The board room of Village Hall was packed February 24 as the plan commission held a public hearing on the proposed 10-year plan for downtown Glenview. A Milwaukee-based consultant explained why, after three years of work with the community, his firm recommends more retail activities on the ground floor of Glenview Road buildings with offices and residential uses above.

Larry Witzling of Planning and Design Institute (PDI) also suggested the library be retained downtown if possible – at its present location or at the site of the current fire station. He said it should be possible to find another location for that station, since Glenview Road needs more retail activity, and he ruled out putting the library at the current Dominick’s site, saying a grocery store is key to the future of downtown.

PDI said new buildings should reflect others in the neighborhood. Civic buildings should be more prominent than stores, and developers should include public art and gateways to the downtown area. The plan calls for angled parking, garages and parking lots behind buildings. 

Witzling urged the village to complete more detailed plans for each block and to redevelop gradually. "If you do just half of this in the next several years, that’s a major accomplishment," he said, adding that one decision should be made soon – the location of a new or renovated library.

"One of the things that kills development the quickest is uncertainty," he explained.

The consultant had little to say about The Glen, but Plan Commission Chairman Howard Silver raised the subject. Noting that village officials once envied suburbs like Highland Park for their thriving downtown areas he said, "We now have one of our own at The Glen. On Glenview Road, it becomes a greater task because you’re dealing with existing businesses. You probably won’t get the Gap or any major chains down there."

The consultant conceded downtown Glenview might not attract many national chains but said it could appeal to some. He cited a recent market study commissioned by the village claiming this community could support a 50 percent increase in retail activity downtown. "This is a very large community, a very large market," Witzling said.

He added that the community might not want franchise businesses downtown. "Local stores can have wonderful charm," he explained. PDI’s Gaurie Rodman agreed, adding that downtown will always have retail potential because commuters use the train station and motorists drive by on Waukegan Road.

Library President Mark Grant was blunt. His board didn’t like either of the library sites proposed by PDI. He claimed parking in either place would be woefully inadequate and space for expansion would be lacking. "Since the library moved into its own building in 1955, there’s been an expansion about every 18 years – in 1968, in 1986 and now in 2004. It would be imprudent to build a new facility without anticipating expansion within the next 20 years," he said.

Grant also raised doubts about the Glenview Road location, saying it was the most expensive option considered by the library board. The library board’s president said choosing that site would be "an extreme disservice to the taxpayers."

Plan commissioners then questioned Grant, hoping to learn which location the library board preferred, but Grant was evasive. "The library board wants to be at a site that will not require a four or five-story building and has adequate parking."

Commissioner Joe DiMattina complained that the board had been slow to tell the comprehensive plan commission where it wanted to go, but Grant pointed an accusing finger at the village which will finance new construction or renovation. "We’ve had several executive sessions with the village board," said Grant. "When last I spoke to Larry Carlson, he put us on hold, waiting to see how this plan would be unveiled tonight."

Chairman Silver said the planning process depended on whether the library could be built downtown. Grant said he would not rule that out. "Can I live with the most expensive site? If Larry Carlson can live with it, so can I," he said, adding that the library board prefers the larger Colonial Court site not recommended in the comprehensive plan.

Editor’s note: Grant’s assumption that the library needs room for growth should be challenged. He’s looking back to a time when Glenview had considerable open space and substantial potential for new construction. Today, the community is built out. What’s more, America’s information-seeking patterns are changing. With the advent of the Internet, central libraries may not be as important to suburbs in the years to come.

Commissioner Steve Bucklin pointed out that Mount Prospect’s new library put a lot of parking underground. Grant said it was expensive to build, and he claimed space below a building might be dangerous for patrons. "As a library, we’re concerned about security issues. We would have cameras and everything, but bad things could happen, and the library could be sued," Grant said.

Bucklin, who owns a security company, dismissed that fear, saying underground parking is common in commercial and public buildings. "I think when you look at providing more space, there are advantages," he said. "I surely would like to see the library consider that."

