A 49-page report by the Detroit-based consultant Gibbs Planning Group offers surprising details on what may be coming to downtown Glenview. It hints at where officials may be planning to put a new library and what they have in mind for the current Dominick’s site. Gibbs believes the market would support a 50 percent increase in the amount of retail space downtown, and he proposes allowing developers to construct a number of mixed use developments with shops on the first floor and high-priced condos or apartments and offices above.

These "new structures should be developed with no fewer than three stories, resulting in a community with a higher-class appearance. Two-story buildings generally have lower impact. . . and almost always result in a Class B downtown environment," he writes. Addressing concerns that Glenview Road would become a canyon between mountainous new buildings, Gibbs says the community has no choice. "Current market economics indicate that three-level construction is necessary to support new commercial ventures."

Anticipating the arrival of 6,500 new Glenview residents by 2010 and 5,600 new day-time workers commuting to jobs at The Glen, Gibbs proposes the following mix of new retail space in a six-block stretch of Glenview Road from Waukegan to Lehigh/Harlem roads:

– A CVS pharmacy and convenience store

– Several restaurants and cafes including Starbuck’s, Panera Bread and Potbelly’s Sandwich Shop

– A theater with two screens, a stage and meeting rooms

– An upscale grocer such as Whole Foods, Sunset Foods and Wild Oats

– Apparel stores like Eddie Bauer, Benetton, Brooks Brothers, DKNY, Liz Claiborne, Pacific Sunwear, Marshall’s, Chico’s, Cache and Talbot’s. Bath and Body Works, Ray Ban Sunglasses and other stores selling personal care products and accessories could also locate in the new Downtown Glenview.

Gibbs’ report was based in part on a survey of 2,873 local households conducted in 2002. From that survey, the consultant concludes, "There is limited interest in bars/taverns and fast food establishments."

It’s not clear how he settled on the specific retailers mentioned, but Gibbs rules out Walgreens and an Asian stir-fry restaurant as well as "low-rent tenants such as martial arts, pawnshops and palm readers and redundant businesses such as medical/dental, personal care salons and real estate offices." He rejects the prospect of big box retail which "is not viable due to the North Shore’s extremely high levels of existing shopping center development."

He would not ban dry cleaners. In fact, one is included in his scenario for the current library site. There, he believes the CVS and General Nutrition store could also share space with a theater, bakery or sandwich shop, Blockbuster Video and Starbuck’s.

And where might the new library locate? Gibbs believes it should stay downtown and lists the Glenview Fire Station (western half) and the Glenview State Bank as a parcel that should be redeveloped and expanded to make way for the library. It’s not clear whether the station itself would stay, but he suggests preserving the "architectural features of the existing State Bank building."

The consultant supports updating existing buildings while "preserving and enhancing historical architectural features and improving store fronts, facades and signage," but he feels "most of the existing retail structures along Glenview Drive [SIC], and particularly the 1800 block, are mismatched, dated and in poor condition."

Gibbs says the existing Dominick’s will probably be gone in four years and should be replaced by an upscale grocer and a mixed-use commercial development that could encompass the entire block if businesses now facing Glenview Road can be relocated.

The Patio Shops parcel should also be redeveloped. "With the exception of the One-hour Photo Shop, which needs to remain in the Main Street, the other tenants could relocate to Optima West," Gibbs writes.

That Dewes Street development, which has been unable to attract retail tenants on the first floor as required by local ordinance, should be allowed to sell its street level units to business and professional people. In fact, Gibbs thinks all of the new mixed use buildings should be exempt from the retail requirement on the ground floor as should buildings located on downtown side streets.

The consultant recommends finding a way to develop shops along Glenview Road in front of the OLPH campus, calls for a quality restaurant at the former site of Renneckar’s Pharmacy and believes a river walk should be built to make downtown a more appealing place. He repeats the advice of previous planners who say new developments should include courtyards, plazas and gardens in front of civic buildings to create gathering places.

The report makes a number of key assumptions. First, Gibbs says Glenview has got to improve the traffic and parking situation downtown by converting parallel spots to angled spaces and building or requiring developers to build lots or garages behind new developments.

"It is assumed that the village is able to maintain reasonable levels of traffic service," Gibbs states before quoting from a 2002 transportation report that gave Glenview Road an "F" for traffic flow with "low speeds, long [lines of cars and trucks] and high delays. Congestion at signalized intersections is jammed, and traffic is over capacity during peak hours," the report said. "Due to congestion, the rate of traffic flow is one-third or less of the potential for the road width."

