Despite a public outcry against further subsidies for Oliver McMillan’s Glen Town Center, the trustees voted 5-1 to give the developer an unsecured, no-interest loan of $750,000. Spokesman Paul Buss said the center was "obviously doing very well right now," but wanted the money to add "way-finding" signs, graphics and music in the parking garage and to host a Taste of Glenview in Gallery Park.

The only trustee to ask questions was Mike Guinane, who quizzed the developer, the village attorney and Redevelopment Director Don Owen at length. Guinane established that the developer has already received a $12 million interest-free loan to be repaid over time, and anchor tenant Von Maur got a $5 million loan. Both will be paid back in 20-30 years, depending on how quickly sales at the center reach a certain level.

"When we talked about this in executive session," Guinane said, "I was not in favor. This developer keeps coming back for more and more. Sooner or later we’re going to have to tell him no. This development has been a huge success. I think we’ve given him enough already. This is not a bank. We’re a village, and we have a responsibility to the taxpayers."

Ignoring the essence of Guinane’s remark, Trustee Mary Beth Denefe objected to the fact that Guinane had referred to discussions in an executive session. "Those are privileged," she sniffed.

"I would certainly agree with you that we do have a responsibility to the taxpayers," said Board President Larry Carlson. "I think we have to look at what this village is going to be getting out of this shopping center. We’re going to be looking, over a 20-year period, at getting $140 million in property taxes from this successful shopping center. We have to help make sure it’s successful."

Carlson admitted the public might perceive interest free loans to Oliver McMillan as unfair. "I’m a small businessman, and I’d love to have an interest-free loan," the air conditioning and heating contractor said, "But I’m not going to be bringing $140 million in revenue to this village, and that’s what this center will be doing."

Editor’s note: Collectively, smaller businesses do bring in that kind of revenue, and for the village to subsidize The Glen Town Center over downtown Glenview or Carillon Square or any other commercial district is, in our view, wrong. It’s also misleading to say that the Town Center will generate a particular amount over a 20-year period, since many residents now watching the drain of cash from village coffers will not live here if and when the big bucks finally start flowing. That’s a certainty when we talk about schools. They won’t see substantial revenue for at least a decade. By then, almost every child now in Glenview public schools will have graduated.

We have to laugh at Denefe’s pique over Guinane’s mention of what goes on in executive sessions. The fact is, discussion of such matters in closed meetings is illegal. The Open Meetings Act is very specific about topics that are permitted – the sale of real estate, litigation and personnel matters. There is no exception for talk about giving developers loans – with or without interest.

Noting that he had received many e-mails from residents objecting to the loan, Trustee Jim Patterson said, "This project is not done. We have a ways to go. There’s still space that we’re trying to finish leasing. . .These guys [the developers] are doing some good things that have proven a success, and I don’t agree with every single dollar, but I do agree in this particular case. If the majority of people in town knew what we know as a board, I believe that 80 percent of them would support what we’re doing."

Editor’s note: Okay, Jim. Bring it on! The public is ready for the truth, and since it’s our money you’re spending and our community you’re draining, we have a right to know. Just how bad are things behind the scenes? How cheaply have those whiz bang developers been leasing space to get merchants in the door? Is Von Maur, the anchor tenant, finding slim pickings in Glenview? Will Oliver McMillan soon be converting apartments to condos – selling those lofts with their granite counters and stainless steel appliances – for a pretty penny, leaving Glenview with more residents in need of more services while the developer skates back to San Diego with the profits? And when will our business partner hang out the For Sale sign on the entire shopping center? Two years ago, Westfield paid $70 million for Old Orchard. Isn’t Oliver McMillan likely to take its money and run at the earliest possible moment, leaving Glenview to face sobering long-term realities. Retailers come and go. So do consumers. As other communities build newer, shinier shopping spots, will The Glen be the cash cow Carlson claims? Tell us more!

