SOUTH SIDERS MOBILIZE TO FIGHT ISLAMIC HOUSE OF WORSHIP

About 100 residents of an area near Shermer and Golf are again gearing up to fight new development.  In 2002, they organized to stop or limit plans for an assisted living center called Belmont Village, which was eventually built.  Now, residents are worried about the impact of a proposed religious center to be built by a progressive group of Muslims with roots outside the Arab world --  in Pakistan, India and East Africa.  The Ismaili Muslims pray in a “worship center.”  Unlike mosques, they say their facilities are only open to members of the congregation, and no public announcements are made to call the faithful to prayer. 

Representatives of the Ismaili Muslim community appeared before the plan commission last week to describe a 30,000-square-foot facility for prayer, educational and social activities to serve a congregation of about 900 people.  There would also be a parking lot for 350 vehicles with access north of McArthur Drive off Shermer.  Members now worship in Chicago and Northlake, but the congregation says as many as 600 would come to the Glenview site for Friday services in just over 200 vehicles.  Smaller groups of 50-250 people would come to worship every day from 5:15-5:30 a.m. and from 7:30-8:00 p.m.  A much smaller number could arrive as early as 3:30 a.m. for meditation.  In March, July and December the Ismailis mark high holy days when the population visiting the house of worship could exceed 900.  Even then, planners say, the parking lot could accommodate the 285 vehicles expected, and no one would be parking in the surrounding neighborhood.

Because the hours of activity are outside the traditional morning and afternoon rush, a traffic consultant testified that the house of worship would have little impact on the area.  Even so, the developer proposes adding a left-turn lane to northbound Shermer.

Plan Commission Chairman Howard Silver was not convinced.  He worried that some of those headed for 7:30 p.m. services on Fridays would pass through the already disastrous intersection of Shermer and Golf earlier, making the evening rush hour even more difficult.  The traffic expert disagreed, saying the peak hour at Shermer and Golf was from 4:45 to 5:45 – earlier on Fridays.  “[The House of Worship’s] peak is from 6:45 – 7:45 when the volume of traffic [at the intersection] is dropping.”   

PUBLIC RELATIONS GONE WRONG

Perhaps hoping to impress the commission with the look of other Ismaili centers and the charitable work they do, the congregation’s president attempted to show a DVD.  He struggled for several minutes but could not get it to play.  The incident seemed to frustrate residents who were anxious to have their say.  When Chairman Silver asked the developer to skip the DVD, Attorney Mike Downing, who represents the Ismailis, began an apology for the technical problem. Residents tried to shout him down, prompting a warning from the chair.  “The petitioner has a right to speak without catcalls,” he warned. “You will have your chance to comment in a proper, professional way.” 

Silver explained to residents that the developer could take 90 minutes to describe plans for the new center, again prompting groans from the audience.” He’s entitled to it, just as you are,” Silver said.  He predicted two or three plan commission meetings would be devoted to this project.

THE COMMISSIONERS’ CONCERNS

Commissioners Peter Brinckerhoff, Gary Wendt and Chairman Silver questioned the decision to put the religion and education center relatively close to neighboring homes – within 30 feet.  Noting lots of open space south of the proposed education wing, Silver wondered if there were plans to expand.

“At this time there is no intent,” said architect Ellen Dixon. 

The crowd guffawed. 

Dixon reminded the commission that any expansion plans would have to be approved by the village.

“Have you designed the building so an addition can be easily built?” Silver persisted.

“It does adapt itself to having something naturally with that,” Dixon replied.

Sensing more hostility from the audience, Dixon continued: “We really are very consciously making an effort to take care of the neighborhood, and I understand people have a disbelief in politics, a disbelief in our government system, but we’re not trying to pull any fast moves on people. . .I wish people would recognize that we are trying to take care of you, and we will make changes according to comments we’ve heard tonight.”

The developer plans extensive landscaping: 66 shade trees, 85 ornamental trees and 21 evergreens.  Chairman Silver said he thought a berm should be built to shield residents from early morning car noise. Silver also suggested the architect look at proceedings from the plan commission when it reviewed a new center for the Canaan Presbyterian Church near the corner of Lake and Greenwood, saying the situation there was similar.  Dixon said she had already done so but would take a second look. 