Local attorney Mike Downing addressed the commission on behalf of the Glenview State Bank, Bess Hardware and Glenview House. He said those downtown businesses were surprised by the speed with which the commission was moving and wanted a chance to submit their own ideas for the area. They had hired a consultant, and Downing said his report would be delivered to Village Hall in due time.

Mocking Downing’s remark, Commissioner DiMattina referred to the "lightning speed" of the planning process. "The first meeting of the comprehensive plan commission was May 24, 2001, and then there were several meetings on the downtown beginning December 13, 2001. Another was on August 15, 2002."

Swainwood resident Sharon Riley urged the commission to get its priorities straight – preserving and supporting existing businesses on Glenview Road. "These stores are unique and special. They’re part of a dying breed – small, independently owned shops. After years of serving our community, paying their taxes, going along with the disruptions caused by improvements to Glenview Road, I feel these stores are worth preserving."

Speaking as a member of the Interfaith Community Action Network (ICAN) – a coalition of Glenview churches and a synagogue -- she said, "There is a groundswell of support for affordable housing – homes for individuals of moderate income such as many of the seniors in our community, our grown children, people who work in our community and would like to live here."

Riley called for a healthy mix of people in Glenview and decried plans to "transform our village into an escalating high-end home for the very affluent." She called for the establishment of a housing commission. Then, speaking for herself, Riley added that Glenview should preserve housing for low-income families too. "Quite frankly, there is no place for these friends and neighbors to go."

Her remarks brought a round of applause from the audience, and two more members of ICAN stepped up to speak. Chairman Silver warned the plan commission could not legally mandate affordable housing. That, he said, was up to the village board. When one of the women began to speak, Silver broke in.

"This is a long meeting. I’ve got a lot of cards," he said. "This has to be specifically about the downtown issue for the comprehensive plan. You can’t make all kinds of political statements."

The women seemed mildly surprised by Silver’s interruption but stood their ground and completed their appeal for some place where teachers, firefighters, police and local government employees could live.

Editor’s note: There was nothing inappropriate about the call for affordable housing downtown, and there is no reason why the plan commission could not recommend its inclusion in the comprehensive plan. What was inappropriate in our opinion was Chairman Silver leaving the dais to chit chat with a couple of lawyers who represent developers while consultant Witzling made his presentation. 

Downtown merchants also shared their concerns with the commission. Glenview Coin’s co-owner Jennifer Kozicki urged the village not to hire anymore consultants but, instead, to consult people like her who live and operate businesses on Glenview Road. A newly-formed coalition of local businesses will meet March 10 to plan their next move after being shut out of village planning sessions.

Meanwhile, Epco Paint owner Mark Puls has gathered 16 pages of petition signatures opposing a village plan to condemn his property next to the Glenview Public Library. The owner says he was offered $600,000 for the building his family business has occupied since 1951. He contends that’s not enough to buy another site in Glenview and claims the former Renneckar’s site recently sold for $1.3 million.

The Knit Whiz has moved to Olympia Center, across from the library, after months of speculation that the shop in the 1800-block of Glenview Road would be torn down to make way for a newer, taller building.

The owner of Kim’s Chop Suey, also in the 1800-block, says the sale of his business was cancelled after he informed a prospective buyer that the village might decide to condemn and raze the property.

Robert Hauf of Hauf Hobbies worried that newly-constructed buildings on Glenview Road would be too expensive for many local businesses. Downtown merchants say they pay as little as $14 per square foot for store fronts. Merchants in Deerfield’s redeveloped downtown pay $35 per square foot. "If I had to go through that kind of rent increase tomorrow, it’d probably wipe us out," he said.

"Thank you," said Chairman Silver.

Finally, Jack Ryan who owns Barbara’s Oak Glen Florist wondered why the consultant had called for creation of a "special purpose downtown district under village control." Was this, he wondered, a way to streamline the process of condemning existing buildings? Development Director Mary Bak assured him Glenview has all the condemnation power it needs but said a special service district might establish different rules for development to encourage new construction. She said one such district already exists on Waukegan Road. Communications Director Janet Spector Bishop later said that district was near Lake Avenue, but she could not provide an address or details on how the existing district works, when and why it was established.