Gibbs makes a brief reference to calls in Glenview’s Comprehensive Plan for roadway reconfiguration and increased right-of-way widths. He also suggests improving sidewalks but supports the "zero setback" style that puts buildings close to the road.

Finally, there is the matter of funding – another detail that gets scant attention. "Explore creative and appropriate use of alternative financing tools, such as tax increment financing [TIF] to support development of new retail," Gibbs writes.

Gibbs says early on that resident expenditures "cannot be expected to increase for any given retail category simply by introducing [new] retail space into the marketplace. Rather, the market share for each retail category will be redistributed after new stores open, with some negative sales impact on existing units."

In other words, a new sandwich shop is likely to take business from Jimmy John’s, and a new café will likely hurt Caribou Coffee. What’s more, Gibbs concedes existing businesses could be destroyed if forced to move from current locations. Below a photo of "the popular Cat’s Meow Gift Shop," the consultant writes, "If these important tenants are displaced during the initial phase of revitalization in the downtown, it will be difficult to recover their core customers."

Editor’s note: While the report runs 49 pages, it does not deal with some of the most critical questions Glenview must tackle before plunging into downtown revitalization. First, it looks only at Glenview Road, ignoring the problem of the post office which sits just one block away. The consultant did spend some time discussing the Optima West Building, a block south of Glenview Road, but does not even mention the woefully inadequate post office on Prairie Street and the opportunity to relocate it in tandem with new library construction or expansion and on-going development of The Glen.

Second, how much new debt can this community afford given its current load at The Glen? Gibbs implies that we will have to spend money to fix traffic and parking problems before any substantial redevelopment takes place, but can we come up with the cash?

Third, given the community’s heavy investment at The Town Center, might significant downtown redevelopment detract from the success of some merchants at The Glen? If so, is Glenview working at cross purposes?

For the most part, these shortcomings are by design. The trustees wanted a market study and did not direct Gibbs to look at fundamental questions on which his recommendations depend, but we are also disturbed by the small errors that remind us Gibbs is not local and does not really understand Glenview’s unique situation. He refers to "Glenview Drive, Willow Avenue and LonGrove," in the report, suggests there is something in Wheeling or Highwood that might be worth imitating, and quotes from an article in the Northbrook Star to support his view that new rental units are needed in Glenview.

Four new businesses will appear before the village board Tuesday requesting special permits to open here. In the Waukegan Road shopping center anchored by Reagan Meats, Mario Galleti Jr., plans to operate an espresso bar and restaurant featuring Italian-American foods. The shop will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m Monday through Saturday and will seat 30.

In another small strip at the intersection of Glenview and Greenwood roads, anchored by Jiffy Lube, Daniel Meen and his wife want to sell coffee, smoothies and pastries. The zoning board raised some concerns about the adequacy of parking, but the Meens say much of their business will take place before the lunch hour when a neighboring Subway and Little Caesars Pizza get busy.This spot will focus heavily on carry-out business with seating for only eight.

And at 9800 North Milwaukee, Tatyana Tomshevkaya plans a high end "destination for connoisseurs from all over the northern suburbs – a beautiful upscale atmosphere" for the sale of wine and liquor. She will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

At The Glen, another liquor license is requested for Yard House Restaurant – part of a chain based in Southern California. Founded in 1996, the Yard House motto is "Great Food – Classic Rock," but its claim to fame is "the world’s largest selection of draft beers on tap." Set to open in June, the restaurant also wants permission to sell its signature growlers – 64-ounce carry-out containers of draft beer.

After reviewing proposals from three companies anxious to help Glenview search for a new village manager, the trustees said they favor James Drury Partners – a Chicago company with no experience finding public sector executives. The trustees’ preliminary choice bypasses The Mercer Group, an Atlanta recruiter with extensive public sector experience and Chicago-based Heidrick and Struggles, the largest executive search firm in North America. The board was not happy with the bid from Drury or Heidrick and Struggles. Both companies wanted $50,000 plus expenses to do the job. But in going with the relatively new James Drury, Trustee Jeff Lerner speculated the board might get a better price, and Trustee Mary Beth Denefe thought the smaller, greener Drury would "work harder for us." If the board is unable to get a lower bid from Drury, the trustees said they’d take a second look at Heidrick and Struggles – the recruiter preferred by board member Mike Guinane.