WHAT THE NEIGHBORS SAY

Local residents were initially asked to comment only on the question of whether Glenview should allow rezoning of the property.  It’s now zoned for light industrial activity, but must be rezoned to residential use and then win approval for a conditional use -- construction of a religious center. 

One neighbor wondered which use would generate more tax revenue.  She said the vacant, industrial land was generating more than $90,000 per year.   The announcement brought a hearty round of applause from area residents. “If it’s rezoned and [allowed to become a religious site], that property’s going to be coming off the tax rolls, and that’s going to come out of my pocket!” she said.

Another neighbor, Marty Gartner, thought a change to residential zoning would be fine, but he preferred to allow construction of as many as five homes per acre.  “I took a look at my tax bill and said, ‘What would happen if there were 18 homes on there.  With assessed valuation of $50,000 per home, the taxes on an annual basis would be $155,250.  Out of that, $114,000 would go directly to the Glenview Park District, the Oakton College fund, the high school district, the school district 34 fund, the library fund and the village of Glenview.”

Again, the crowd erupted in loud applause.

The neighbors will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 21 and again at 7 p.m. Monday, July 25 at  Manor Park to discuss their next move.  Some would like to see the zoning kept for light industrial, making construction of an office building possible at that site.

Editor’s note:  A residential development would generate more tax dollars, but it would also put greater demand on services.  More families would be using the park district and library, police and paramedic services.  The area would require village plowing and street maintenance.  What’s more, the money from that site would not go to School District 34 but to an elementary school in Maine Township.  Often, residential development ends up costing existing taxpayers even more, because new homeowners don’t pay the full cost of their children attending public schools.

WHO ARE THE ISMAILIS

There are 15-20 million people who consider themselves Ismaili Muslims – a small sect in the larger community of one billion Muslims.  Their spiritual leader – said to be a direct descendent of the prophet Mohammed -- is a twice-divorced British billionaire, philanthropist and Harvard graduate known as the Aga Khan.  He owns 600 race horses, private jets, properties on five continents including newspapers, an airline, hotels, factories and extensive collections of jewelry and antiques.  Tall and balding, he dresses like a proper British gent – in fashionable suit and tie. 

The local congregation’s DVD shows the Aga Khan hob-knobbing with wealthy and influential people in Texas and Illinois.  There is warm praise for the group from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, from a past president of the World Bank and from the governor of Texas, where the Ismaili faith has its U.S. headquarters.  The program also shows people arriving for services -- men wearing suits, ladies and girls in dresses and fancy shoes. (No one is wearing a veil.) Their worship centers are simple, brick buildings -- no domes or spires.  The landscaping is pleasant but predictable with grass lawns, trees and bushes.

Ismailis are a subset of Shiite Muslims who have incorporated some ideas from Hinduism. Its leaders encourage intellectual freedom and tolerance, and they believe the Koran is open to individual interpretation. “The Ismaili community practices Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith.  At its core are values of service to humanity, volunteerism and respect for diversity,” says the DVD’s narrator.  Ismaili families are expected to contribute one-eighth of their income to religious and charitable causes, and the DVD shows members working for the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and a crew at Ground Zero after 911.  

“A majority of Ismaili youth have been born in this country and are proud and loyal citizens,” the DVD continues.  “They place a premium on education and strive to go to the best colleges.”  The program then shows a young Ismaili woman who is attending West Point, and features two young men who played on champion Glenview and Northbrook teams. 

VILLAGE HALL PRIORITIES

Following two days of private discussions with Glenview’s trustees, Village Manager Todd Hileman has announced four priorities for his first year on the job:

-- Improve administrative and management systems

-- Use resources wisely

-- Come up with ways to communicate better with residents

-- Help the trustees make better decisions by giving them good information and analysis.

On Monday, Hileman outlined some of the steps he and his staff would take to achieve those goals:

-- The village will hire a new human resources director and someone to oversee information technology.  Those two employees will each be paid about $100,000 per year.  

-- Glenview is also looking for a budget director who will earn about $90,000. 

-- The village will classify and evaluate compensation for all village employees and review the health insurance package they get.

-- Staffers will come up with a long-range financial plan for the village, a facilities management plan and a strategy for retiring the TIF. 

-- The village will continue to improve its website, although less than a quarter of residents recently surveyed said they had used it. 