The comprehensive plan calls for a special purpose district downtown to provide "development initiatives that directly link the village social, economic and aesthetic aspirations to specific economic advantages for the developer."

Tom Schewe, a long-time village resident, wondered about the proposed relocation of the library. "It sounds good. I just wonder who’s gonna’ pay for it," he told the commission.

Noting 1,100 kids attend school at OLPH, and traffic is already "pretty intense" on Glenview Road, Julie Cooper asked what redevelopment would mean for drivers. Chairman Silver said a March 30 hearing would be devoted to traffic villagwide, but he cautioned that details of redevelopment – the location of driveways and the number of cars a property might generate – are not included in the comprehensive plan.

Resident Bill Dose, a professional designer and retail consultant, warned against allowing too many franchise stores downtown. He described one wealthy California community, La Quinta, that successfully redeveloped its downtown with a 10 percent limit on national chains. Closer to home, Dose said Glencoe, Winnetka and Lake Forest have upscale boutiques and restaurants "operating out of virtually derelict old buildings."

In downtown Wilmette, he said, the most banal building is the new one that houses Panera Bread and Joseph A. Banks. "It’s not necessarily something that contributes to the upscale image," he said, adding that older buildings in Glenview could be greatly enhanced with the addition of simple architectural features. "You can turn a lot of Glenview into instant Georgetown" without much expense and without having to tear it down." Dose dismissed another consultant’s call for a CVS pharmacy downtown. "That’s hardly an upscale building," he sniffed.

Chairman Silver agreed, joking that he owns stock in Walgreens. He tthen called for the commission to adjourn. It will meet again at 7:30 p.m. March 9 to hear public testimony on another part of the comprehensive plan – a section that looks specifically at the future of Chestnut Street, the Lehigh Triangle, Old Willow Road and the Jefferson/Monroe area. That meeting, to be held in the board room of Village Hall, will be cablecast on channel 17. Once scheduled hearings on eight different parts of town are complete, the plan commission will recommend changes to the comprehensive plan.

As Glenview maps out a plan for downtown redevelopment, the history of nearby Arlington Heights might signal a need to go slow. Crain’s Chicago business reports that six years after reshaping its downtown, the Nortwestern suburb hit a bump.

"The effort to reinvigorate [Arlington Heights’] aging core had been considered a model of transit-oriented development, the notion of putting multi-story residential buildings close to train stations to create urban-style downtowns," wrote reporter Bob Tita. "There have been successes, especially on the residential side. The 425 condos built since 1998 have roughly doubled the population of the downtown area to 2,200, boosting foot traffic and sparking an after-hours scene where little existed before. Projects calling for hundreds more condos, as well as new commercial space, are on the drawing board."

"Retail rents have risen to an average of $22 per square foot, compared with $10-$12 per square foot in older downtown buildings in the late 1990's. Not surprisingly, rising rents and the arrival of national chains such as Gap, Panera Bread, Bath & Body Works, California Pizza Kitchen, Starbucks and AnnTaylor Loft helped squeeze out some mom-and-pop operators. "

"But after a promising start, there have been some setbacks. Gap last month shut down a four-year-old downtown store. . .A McDonald’s restaurant and [Seattle’s Best] coffeehouse both shut down late last year. One of the focal points for the redevelopment also is in trouble. The owners of the four-year-old Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, which houses a 350-seat theater, classrooms for Roosevelt University and a high end restaurant warn that they’re losing money. Rather than let the theater go dark, village officials are considering buying it for $2.75 million."

The article quotes Michael Stopka, owner of a downtown home and garden store. He is not convinced retail redevelopment makes sense for Arlington Heights. "The foot traffic is up, but the foot traffic has to buy. Sales have been basically flat."

After an informal survey of village employees and residents, Glenview’s communications director has launched a program designed to share information more quickly and to better convey the role and goals of Village Hall.

