELOPER PUSHES BACK
Meanwhile, the owner of the shopping strip was asking to be excused from village parking requirements – saying there was plenty of street parking and spaces in lots at the Metra station and Gallery Park nearby. If the commission did not give them a pass on the number of parking spaces required, the developers warned they would be unable to rent space where they hoped a coffee shop and deli would soon be doing business.
Chairman Howard Silver suggested the whole discussion be continued at this Wednesday’s GRC meeting to be cablecast at 7:30 p.m. He urged the developer to come back with a plan to prevent parking problems in the area by arranging for employee parking in the Metra lot, reimbursement of customers who park there or providing valet parking for them. He also asked the village to find out what could be done to improve the landscaping between the shopping strip and residential area.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVISITED
There could be some red faces on GVTV when the trustees again debate whether and how to preserve historic properties at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 18. A village survey of other communities shows the vast majority allow their historic preservation board or citizens to nominate properties for landmark status. Glenview trustees had suggested only property owners should be allowed to nominate – a policy followed by just 2 of 24 neighboring towns, Hinsdale and Winnetka.
If Glenview adopts that restrictive approach, developers would be free to purchase and destroy historic properties at will, effectively emasculating the current preservation ordinance and robbing the community of control over its heritage. Nothing would stand in the way of a condo complex replacing the old Glenview State Bank building or Glenview House.
Nominating a property for landmark status does not guarantee its protection but calls the matter to the trustees’ attention. They would then decide if a building should be declared a landmark. The public is invited to testify on this matter. Residents can also comment on the other big item on Tuesday’s agenda – a 1 percent hike in the local sales tax.
Editor’s note: Did you catch that little note in the latest
Village Report? One month
earlier, in a column that clearly carried his name, Larry explained to
residents that The Glen Town Center was located off the beaten track so
School District 34 could benefit. “If
the Glen Town Center had been built on Willow, District 30 would have
gotten the sales and property taxes from the Center,” he wrote.
This month, the newsletter confesses a booboo but is careful not to
blame Carlson. “We incorrectly reported that School Districts 30 and 34
receive sales tax revenue,” it says. “In actuality, school districts
do not receive sales tax revenue. They only receive revenue generated from
property taxes. We apologize for the editing error.”
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN BEGINS
Noting an unusually light agenda for the first village board meeting this month, President Carlson might have called for a discussion of many issues of substance. He might have asked the trustees to review Glenview’s system of committees and boards to determine which ones are needed and whether new panels like one to monitor traffic safety should be created. The one new commission Carlson established months ago has yet to convene because Larry has only appointed two people to serve. There’s been virtually no discussion of downtown redevelopment or construction of a new library. There is still no affordable housing for seniors at The Glen, and it’s impossible to get safely from many parts of town to that new neighborhood on a bike or on foot, because Glenview’s sidewalks and bike paths don’t connect.
But Larry wasn’t willing to tackle any of those topics. Instead, he used the extra time to honor teams and teens from Glenbrook South High School who, last year, won state awards for horticulture, speech and boys’ volleyball. He spoke warmly of the high school and its youth. “All too often we read or hear about the negative images of adolescents,” Carlson said.
When the pomp was complete, parents and students cheered and Larry said, “Thank you all for coming, and let’s do this again next year.”
Editor’s note: Once
again, Carlson demonstrates a penchant for good politics and bad
government. There’s nothing
wrong with honoring high school students, but we’ve always felt that
board time should be reserved for dealing with the serious problems this
community faces rather than cheerleading and stumping for votes.
THE REMARKABLE MR. RANDALL
President Carlson was beaming last month when he announced that village residents would get a 10 percent credit on their monthly trash collection bills thanks to “the skill of our village attorney,” Jeff Randall. Three weeks ago, The Watch pointed out that customers had missed a week of service – 25 percent of what’s provided in a month. It seemed to us the discount should reflect that fact. Last week we again contacted the village manager’s office and were told, “Jeff Randall is currently reviewing the contract to see if there are any further avenues to explore.”
Groot, which holds an exclusive contract to collect trash in Glenview, may be remembered fondly by the village fathers as a company that bought $10,000 worth of centennial books from organizer Jim Smirles during the community’s 1999 celebration.
WHO’S ON FIRST?