-- The manager’s office will issue an annual report in June, 2006 and will commission a citizen satisfaction survey each year.

-- A 5-year capital improvements plan will be presented at various neighborhood locations, and residents will be invited to comment before the trustees weigh in.

-- Staffers are adopting a computerized system for tracking the location and condition of water mains, sewers and streets. “Right now we’re relying on maps that, in some cases have been done by hand,” Hileman explained. “If Public Works Director Bill Porter fell over tomorrow, we’d be in trouble. He’s got everything in his head.”

-- Issues that will require more research and analysis include: traffic safety, the new library, downtown planning, new Navy housing, Glenview’s special events policy and appearance code update. 

The trustees have also asked for a third public meeting each month – to take place on the Thursday after their second regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the board room of Village Hall.  The idea is to provide more time to discuss village policies and concerns. The first of those workshops is set for August 18.

SURPRISE SURVEY SAYS TRAFFIC SAFETY IS TOP CONCERN

Village Hall recently surprised the public with results of a telephone survey of 400 residents who were asked how they felt about Glenview and its public services.  The poll was commissioned without a formal vote by the board.  Communications Director Janet Spector Bishop said the project cost less than $10,000, so it wasn't necessary to get approval for the survey, although board members were consulted.

In any event, Glenview officials learned that traffic safety is the community’s top concern.  While 76 percent of those questioned thought the village a good or very good place to live, and 97 percent feel safe or very safe in their neighborhoods, 46 percent considered traffic congestion to be a serious problem.

Manager Hileman says a number of residents have contacted Village Hall to ask that their streets be closed to through traffic because so many motorists are cutting through.  The manager was inclined to look at other options first, including new speed limits on residential streets, new signs or speed bumps.  No decision would be made, he said, until construction of Shermer Road is complete.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

-- The public works department believes phase II of Shermer Road construction, from Lake Avenue to Glenview Road, will be finished by August 24 when school starts.  Phase III, from Central to Golf, will not end until December. Detour maps are available online at www.glenview.il.us .

-- The Flick Park pedestrian overpass on Lake Avenue is finally open, and road construction between Patriot and the Tri-State is done. 

COUNTY VOWS BETTER CARE FOR TREES

After Glenview Watch detailed the number of dead or dying trees newly planted along Lake Avenue, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin called the county highway department.  Construction supervisor John Beissel replied in writing, saying the county has suspended further plantings due to the on-going drought.  He said the subcontractor, who had put about 80 percent of the saplings in along Lake, was watering more often and would assure that material used to tie the root balls – burlap and rope -- was removed before mulch was placed around the trunks. 

PUBLIC WORKS GETTING WET

Meanwhile, Glenview crews are working overtime to water up to 4,000 relatively new trees on public property – most at The Glen.  After calculating the cost to replace dead saplings, the village concluded it was worth the effort to assure those young trees survive.  Assistant Director of Public Works Chris Clark could not say how much was being spent for crews manning six water trucks, but he said residents are using a lot more water on their private yards, and that will translate into more water revenue for the village. 

SIGN OF THE TIMES

 Glenview Office Equipment is one of the oldest businesses in town – a tiny repair shop at 1721 Glenview Road.  Last fall, the village ordered the store’s owner to take down signs in his window, because they covered more than 25% of the space, in violation of Glenview’s relatively new sign ordinance.  The owner, who declined to be interviewed for this story, complied, but with no other way to tell the community about his services, business dropped off. 

Meanwhile, others in the neighborhood continued to do business with signs covering more than a quarter of their window space. Some were far in excess of the new requirements – but they were bigger businesses and had not received citations from the village.

The proprietor of Glenview Office decided to put his signs back – to let folks know he repaired copiers, printers and fax machines.  Sure enough, business came back.  But so did the village – this time with an order to appear in court.  The man had never been involved in a court case and couldn’t afford a lawyer, but he showed up with pictures of other downtown businesses in hand. 

The judge wanted to know why those businesses faced no legal action.  Glenview’s attorney said that was not really relevant.  He compared the situation to that of a driver who commits a traffic violation. (Even if others were breaking the law and not being caught, the driver cited is liable.)

The attorney demanded Glenview Office comply with local ordinance immediately and pay a $500 fine.  A representative from Glenview’s chamber of commerce said the money should be spent on new, smaller signs, or perhaps the owner should be allowed to keep the cash in light of the harm he had suffered when forced to remove signs in the first place.