"The requests that are being made by Oliver McMillan are things that are typically done in major developments," said Trustee Jeff Lerner. "These are just business tools that apply to every center that’s been developed. Nordstrom’s didn’t come here because they wanted to be in Skokie. They were given incentives to put their store in the Old Orchard Center. I don’t view this as coming back to the well to keep getting more money to increase the profits that go to Oliver McMillan. I view this as essential to the development of this program. The village is as much a developer and a contributor to this program. If anything, we ought to take solace in the fact that they’re requesting these as interest-free loans instead of asking us to pay for these expenses."

"We have to recognize that we’ve formed a partnership with these people," said Trustee Kim Woodrow. "Jim is right on point. There’s been a great deal of success, but long-term success is not ensured. There are many things that still need to be done. This is a very small item on a long list. . . The fact that they’re coming to us and asking for support in the form of a no-interest loan is not an uncommon kind of tactic to use."

Editor’s note: Right. We’re sure developers use this tactic all the time – trying to get communities to pay for what should be their own expense. True, Skokie built a parking garage to entice Nordstrom’s, just as we have built parking garages for Oliver McMillan. But that community did not agree to maintain the garage as we have, and the developer is eventually obliged to buy it from the community. What’s more, debt service for the project is being paid from sales taxes generated by Old Orchard. Should that revenue source fall short, the developer must cover the difference. It’s also worth noting that Skokie does not contribute to shopping center festivals as Glenview has just agreed to do. We fear our trustees are an easy mark for Oliver McMillan. With the exception of Guinane, they have no qualms about giving away community money.

While the trustees tried to portray Oliver McMillan as Glenview’s friend, Guinane cut to the chase, telling the public what it deserved to know. "When the developer first came to us, he requested that this money be given to him, and he was turned down. He was asked by a trustee whether this would be the last request he would make of us. He said no. He wished he could say that, but it would not be the last time he would come before us. I think it’s time we tell him enough is enough."

"He didn’t say no," Woodrow corrected. "He said he could not guarantee that he would not be back."

"That’s no to me," said Guinane.

Oliver McMillan’s spokesman Paul Buss said he respected Trustee Guinane’s position but wanted the public to know that "to do things right, " his company had invested $5-$7 million more than it had planned.

Buss then secured a gift of about $165,000 from the village for new lights and landscaping at The Glen Town Center.

Guinane again objected, and Carlson became indignant. "Well, Trustee Guinane, this is our property!"

"That’s right," Guinane said, "but if [the developer] doesn’t like [the existing lights and landscape] he should pay for it. Are we doing this for the business owners on Glenview Road?"

"We’re working on that," said Trustee Patterson.

Guinane said he thought the existing lights and landscape at The Glen Town Center were beautiful.

"If you think the lights are beautiful, then you should support this, because these lights are already installed," said Lerner.

Editor’s note: Oops. When were the trustees intending to tell us this appropriation was for work Oliver McMillan had already done? How many more done deals will this board stick to the taxpayers before the voters reject this questionable way of doing public business?

About 36,000 people attended an art festival at Town Center in mid-August according to Oliver McMillan. Spokesman Buss said the company that organized the event had never had such a large turnout for a first-year event and would be back next year.

Mindful of his earlier request for more signs at the shopping center, Buss added that the festival "took some liberties and put some banners up and put some temporary signs up, and we still had some reports of people having trouble finding the site."

Editor’s note: This bit of news is telling for two reasons. In the early stages of planning, Oliver McMillan disagreed with critics who felt the location of The Glen Town Center was lousy. Second, the trustees routinely make a huge issue over hanging of banners around town. During this particular meeting, Trustee Jim Patterson insisted on changes to permit requests for the Glenview Historical Society Ice Cream Social and a sidewalk sale at Carillon Square because applicants had asked to hang their signs for 11 days when local ordinance only permits 10 days of display. Not one trustee suggested Oliver McMillan or the festival organizer should be fined or even chastised for disregarding local rules on this matter.