After studying plans for a new police station similar in style to the award-winning Park Center, the new Attea Middle School and the remodeled Glenbrook South High School, several members of the Glenview Village Board turned up their noses. An architect from Sente Rubel Bosman Lee described the building as "a bridge between the past and the future" – combining traditional red brick and limestone with a more contemporary look, but Trustees Kerry Cummings, Jeff Lerner, Jim Patterson and Mike Guinane didn’t like it. Cummings complained the structure didn’t look like a police station, and Patterson – admitting he is not an "artsy" person, said the building "didn’t make sense. To me, it just doesn’t add up."

The board was also hesitant to endorse design features that would qualify the new building for certification by a Washington group called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Known as green buildings, these structures protect the surrounding environment, reduce water use, cut waste and energy costs while assuring clean indoor air.

Raymond Lee, Sente’s principal architect, said green buildings may also improve worker productivity. He cited the case of a Wisconsin health insurance company with a LEED-certified building. By using more natural light, designers claimed lower utility bills and a 16 percent increase in worker productivity.

Lee admitted green buildings are a little more expensive to construct but saved money over time. A report by California state government supports that claim. It says spending about 2 percent more at the outset, yields 10-fold savings in the costs of operation over the life of a building.

Trustee Jeff Lerner asked for more scientific support for green architecture and described it as "cutting edge risk."

Lerner would find a list of more than 90 certified buildings and hours of good reading material at the U.S. Green Building Council’s website – www.usgbc.org .

Editor’s note: At times like this, we feel the lack of progressive leadership in Glenview is especially tragic, threatening to saddle the community with an old-fashioned building for decades to come. Glenview’s lame duck manager Paul McCarthy called green architecture "a leap of faith and generally a political statement," but there’s plenty of data to support this enlightened approach to design. From the Lions Clubs of Detroit to the federal courthouse in Youngstown, Ohio, from Herman Miller headquarters in Zeeland, Michigan to the Toyota campus in Torrance, California, smart public officials and business leaders are seeing the wisdom of building green.

Last week, The Watch reported Glenview’s new zip code could mean a change in car insurance rates for local residents. Now comes word that health insurance might also go up. WMAQ-TV recently reported on a Hanover Park woman who had lived in the same house for 10 years. When her post office changed the zip code, she notified Blue Cross/Blue Shield and was told her premium for health coverage would rise by $50. When Debbie Geiger expressed surprise, Blue Cross reportedly claimed it was common practice in the health industry to set charges in part on where a customer lives, since health care charges vary from one area to the next. Blue Cross told WMAQ that other customers actually experienced a rate decrease when their zip codes changed.

More than 2,100 kids are already enrolled in park district summer programs, and Director of Leisure Services Bob Quill says 118 are on waiting lists. Quill said the district would try to accommodate many of those kids by adding extra sessions, but he warned it may not be possible to make places for everyone. He denied that Glenview’s growing population had put a strain on programs. "We’re at about where we were last year at this time in terms of enrollment," he said. Quill cited especially strong demand for a new cheerleading clinic and the Kids Campus program that combines several activities in a single day. He urged parents who want specific activities for summer to "get in to Park Center and register." Quill also noted the district is accepting applications from older kids and adults who want camp counseling, life guarding or other summer jobs with the district.

A grand opening celebration and light refreshments are planned at 10 a.m. Wednesday, February 18 at the new Glen of North Glenview Metra station located at West Lake and Lehigh avenues. The station will eventually have 1,500 parking spaces. At Tuesday night’s meeting of the village board, trustees will decide whether to designate Lehigh Road parking for commuters or to reserve spaces as two-hour parking until a time when demand for commuter parking exceeds lot capacity.

If you want to take part in the upcoming presidential primary and are not registered to vote, you must do so no later than Tuesday, February 17. You can register at the Glenview Public Library from 3 - 9 p.m. Tuesday.

– The Northfield Township Democratic Party endorsed John Kerry in the upcoming presidential primary along with State Senator Barack Obama for U.S. Senate. Also winning the party’s stamp of approval, Glenview resident Jerry Orbach who’s running for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Dick Devine who’s seeking re-election as Cook County State’s Attorney and Gene Moore for Recorder of Deeds. Lee Goodman, who hopes to unseat Republican Mark Kirk as Congressman from the 10^th District, is unopposed. The Northbrook resident has been endorsed by the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

– The Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters have endorsed Obama in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

– House of Representatives hopeful Lee Goodman will speak on the war in Iraq at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 18 at the North Shore Unitarian Church, 2100 Half Day Road in Deerfield. A video on the war, "Uncovered," will be shown at 7:30 p.m.