Janet Spector Bishop asked the trustees to consider a $25,000-$30,000 marketing campaign to "brand" the village, "so people know what it does and why." At the very least, she felt the board should spend $5,000-$8,000 coming up with a new logo. (Spector Bishop did an audit of printed materials and found more than a dozen village logos in use.)

Already, she has determined the village newsletter needs to be longer, more timely, eye-catching and interesting. Toward that end, the village manager’s office approved hiring an outside printer to produce a new, two-color, six page publication at an additional annual cost of up to $20,300.

Village Hall has also spent $5,000 to upgrade its website software and – four years after Glenview Watch began offering instant e-mails on breaking news – Village Hall plans to establish an e-mailing list to keep residents informed on timely matters. The cost of the new Internet notification system is $6,200. Finally, Spector Bishop plans to spend $5,000-$8,000 on professional photographs and printed materials that she feels will improve communications with residents.

An internal e-newsletter is already circulating at Village Hall, and Spector Bishop has begun meeting with her counterparts at the park district, chamber of commerce and several local school districts to coordinate community-wide information. A group of front line village staffers has been selected to meet and brainstorm future initiatives. "These are the people who know why residents are angry," Spector Bishop explained. "They know what people are calling about and what’s confusing them."

Spector Bishop said she would look to the trustees for help in figuring out what the key messages of Glenview should be and how the village should be branded if the board votes to go forward with a campaign. In talking with public officials, she noted a range of views on this subject. Some felt Glenview should work to aggressively brand itself as "the best place to live," while others wondered, "Why do we need to brand the village? Are we having trouble getting people to live here?"

Editor’s note: Branding is what McDonald’s does to sell more burgers than Wendy’s. Since Glenview taxpayers are in no position to purchase public services from Wilmette or Northbrook, we hope the board won’t bother with a $30,000 branding campaign. Not only would such an effort waste our tax dollars, but we fear it could be used by incumbent trustees to persuade voters that they’re doing a swell job.

Pauline Girocco and Ann Mostardini have been upset since December 23 when they learned the village had banned holiday decorations at Glenview fire stations, so Sunday they took to the streets. Girocco, who is 84, and Mostardini who is 76, stood outside Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church gathering signatures from parishioners who feel a Christmas tree is not a religious icon. The priest had announced their presence from the pulpit, and the faithful lined up six deep to sign. By noon, Glenview’s golden girls had close to 500 signatures gathered at OLPH and the senior center. They plan to present to Village Hall before trustees begin debate on the controversial policy.

Editor’s note: In January, Village President Carlson promised an early discussion on the topic, but then Carlson is the man who presided over a comprehensive plan that took three years to produce.

After more than 50 years, Glenview Schwinn has closed its doors, forcing locals to look elsewhere when it comes to repairs. The owner wanted to retire. Watch for a physical therapy center called RE:FIT to take the bike shop’s place at 910 Waukegan Road, just north of Glenview State Bank. Meanwhile, callers are being referred to another local merchant serving families and cycling enthusiasts – George Garner Cyclery at 1111 Waukegan Road in Northbrook.

THE GREEN SCENE

Village President Carlson has named two more residents to Glenview’s new natural resources commission. Carol Freeman is a nationally-recognized nature photographer who’s been active in restoring Illinois prairies and wetlands. Karen Glennemeier has a Ph.D. in biology and works for the Audubon Society. She has special expertise in grassland birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Editor’s note: Carlson and former Village Trustee Kent Fuller should be commended for choosing outstanding people to serve on this commission. Their only mistake, in our opinion, was a refusal to open the doors of Village Hall to more qualified applicants. The comprehensive plan commission had 21 members, but Fuller and Carlson insisted on keeping the environmental team small with just five appointees. Given that it may, at times, be difficult for all to attend meetings, the commission may be forced to put off business for lack of a quorum. More critically, Carlson and Fuller rejected at least one strong and willing candidate who would have brought important technical and practical background to the commission. C’mon guys. When you get a surfeit of volunteers for any public mission, the mantra should be inclusion.