On a weekday morning when few members of the working public were free to attend, Village Hall scheduled a special meeting of the downtown planning commission – a tour of Highland Park, Libertyville and Palatine, three communities that used tax increment financing to redo their central business districts. Under the law, municipalities can improve "blighted" areas with public money. As the real estate taxes for those areas rise, the extra money goes to the municipality to repay the cost of the initial improvements. Schools and park districts see no benefit until all of the TIF costs are repaid.

Several members of the downtown redevelopment commission including Trustee Mary Beth Denefe and Plan Commissioners Peter Brinckerhoff and Gary Wendt joined the party, but Chairman Kimball Woodrow was a no show. Two political pals to Village President Carlson were also on hand – Tim Doron, who is serving as a traffic consultant on downtown redevelopment, and former zoning board chief Ty Laurie – a lawyer who represents developers.

The consultants – S.B. Friedman and the Lakota Company – played a key role in Palatine's redevelopment, providing the design concept, consulting on the use of tax increment financing to support improvements, marketing properties to developers and assembling groups of businesses willing to sell. Palatine added 800 new housing units, 200,000 square feet of retail and commercial space and 12,000 new parking spaces in and round the old downtown.

One development, located near the train tracks, consists of three seven-story buildings in an area which is poorly landscaped. Some of the windows are covered with sheets rather than drapes or blinds..

Asked whether more attractive development might be possible in Glenview without the use of tax increment financing, Friedman said the financing tool "affords greater flexibility and development powers," especially if owners are reluctant to participate, but he stressed that TIF could not be used without establishing that the area in question is "blighted."

The downtown planning committee will hold a meeting on September 16 at Village Hall to plan for a public workshop at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 23 in Park Center.

The Library Board has scheduled a special meeting at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 to view examples of libraries built on sites like its current one. Members have also begun discussing a possible referendum to appear on the spring ballot. They were unable to get their act together in time to put the matter to a vote in November.

On a related note, the Deerfield Public Library board plans to ask voters for permission to sell $25 million in bonds for a new building. Members are excited because an internationally recognized architect, Frank Gehry, has expressed interest in working on the project. Gehry is best-known locally for the new bandshell at Millennium Park.

The office supply giant Staples wants to do business in the Chicago area, and Glenview could be its first location in the region. The company hopes to occupy retail space now held by Osco on the east side of Waukegan Road, north of Lake Avenue across from Carillon Square.

The plan commission reviewed Staples’ proposal but was reluctant to approve an expansion of 3,000 square feet. Several members felt the site that’s already home to Walgreens, Trader Joe’s, Burhop’s and Your Choice Thai was already too crowded and the Staples plan did not include sufficient parking. The developer will be back with a revised proposal next month.

– One of The Glen’s newest eateries will soon expand into a whole new area, offering a Dog’s Night Out for pet owners willing to pay $20 a pop for a three-course gourmet meal. The doggie dinner, a benefit for Orphans of the Storm, will be served on the second floor of the parking garage September 19. Two seatings are scheduled at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Market says its menu will include an appetizer, a dish called Chicken Paw Pie and a dessert. Local pet service providers will also showcase their wares at the event, and when the time comes, owners can escort their pooch to a special "pooping center."

– Atlanta mogul Ted Turner will soon have a presence at The Glen Town Center. He plans to open another of his restaurants, Ted’s Montana Grill – next to El Jardin. It features wild game (bison, venison, pigeon, wild boar and more) and an old west theme.

– And, finally, it appears time has run out for Glenview’s newest neighborhood. Police report someone took a clock valued at $300 from The Glen of North Glenview Train Station.

Congressman Mark Kirk received a grade of less than 50 percent from the Illinois Public Interest Research Group. Kirk voted for environmental and consumer legislation only 48 percent of the time, according to the 2004 IPIRG scorecard. In previous years, his score has been as low as 33 percent, and his lifetime score is 44 percent.