Glenview’s park district board will tackle a range of topics at its monthly meeting, from new swimming pool plans to trick bikes at Glenview skate parks, livestock recommendations and an update on plans for the visitors’ center at Wagner Farm. Join the Park Center discussion at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 19.

– A Wilmette man who used a handgun to shoot a burglar who broke into his home now plans to fight a local ordinance banning guns in homes. Hale DeMar says such a law is unconstitutional since it violates his right to privacy.

– A Chicago developer who wants to build in downtown Northbrook says he’ll scale back on the office building at 1363 Shermer Road. Mitch Gerson caved after one plan commissioner called the design an "unmitigated disaster," because it provides just 38 parking spaces for a structure that should have 51.

– The 45-year-old North Suburban YMCA in Northbrook may be forced to close. The facility faces a $100,000 shortfall in the budget for its coming fiscal year. Losing members to Glenview’s Park Center, The Five Seasons Country Club and the Weinger Jewish Community Center, the facility took a big hit this summer. At least 200 members bailed when the facility’s air conditioning unit failed. It took five weeks to replace it, and the Y has still not raised the money needed to pay for that job.

– Police say the death of a 16-year-old boy hit by a Metra train just north of Willow Road on February 4 was a suicide. The incident involved an honor roll student at Glenbrook Evening High School.

– Prize-winning poet Paulette Roeske will read her work at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 7 in the Glenview Public Library. Roeske writes about family, friends, travel, experiences as a teacher and a range of emotional states from love to loss. Beforehand, the first five members of the public who show up and want to read their favorite poem from U.S. or world literature will be invited to do so. The most effective reader will win a $25 gift certificate from Alibi Books located at the Optima Building while the other four will get a subscription to Free Lunch, a local poetry magazine. Reservations are recommended. Call 729-7500, extension 112 to assure a seat. For more information, visit www.poetsfreelunch.org .

– Patty and Tom Erd of the Spice House in Evanston will speak about the history and lore of spices at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 17 in Glenview’s public library. The two have been recognized for their expertise by many top chefs, food writers, radio and television programs and Gourmet Magazine. Sign up at the information desk or call 729-7500 ext. 112.

– Looking for a job? Learn to use the Internet to find jobs that are never advertised at 10 a.m. Thursday, February 19 in the Maynard Room of Glenview’s library.

-- Glenview Library cardholders can pick up tickets this Saturday, February 21, for next Saturday's performance by the Georgia Sea Island Singers. Kids and their parents can experience the Gullah language with songs and games passed down by slaves of the coastal islands. 

-- Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Maurice Possley will be at the library at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 24 to discuss his recently 
released book about the Brown's Chicken Massacre. Register at the information desk. 

– Sign up for a consumer health workshop at 2 p.m. Thursday, February 19 to learn what medical resources the library provides. Call the information desk at 729-7500 ext. 112 to register. The library also offers private, 45-minute tutorials with a librarian on a variety of subjects. To request a session, call the information desk or log on at www.glenview.lib.il.us/tutorial_form.html.

The Cat’s Meow is hosting a food drive for the Evanston Animal Shelter. Bring donations of cat or dog food and other pet supplies to the store at 1814 Glenview Road and be eligible for a chance to win "Waving Lucky Cat." The store will also be celebrating its 23^rd year in business this week, offering 23 percent discounts on merchandise and free refreshments.

Mike Scholl, co-chairman of the Yes for Pools campaign, was identified by the Watch as a crony of Park Board Commissioner Ted Przybylo in our last edition. He wrote to "set the record straight. My involvement with this referendum began as a result of my wife filling out a survey while swimming at Roosevelt Pool this past summer. She volunteered to help on a committee for the passage of a referendum. Thus, in September we received a phone call from the pools referendum consultant asking for help. This is a single-issue campaign that I highly endorse. This is not ‘pool party politics.’ My family uses all of the park district facilities. As a resident of the village of Golf, we live in and pay taxes for the Glenview Park District. It is important to our village to have a voice in the park district. After 105 years of combined service, Roosevelt and Flick pools have served the community well. However, they both face closure by the state for several reasons. Both of the pools cost our community thousands of dollars each year in lost water. The pools also do not meet ADA requirements, an issue which I am very committed to. As for your claim that, ‘Scholl’s an old family friend of Parks Commissioner Ted Przybylo,’ that is simply not true. I just met Ted Przybylo about three years ago at a charity function at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish. Przybylo asked if I would support his candidacy for commissioner. Since then, Ted and I have become friends. The only connection to the Przybylo family goes back to the days when my father served as a Chicago alderman and state senator and would hold some of his political dinner dances at The House of the White Eagle, which the Przybylo family owns."