– A Lyon School first grader is back in the classroom this week after an accident that put District 34 into crisis mode. After getting off the school bus at his home in Sunset Village, the boy began walking alongside the bus atop an icy embankment. When he slipped and injured his legs, witnesses assumed he had been run over by the bus. The driver stopped and called for help. Police and paramedics responded. Lyon’s Principal Dave Work rushed to the scene, then accompanied the child and his parents to the hospital. The following day a letter was sent to parents explaining what had happened and urging them to talk with their kids about school bus safety. Teachers were also told to have a talk with their pupils, and the child’s classmates got one-on-one counseling. In the end, it turned out the child had not been run over, and no bones were broken.

– District 34 enrollment is up by 75 students this year, but the big bulge gives some credence to those who forecast a significant number of students eventually coming from The Glen. In 2002, Glenview’s newest neighborhood sent 30 kids to kindergarten in district schools. This year, the number rose to 60.

Citizens Organized for Wagners continues its battle with the Glenview Park District, protesting a decision to keep two horses, three sheep and three pigs at the farm. Sunday’s edition of the

Chicago Tribune called it a "barnyard squabble," and quoted COWS President Mark Steger. "They’re turning it into something like the Lincoln Park Zoo or Lambs Farm," he told the Trib. "They talk about kids coming to pet them. Well, this is supposed to be a working farm."

Critics have also said the barn is too small for more animals and sheep would damage the pasture.

Finally, they claim animals not kept by the Wagners will detract from historic authenticity. In retaliation, Steger said members of COWS might seek to oust park district board members at the polls.

Editor’s note: COWS had the chance to influence development of the farm in 2003 when three park board seats were up for grabs. Only one member of the group, Mike Luxem, chose to run, and he was defeated by a virtual unknown who planted red lawn signs and promised to save Glenview’s swimming pools. If Steger really cares about community control at Wagner Farm, he had better start campaigning now. Judy Beck and Chris Warren are affable incumbents who will be difficult to beat in 2005.

Assistant Village Manager Joe Wade is warning that trains passing through Glenview could be blowing their whistles for 20 seconds at each of two crossings come December 19. That’s when a government ban on whistles expires. The Federal Railway Administration says accidents are more than 17 percent more likely at intersections where no whistle is blown and will require railroad crossing improvements if communities want to preserve quiet zones.

Glenview has had fatal accidents at both the Glenview and Chestnut road crossings. Wade said special quad gates, blocking traffic on both sides of the street in each direction, could be installed. He put the cost at about $875,000 but stressed the bill might be much higher.

Village Manager Paul McCarthy said money was only one of two major issues Glenview would have to consider if it wants to preserve trackside peace. The second is liability. In rare instances, cars have become trapped within quad gates, and the railway administration says it will not accept legal responsibility should that happen. McCarthy raised the prospect of Glenview taxpayers facing huge court settlements in the event of an accident.

Wade said residents should consider writing to the railway administration as part of a public hearing process. Letters can be faxed to 202-493-2251 or mailed to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 7^th St. SW, Washington, D.C. 20590. You can also link to the department via Glenview’s website: www.glenview.il.us . The docket number is 6439.

A CORRECTION: In our story about Evanston Northwestern Healthcare facing a hearing before the Federal Trade Commission over claims it fixed prices and raised rates at Highland Park Hospital, we incorrectly reported that the firm owns Northwestern Memorial Hospital. A reader who works for Northwestern tells us several years ago there was an affiliation of sorts known as "Northwestern Healthcare Corporation" with those hospitals and several others in the Chicago area established to negotiate more favorable contracts with managed care companies and to get better prices from suppliers. That coalition has now dissolved. ENH owns Evanston, Glenbrook and Highland Park Hospitals but not Northwestern.