The Northfield Township Food Pantry has nearly run out of food and is appealing to the public for donations of pasta, canned meat and fish, boxed meals such as tuna, chicken or hamburger helper, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, rice, coffee, tea, juices and all paper products (paper towels, toilet paper, etc.). A major donation of peanut butter and pancake mix had already arrived, so officials also asked residents to consider donating jelly and syrup.

Food can be dropped off at the Northfield Township office, 3801 W. Lake Avenue between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For more information about accessing this service or how to help with the program, please call 847-724-8300.

Trustees from Glenview and Northbrook plan to meet at 7 p.m. Monday, August 30 at Northbrook Village Hall – 1225 Cedar Lane – to discuss issues of mutual interest including development in the area and flood control. The public is welcome to attend.

– The Glenview Public Library will close for Labor Day on Monday, September 6. Regular Sunday hours will resume on September 12 from 1-5 p.m...

– The library offers voter registration on Thursday nights from 7-8:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:30-11 a.m. Mail-in voter registration forms are also available at the library.

– The Environmental Review Commission meets at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 2 in the board room of Village Hall to discuss a nature center at the Air Station Prairie. The public is welcome to attend.

– The Glenview Rotary-Sunrise club holds its annual run on September 19.

– The Glenview Historical Society’s Ice Cream Social is on September 12.

Jeff Jeffrey could not believe developer Oliver McMillan was asking for more public money to further improve The Glen Town Center: "Is it true they are asking for almost $1 million in additional cost sharing or loans for ‘unplanned’ expenses? In my world (which resembles the real one) actions drive consequences. With three teenagers, I'm reminded of this fact on a daily basis. If others, including kids, are required to live with the consequences of poor choices, shouldn't adult professionals be held to the same minimum standards? I'm a 45-year resident of Glenview and have never ever formally complained about village business, but the more I dig and the more I learn, The Glen development is spinning out of control from what appears to be accelerated incompetence and just bad planning. I'm very fearful of the costs to our property values, our schools and our quality of life. Shut off the spigot until you can get a better grip on what long-term effects you are actually creating! What's the real legacy you're going to leave?"

And LGK concludes, "The hits just keep on coming. The more the saga drags on, the more incompetent past village boards are proven to be. When are we going to stop mortgaging the future of the school system? TIF is being abused."

Evelyn Lucas was also dismayed to hear the developer’s latest request for cash: "What a guy! He sure has made a fortune off the village of Glenview. What’s worse, he keeps coming back for more, and we keep giving. Wake up Trustees, before the cupboard is dry and you have to raise taxes. Come on! This man is from San Diego, a world away from Glenview, Illinois. He has found a cash cow here. Glenview needs a new board of trustees. The only one with any guts is Mike Guinane. Many mistakes were made when the plans for The Glen were drawn. The streets should have been widened and more parking provided. I know they have a garage in the Town Center, and it is supposed to provide enough parking, but it is very dark. All of the drivers seem to think they have the right of way. There are families with small children walking through this garage, and drivers go speeding along. The Town Center is very nice, but the congestion is beginning to show big time."

Paul Mayer thinks additional financial assistance to The Glen should be contingent on voter approval: "I would ask that loaning any village funds, including TIF, not be considered until this is presented to all the voters in Glenview for their consideration. It is high time we ask the Glen Town Center to fund any additions to this operation out of operating cash flow or to have the businesses in The Glen Town Center ante up the money to improve their business environment. I urge the village board to postpone any consideration until a full hearing of the facts and be presented in a village wide mailing."

And DZ wishes the village would spend $750,000 on his neighborhood instead of Town Center: "Our block, 1000 Meadowlark Lane from Glenview Road to Knollwood had Glenview’s finest sidewalks for years. Children played. Pedestrians strolled and the walks were level enough for our youngest children to ride their tricycles without fear of bumps. That's all changed. Now the sidewalks are so uneven that kids risk collisions. Instead of making proper repairs, the village used asphalt to try and even things out. It looks awful. It would be nice if Glenview had less concern for music in The Glen Town Center’s parking garage and more concern for the safety of residents."