And SF doesn’t see passing a referendum for pools if we won’t approve one for education: "Even within the context of our sports-crazed culture, I'm still appalled that Glenview residents are considering paying more taxes for new swimming pools just a few short years after we said no to a similar request from our schools. Have we gone mad?"

Joe Williams finds hypocrisy in Village President Carlson’s complaint about a new zip code: "I am just flabbergasted by Larry Carlson's agonizing over the addition of a new zip code in Glenview and his contention that it should be stopped because it’s going to cause a great inconvenience to businesses and residents. Is this the same guy who asked all residents to put up with the inconvenience of rebuilding Lake Avenue, especially those who live on Lake Avenue, because Glenview is a growing community? Is this the same guy who is trying to use eminent domain to move Epco out of its current location and asking the owners to put up with this inconvenience because the town is growing? Is it the same guy who asks residents to put up with the inconvenience of teardowns in their neighborhoods because the town is changing? Is it the same guy who asked all of us to put up with inconveniences caused by development at The Glen because it was going to make the town better? Now all of a sudden a new ZIP code is more than anyone should be asked to endure. Are residents going to turn to drastic measures because they have to fill out some change of address cards? I would suggest businesses simply put stickers on their stationary informing the recipient that the zip code is changing. (Normally the village would hire a consult to come up with that kind of idea.) Businesses have survived area code changes with minimal financial impact, and this is no different. So, Mr. President, why not follow the lead of the citizens of Glenview and just suck it up. Could it be that you are letting your personal circumstances as a local business man affect your governing judgment?"

AH is also surprised that anyone is surprised by a new zip code: "With redevelopment of The Glen, I thought everyone knew this was coming."

And Mr. L. writes: "If memory serves me correctly, that proposed zip code for The Glen was in use for a long time for the Naval Air Station when active. So it’s not new. It’s reactivated, and the old boundaries should still pertain, eh? I also recall that the first ads for the new theater at The Glen carried the 60026 zip code. Who gave them that zip? Was the change already planned but unannounced? And while we’re talking about the post office, working conditions there are terrible. People have far too little space in which to do their jobs, and the hiring freeze leaves them horribly understaffed. Within the past 4-5 months they have had three different postmasters. Why? And why no publicity on these new postmasters in the Announcements? A poll of Glenview citizens might show that many are dissatisfied with their home delivery of mail. Due to the hiring freeze, some carriers have to take on the delivery routes of others. This leads to overworked employees and may also mean late delivery of the mail. When Village President Carlson referred to business mail as ‘junk mail,’ I was distressed. Mail is important to commerce. How would Carlson feel if someone called his village bulletin ‘junk mail?’ And, finally, I hope that whenever a new post office is built, spaces are set aside for handicapped people. Even the little post office at Techny has one."

TD encountered a coyote last week: "My small dog and I came across the path of a coyote in our northern Glenview subdivision. This was surprising considering the amount of activity on Waukegan Road and at the very nearby, large grocery store. My instinct told me to make some noise to scare the creature away, and although this worked, the coyote really didn't seem too afraid. Having read recent newspaper reports of small dogs being eaten and children being scared by coyotes in Northbrook, I wonder if the coyotes are simply expanding their areas in search of new sources of food. It has now been a week without further incident, but I wonder who I should call if I encounter a coyote again. A call made to the Glenview Police the morning of the encounter resulted in a ‘there really isn't anything we can do at this time’ response."

The Watch replies: Like deer, coyotes have gotten pretty comfortable around people, but they’ll keep their distance if you make noise and act in a threatening manner. It’s also wise to keep your dog on a leash. As long as you’re close by, a coyote won’t attack. Like raccoons, these animals are scavengers who live comfortably in suburban neighborhoods, feasting on rabbits, squirrels, birds, eggs, insects – and, if given the opportunity, garbage. So close trash cans tightly and keep an eye on pets in the yard. While coyotes will go after small dogs and cats if unattended, they are no threat to kids.

AKH wonders what happened to the Cubby Bear’s plan to locate at the corner of Lehigh and Chestnut: "I haven't seen anything on this. Maybe I missed it."

The Watch replies: The Cubby Bear has decided not to locate in Glenview, and the property is still owned by George Baker who rehabbed the interior of the old Railroad Inn, installed a new kitchen and is now waiting for a good offer.

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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