BP struggles to care for her grandmother with no help from village code: "I take my 87-year-old mother-in-law from her nursing home to see her doctors. Recently her cardiologist moved to one of the brand new medical buildings located on Compass Drive in The Glen. She is wheelchair bound. Each door into the buildings has a wheel chair parking space or two and ramped walks, but none of the doors into the building have wheelchair access. All of them involve struggling with two heavy sets of doors. Within less than 15 minutes, we were one of four wheelchair patients and one with a walker waiting to see various doctors in the suite. Everyone was commenting on the lack of access. When we went in to see the doctor, we were asked if we had any problem getting in. We said yes. There are two buildings in this complex. I checked all of the entrances. Only one in the other building has a motorized door. Isn't new construction supposed to have wheel chair access, especially when it is a medical facility? Or is that totally up to the landlord?"

The Watch replies: Village spokeswoman Janet Spector Bishop tells us Glenview’s code does not require business structures to have power doors for people in wheelchairs. There is a requirement in the Illinois Accessibility Code that doors open with minimal force. Spector Bishop believes the doors at the medical buildings comply with this, however village inspectors noted a problem with the latches, and plans are underway to correct that. We would suggest that you call this to the attention of your doctor and ask that he or she speak with the landlord. Power doors should have been part of the original building plans.

GJ wants the library board to consider underground parking as part of any redevelopment: "The Comprehensive Plan for downtown shows library location as a key factor. Library Board President Mark Grant said he and the commissioners oppose the current location or another downtown site due to inadequate parking. Commissioner Bucklin pointed out, however, that Mount Prospect’s library renovation created underground parking to solve the problem. Grant rejected that approach saying it was too expensive and evaded the commission’s big question – where the library board would like to build. Was Grant reluctant to admit that his board would like to go to The Glen – a location rejected by residents in two separate surveys? If underground parking worked for Mount Prospect and for Glenview’s own Cloisters Building at Glenview and Waukegan roads, why won’t Grant consider it for the library?"

Jennifer thinks the village should deal with existing downtown problems rather than planning a new downtown: "Neglect of unoccupied downtown properties is glaring in the face of proposed major renovation along Glenview Road. How can the village justify the blind eyes to such eyesores as the papered and boarded window at 1719 Glenview Road, the former site of Pastimes? It’s been that way since April 2003. This kind of neglect lends credibility to the myth that downtown is failing and encourages public support for plans to raze and rebuild."

BP was amused when Larry Carlson worried about the impact of a new zip code: "I mentioned this to my teenage boys. They reminded me that the Simpsons had this problem in Springfield over the introduction of a new area code. There, the people went to war over the split created in town, because the people in the old area code thought they were superior to the people in the new area code. Hope that doesn't happen in Glenview!"

She adds: "I would be interested in working against the pool referendum. I vote, and I don't swim. Anybody else out there?"

Debbie Rubenstein, president of the Wagner Farm Rescue Fund, writes about new animals coming to the farm: "There are a number of issues regarding the appropriateness of some of the animals scheduled to be leased and purchased for Wagner Farm. Another issue regarding leased animals in general must be brought to public attention, and that is the welfare of these animals after their leasing period has expired. These animals are leased with and cared for with public funds, and are utilized for Wagner Farm programs. They are, therefore, in essence Wagner Farm animals. Once these animals are returned to their owners, there is question as to their safety and whether or not they are subsequently sold for slaughter. Therefore, where these animals are leased from is an issue that must be addressed with the same importance as the culling issue. To avoid further controversy in regard to animal welfare, the issue of leased animals will need to be addressed in a responsible manner that considers the concerns that have already been brought to public attention."

Noting that some Glenview Park District programs have waiting lists, Sharon Koeneman writes about another option: "The North Suburban YMCA would be pleased to assist Glenview residents with their summer options. Summer Camp brochures are available on our website www.nsymca.org, or at 2705 Techny Road, Northbrook. Registration has just begun. We offer one-week sessions and longer programs with lots of different activities for kids including visual arts, sports, performing arts, swimming, fitness, games and field trips. You choose the clusters that contain the activities that you and your child like the best. The North Suburban Y also has a special one-week program with the Chicago Bears and other sports clinics. Extended programs are available for kids who need care before or after camp. 

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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