TJ writes: "My mother lives in southern Glenview, near the corner of MacArthur and Elm. She has lived there for 50 years, and I have never seen the street in such tawdry and dangerous shape. It really is something you would see in a small rural impoverished community where they didn’t have the funds, not in a glossy ‘look at me’ village like Glenview. The asphalt has broken up in large areas, and the street is at spots stripped down to its core. The area in front of her house is not only an eyesore but dangerous – inviting a turned ankle or bicycle crash. My question: Why hasn’t the village worked on this problem? It shouldn’t take a citizen to point this out. Any public official can see what a mess this street is becoming. If this were The Glen, this problem would not exist. Seems like the taxes the rest of us pay in Glenview really do not apply to our needs. This street has been in a decaying situation for the last few years and now has reached a point where it is alarming. Larry Carlson should really spend some time driving around the rest of Glenview. There is another world out there, and it’s falling apart."

JB asks for a financial overview of The Glen Town Center: "How much money was loaned to the developer interest free versus interest bearing? How much is still outstanding? How much has been repaid? A story showing all the numbers would be very enlightening to everybody!"

The Watch replies: Glenview contributed $12 million to the project to be repaid over time. Repayment begins when Oliver McMillan starts earning at least 12.5 percent on its investment. We also gave Von Maur $5 million. Once the store starts pulling in at least $200 per square foot, we’ll get a percentage of their sales. Redevelopment Director Owen projects repayment in 20-30 years. No interest will be paid on any of this, and no one has guaranteed repayment.

SB is especially concerned about road conditions east of Harms: "All of this money flowing in and out of our coffers in the village and our streets over here look like a war zone. They are patched on the curbs, the streets and our sewers are sinking. It’s so sad that our trustees only look west to The Glen and forget to turn their heads to the east where the sun rises and the streets are in shambles."

A similar song comes from SK: "We live on Pleasant Lane between Waukegan Road and Sunset Ridge. A new house was built at 1443 Pleasant last fall. This spring we noticed a stream of water pouring into the street. In early June, after numerous rainfalls, huge amounts of water were being pumped into the street, and a very large pool had collected just west of Kendale and Pleasant Lane. At this corner are two bus stops - eastbound to Lyons and westbound to Attea. No sidewalks exist and children stand on the street to wait for the bus. Standing on lawns has resulted in bus drivers not seeing the children and them missing the buses. One rainy morning in June while my daughter was waiting for the bus, a car drove past spraying her with water from the pool. We were grateful she didn't get hurt, but she had to come home and change. After we had a rainstorm in July, residents of the same home had a landscaper come out with an industrial pump. It looked like someone had opened a fire hydrant. The water ran down Pleasant Lane and ended up again pooling at the corner of Kendale and Pleasant Lane. The next week, the village came out. An inspector from the engineering department met with the resident. He said the water must be taken back 5 feet onto the property so the ground can absorb the water. Water dispersed at one site, even though back five feet from the street, is still going to end up in the street when large amounts are ejected. I also questioned what would happen during winter when this water freezes on the street?"

The Watch replies: The Engineering Division is aware of your situation, and staff members have been in contact with a number of residents already. Feel free to call Russ Jenson, engineering division director, at 847-904-4333, for an update or to express concerns.

PL is having troubles with his builder: "Our project has been delayed multiple times, and the process has become very trying for us. It's getting ridiculous, and we are without any recourse to get our project moved along."

The Watch replies: We contacted Village Hall, and Communications Director Janet Spector Bishop advised you to call Phil Knudsen, building and zoning division director. He’s now aware of this issue, and we’re told he’d be very happy to discuss it. His direct line is 847-904-4315.