Glenview’s elected officials and their appointed lawyer are lucky that so few residents watch them fumbling and bumbling through village board meetings. At the last one, Trustee Kerry Cummings tried to include a clause in the new liquor licenses going to a couple of restaurants. She wanted to be sure beer and wine were not sold from self-serve coolers.
Cummings wondered if she could
do an “ombudsman.” The
legal term she wanted was “omnibus” – a procedure that allows
lawmakers to vote on several items at once.
Told that was okay, the village clerk began to call the role, but
attorney Randall said a simple voice vote would suffice.
“All in favor,” said Carlson.
“Aye,” said the trustees.
Having received approval for an
omnibus vote, Cummings then moved to limit beer and wine sales, prompting
an interruption from Randall.
“My mistake. I thought that
the vote you just took was to restrict sales from coolers.”
He and Cummings then went back
and forth, trying to clarify what should happen next.
After nearly three minutes, the board voted unanimously to award the liquor licenses.
GLENVIEW’S IRISH CONNECTION
Jim Kenny, the construction magnate who served as President George W. Bush’s campaign treasurer and gave generously to the election effort of Village President Larry Carlson has left Glenview for greener pastures. Kenny is now in Dublin where he serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. “When 9/11 occurred, I knew that I wanted to serve my country,” Kenny told the Chicago Sun-Times. “This is my chance to serve my country.”
DISTRICT 34 PLANS TAX PAY BACK
Despite the fact that it expects to need more money in the years ahead, Glenview’s school board voted to give back $1.3 million in taxes it collected while waiting for a state grant to build the new Attea Middle School. That money has now come in, and while some board members said they were tempted to divert the cash for future state-required expenses, they had promised during the referendum that Attea would ultimately cost the taxpayers nothing.
HOLIDAY HELP WANTED
Northfield Township invites you to put your compassion
into action by helping provide holiday meals to area residents in need.
The number of people using the local food pantry is at an all-time high.
With the holidays around the corner, the township is organizing an effort
to provide store certificates in addition to the basic food items usually
distributed. The goal is to
help families purchase their traditional or ethnic favorites directly and
thereby experience holidays that are meaningful to them even during a time
of financial crisis. Donations of store gift cards or checks in any amount
will be most appreciated. They
can be sent to Northfield Township Food Pantry, 3801 W. Lake Avenue,
Glenview IL 60025.
BIKES FOR SALE! BOWS WANTED.
You can buy a used bike for $10-$15 and help needy kids. Stop by 1254 Shermer Road in Glenview any weekday, 8:30-5:30. All proceeds benefit Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook, a group committed to serving the young people of this community by promoting positive mental health and stress management.
The group is also calling for donations of wrapping paper, boxes,
ribbon, tissue paper and time, plus new gifts or holiday cash to make this
season bright for needy local families. Call Glory at 847-724-2620 for
details.
RUNNING OFF THE HOLIDAY FAT
About 400 runners and walkers of all ages are expected in Glenview Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27, for the 7th annual Tall Trees Turkey Trot, a 5_kilometer fun run/walk that benefits Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook. The race begins at 8:15 a.m. in Tall Trees Park and winds through the neighborhood just west of the corner of Waukegan Road and Lake Street.
The event is sanctioned by the United States Track and Field Association. Medals will be given to male and female finishers in a wide variety of age categories. The cost is $20 before November 27, and $25 on the day of the race. Families of three to five can enter for $15 per person before race day. Long_sleeve T_shirts and goody bags will be provided to participants who have pre_registered. For race_day registrants, shirts will be provided while supplies last. Interested runners can sign up online at Signmeupsports.com. For more information on registering for the race, email Kraus@sw.com or call 312_701_9328 or 847-657-9060.
RESIDENT CHASES DOWN BURGLARY SUSPECT
Residents of a new subdivision known as Ashton Park reported more than their share of burglaries this year. Seven of the 16 homes south of Lake Avenue and west of Shermer Road reported thefts of tools, bicycles and other items from garages and cars, so when 42-year-old John Selzer saw a man in his neighbor’s backyard at 4 a.m. Sunday, November 9, he told his wife to call the cops, then took off running. The suspect, a 24-year-old man who lives on Huber Lane, was eventually captured by police, with Selzer close behind. Selzer told the Pioneer Press he acted on instinct after his neighborhood was “nickled and dimed to death.”
NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORS
-- Northbrook resident Lee Goodman says he’d like to challenge Congressman Mark Kirk for the chance to represent the 10th congressional district. Goodman founded a grassroots group that opposed sending U.S. troops to Iraq. In addition to ending the conflict there, he says he would work to increase jobs in the U.S. and to provide all Americans with health care coverage. Eleven other individuals will talk with the Democratic party about running for the U.S, House seat.
-- The Wilmette Village Board voted 6-1 to ban smoking in almost all businesses including restaurants. Local eateries like C.J. Arthurs and the Old Ouilmette Depot protested and predicted a 10 percent decline in business, but the trustees were swayed by their local department of public health which argued passive smoke poses risks to other diners and employees. The American Lung Association cheered the news as an important advance in its battle for a statewide ban like the one approved by California. The ban will take effect July 1.
-- Morton Grove is working to fill a $3 million shortfall in next year’s budget with a package of tax and fee hikes. The village might begin making residents pay for their own garbage collection at a cost of more than $185 per year while raising the tax on prepared food by one percent, the motor fuel tax by one cent per gallon and water and sewer rates by 75 cents per thousand gallons. Trustees in Morton Grove have already okayed a new ambulance fee and a .25 hike in the local sales tax. Officials blame fewer state and federal dollars for their financial troubles along with the loss of sales tax revenue that occurred when Abt moved from Morton Grove to Glenview.
LIBRARY LORE AND COMPUTER CLASSES
– Veteran Chicago Tribune columnist and author Jon Anderson will tell tales from his book, "City Watch: Discovering the Uncommon Chicago" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 18. He has written for Time Magazine, the Chicago Sun_Times, Chicago Daily News, and the Tribune for the past 25 years. You'll hear first hand stories about our city. To register for this free program, call 847-729_7500 ext. 112 or go online to http://www.glenview.lib.il.us/programform.html.
– The Oakton Acapella Chorus performs holiday songs from around the world at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 30. Oakton's Choral Director Michael Adamczyk leads the group in traditional
favorites and some foreign melodies. Again, registration is requested. Call 847-729_7500 ext. 112 or go online to http://www.glenview.lib.il.us/programform.html.
– Become a better online shopper through a hands_on
workshop offered by the library. Learn
how to find the right merchandise at the right price and order it safely
from reliable vendors. Previous
Internet experience is required. For details, call the Information Desk at
729_7500 ext.112 or visit http://www.glenview.lib.il.us/tutorial_form.html.
– For folks in need of a small, supportive place to gain computer skills, the Glenview Senior Club offers instruction to groups of no more than three at 3:15 p.m. each Wednesday in November. Classes are free for members and $5 for non-members. To make a reservation, call
847 486-5393.
READERS WRITE
Terri Graham, the Northfield Township Community Service Coordinator, could not resist the chance to enter a poetry contest sponsored by the Glenview-based poetry magazine Free Lunch and the pasta maker Barilla. She calls it, “Compassion in Action:”
When is Spaghetti sauce
More than just something with noodles to toss?
And Capellini (You know, the one where the pasta is thinner),
When is it more than just dinner?
When it's provided to the local Food Pantry to help feed
Our neighbors in need.
Mere food then thus raised to embrace those in a difficult time,
Sharing community caring through an invitation to dine.
With thanks to Barilla for its recent delivery,
Offering thoughtful assistance while allowing each person dignity
With rigatoni and macaroni,
You've expressed compassion that's clearly not phony.
As well as meaningful support to families who live here,
And to those of us working to help diminish their fear.
And while I know my poem has no meter or rhyme,
Your gift to the Pantry builds hope for a future that continues to shine!
RTS was glad to read about the media reform conference in Madison: “This issue does concern me. There is an organization that is on your side and is trying to do something about it. Their concern is with broadcasting rather than publishing. The broadcast industry is increasingly controlled by giant corporations whose ‘public be damned’ attitude, in which the bottom line is all that counts, causes them to broadcast programs that fill up our prisons, our divorce courts and our shelters for battered women. I urge you to learn more about this organization which is supporting the public interest and fighting corporate greed. You can learn more at www.parentstv.org.”
A reader who calls himself Very Disappointed was shocked to read that Village Manager McCarthy would love to dine with syndicated columnist Molly Ivins. She “is an out and out communist and very anti with regard to America! She makes me wonder why she deigns to live in our country!”
The Watch replies: If Ivins is indeed a communist (which the Watch thinks she is not), then what would you consider McCarthy? A communist sympathizer, a fellow traveler or maybe just an outgoing guy looking for a real deal meal companion?
KR wonders what the real deal is when it comes to a new library: “After hearing about the telephone polls re: the library etc., I'm just wondering: When really will we officially hear about where this library will be built, or do we still have to vote about this sometime and when? What's the time line for an official decision?”
The Watch replies: Eventually, the library board will make
a decision during a meeting open to citizens who will have the opportunity
to voice their support or opposition.
Also, the board will have to consider whether to raise property
taxes to build and operate a new facility.
That issue will be
considered during a public meeting as well.
It’s up to the library board to say when all this will happen.
Jack Neymark disagrees with readers who think the village should build a new post office to free downtown space for a larger library: “The suggestion that residents of Glenview pay for a new post office and relocating it raises several issues - - particularly that of using local tax dollars for a building that belongs to another tax-supported institution, the federal government. This is unheard of! As far as expanding the existing library, the footings are such that a second story cannot be added. This was investigated and is not an option. The original library, constructed in 1955, was added onto in 1968 and again in 1986. It would be necessary to raze the current structure in order to gain any type of functionality. There is very little worth saving - antiquated HVAC systems, a canopy on the southwest corner that is literally crumbling, carpeting with holes in it, no furniture that meets even the most basic of ergonomic requirements, etc. All new construction needs to meet ADA specifications. The library is not in compliance at this time, but would have to be brought up to standards. It would cost the taxpayers a tremendous amount of money, and they would have very little to show for it. It certainly would not produce a library that functioned well, that provided adequate meeting spaces for the public and that offered the technology and other electronic resources that are needed. In December 2000, 60 percent of residents surveyed preferred that the Glenview Public Library remain in its current location and expand or rebuild on land where the current post office is. This was their preference if all costs were equal, which they are not. In the latest survey, only 38 percent preferred the new downtown location given higher construction costs, while 49 percent prefer The Glen. Our community, with its wonderful schools, beautiful homes, Aaa bond rating and strong growth, deserves a newer, larger, world-class library. Let’s bring our library into the 21st century!”
The mystery remains regarding our report from the first walking tour of historic downtown. We mentioned a lack of information regarding the little brick building just north of the dairy bar. Joan Schuessler wrote: “When I moved to Glenview back in 1938, that small building (triangular though it is) was the telephone company. The one operator sat inside the window (now not there) and you could watch her put the plugs in her board when calls came through. I assume that it is still there because it has the old telephone nexus and they don't want to have to do it all over. Therefore it should be preserved as a part of the history of Glenview and someone should look into the past and find out who owns it, but I suspect it belonged to Ma Bell and therefore does not belong to the current telephone company.”
But Viola White remembers another use: “I have lived in Glenview all of my life _- late seventies now _- except for three years in Wilmette 1950_1953 and remember that building as a child. As I recall, the rather triangular building of architectural style similar to the ex_post office building, was a newspaper distribution center. The local family who operated the news service found the location to be convenient for receiving their daily shipments of newspapers which came from the city on the train stopping at the nearby station.”
William Dose, a leader of Scenic Glenview, sends thanks for coverage of the tour: “By sensitizing our residents and elected officials to local downtown history and architectural features, we can develop a stronger sense of community pride, propriety and ownership. This will hopefully translate into greater concern over aesthetic issues, maintaining our charming village ambiance, and warding off over_commercialization.”
John Hedrick, founder of the Glenview chapter of Scenic Illinois, takes exception to the charge that his group “wimped out” when it failed to spotlight the Wagner Farm: “The purpose of our group is both to maintain the historic character and improve the appearance of the entire village. As an established not_for_profit organization, this first and foremost involves citizen education. Fortunately, many individuals and groups have already been debating the issues regarding Wagner Farm. There are many more reasons that the Glenview downtown district needs immediate attention. For example, our group has been active in discussions of the proposed Glenview Comprehensive Plan, and we will continue to promote awareness of architectural and landscape design issues as needed throughout the village.
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.