Fritz agrees with another reader about the inordinate expense to maintain brick pavers in Glenview: "Amen J-lo. There are brick roads all over Europe that pre-date Christ. Still in good shape without the need for weekly repairs. Only in Glenview do bricks last only six months. While at the same time they have poured new roads two and three times in some spots at The Glen. Who pays? We do. First you put in sidewalks and curbs. Then you build the house and ding up the sidewalk and curb in the process. The handicapped intersection of Monterey and Independence has been redone at least three times. Don't leave your water glass on the dash going down the newly-finished parts of Lake Avenue. It would get dumped on your lap. Can anybody tell me why they always seem to put the sewer caps right in the line of traffic where you drive? Bumpity, bumpity, bump all the way to the poor house! I say, ‘No bail out for Ollie,’ and for that matter, let them move their own snow."

William Dose, a commercial designer, agrees with another reader who dislikes signs on Lake Avenue and Willow Road listing businesses and subdivisions at The Glen: "I would like to respond to ALF's distaste for the enormous Glen vertical billboard directories which serve only to define the project as a collection of tract subdivisions and severely diminish any notion
of the neighborhoods listed as possibly being upscale. These monstrosities cannot be removed fast enough. When the first residential properties were being marketed, it was perhaps defensible to prominently identify The Glen project and its components - especially given that to the uninitiated visitor the area looks like anything but a "glen," and people looking for it would drive
right past. But that stage is long gone, and it is time for the village to make good on its stated promise to visually blend its new project with the rest of the community. This means that there should ideally be no special Glen entrances at all. The Glen is pure and simple a marketing gimmick intended to create picturesque, countrified imagery (where in reality there was none) and to associate itself with the established name value of Glenview as a context for real estate sales. Because there is such variety of housing and inconsistency of retail/commercial architectural styles there is nothing to support the claim to any overall visual theme that would justify the area being given a separate identity. As a design consultant, I have strongly advocated that the village forbid the construction of new decorative neighborhood entrances which tastelessly fragment our community with tacky romanticized subdivision names, and especially those which additionally bear the names of the subdivision's developers. (This promotion in perpetuity of commercial developers emblazoned on our physical infrastructure is especially gross.) These silly subdivision names, originally intended as marketing ploys on schmaltzy neighborhood entrances, become hackneyed, passé eyesores in a very short time and a permanent embarrassment to many residents, setting a not-very-upscale ghettoized and commercialized tone even for the most high-end housing product."

Terry Shaner wonders what’s up with Harley Davidson’s unfinished building on Willow Road: "What is the status of the unfinished building? What is going on there?"

The Watch replies: The village does have an ordinance regarding failure to complete construction. It provides a two-year window from the date of issue of a building permit. Harley’s permit is dated June 30, 2002, so they’re clearly ripe for a penalty, but the law allows the trustees to sit back and wait if they feel the builder is making a good faith effort. Barry Brown, owner of the Harley store, has said his window manufacturer went out of business, the first pouring of concrete was defective and had to be redone, and the wrong bricks were shipped. All that said, we’re puzzled as to why the village takes no action to compel completion of the project. The look of Willow Road aside, they ought to be concerned about the sales taxes this community is losing.

Randy Pickard is pleased with new soccer fields in Gallery Park: "Anyone driving by the northwest section of Gallery Park on Saturday or Sunday afternoon would have noticed teams of five and six-year-olds running around playing soccer and having a great time. AYSO was able to schedule games at Gallery Park for their youngest players for the first time last weekend. Despite the heavy rains, the fields were in phenomenally good condition. The opening ceremony was attended by the soccer players and their parents, park board members and district staff, village trustees, AYSO board members and AYSO volunteers. There was a nice little opening ceremony with very brief speeches followed by a herd of young soccer players gleefully charging through a large paper banner."

MM is all around town and curious about what he sees: "On my way home from Old Orchard, I saw a dozen Cook County squad cars outside of the Glen Grove Equestrian Center on Harms. What's up with that?"

The Watch replies: Sheriff’s police were investigating a fatal motorcycle accident in the area.

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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