Glenview’s lawyer objected – branding the merchant a deliberate law breaker.  The judge said a decision could be made about the fine on August 19 when he ordered the merchant to report back on what he had done about his signs.  

Meanwhile, some long-time residents are shaking their heads over what they feel is selective enforcement of the law and imposition of an excessive fine.  “Not only is the village acting oppressively and failing to assist a citizen,” said one, “but they’re spending our tax money to pay attorneys.  And since Glenview insists on getting its pound of flesh -- $500 from a small business, we taxpayers will have to pay the lawyer to go back to court again.”

THE HONEYMOON IS OVER

Former Village Manager Paul McCarthy enjoyed a close relationship with the Pioneer Press, and his policies were rarely challenged on its editorial page.  Glenview’s new manager, Todd Hileman, may not be so lucky.  The Glenview Announcements has already singled him out for criticism in last week’s editorial titled “Fallen tree limbs show village role:”

“Public streets are used by everyone,” the editors wrote. “Residents use them to get to and from their homes; visitors use them to get somewhere in town; merchants and workers use them to get to their jobs; emergency workers use them to travel to crisis situations.

“So when a Fourth of July storm rolled into town, making parts of east Glenview impassable, specifically Hunter Road near Glenview Road, residents called the village's public works department to request that the debris be removed from the street.

“But because public work crews determined that the debris came from trees on private property, rather than those on the public parkways, residents were told they were responsible for the clean-up. According to policy, village crews are responsible for clean-up of debris that originates from public property.

“Understandably, residents were unhappy with that call.

“A little common sense seems to be in order. Regardless of where the tree limbs came from, they were felled by Mother Nature and landed on public property, cluttering access to public streets. When the streets are blocked with debris, it should be public works crews who are responsible for clearing them.

“Village Manager Todd Hileman said this week that Glenview will review its policies on debris clean-up in the wake of the complaints. He went on to say clearing away fallen tree limbs costs money.

“Of course it does.

“But residents, including those complaining on Hunter Road, pay property taxes precisely so public works crews can keep the streets clear. That's the village's job. And getting it done is a matter of public safety for everyone in town, not mere convenience for Hunter Road residents.

“The determining factor on who's responsible for cleaning debris should be where it lands.

“Clearly in this case, the debris was resting on public property.

“Glenview officials should change the policy on debris removal and put public access to streets at the top of the priority list.”

DON’T SAVE THE DATE

The village says it won’t be able to hold its next downtown redevelopment committee meeting on August 4 as originally planned. The group’s chairman, Kimball Woodrow, has a scheduling conflict.

READERS WRITE

NC wonders about a major traffic block: "Does anybody know what was going on during Monday's rush hour around 5 p.m. on Glenview Road? I was on my way to the train station, but Glenview Road was closed at Wagner.  I was forced to detour, and it took me 45 minutes to reach the station, compared to my normal 8 minutes."

The Watch replies: There was a major water main break at Glenview and Grove, so police re-routed traffic.

Miss M agreed with the Announcements’ editorial re: clearing tree limbs from public streets.  She wrote: “Just imagine if a tree was blocking a roadway in The Glen.  Public Works Director Bill Porter would have his entire department out in force.  But then again, since they don't have any trees bigger than a toothpick, the debris would only have impeded the ants.”  And about watering of village trees she adds: “We saw a crew watering tress along the parkway in front of Loyola's playfields.  A smallish tank attached to a village truck was dribbling water on the trees which were half dead. You've got to ask why Loyola isn't lifting a finger to maintain these trees.  And how much was the village paying the older worker to hold a hose.  Couldn't they hire some kids in Glenview for a lot less money?”

Ron is skeptical of claims the police department passed out nearly 1,000 tickets to drivers for moving violations last year: “Sure would like to see which areas received those tickets. You hardly see anyone ever pulled over. The only time you see a squad car is if there is an accident.  If you read the Glenview Announcements, the streets they seem to cover are Lake and Milwaukee, and that's usually for D.U.I.'s -- which is a good thing.  There are, however, other areas that need attention on a daily basis.”

The Watch replies:  Commander Stankowicz welcomes suggestions for patrols in problem areas.  You can call the police at 847-729-5000, hit zero and ask for the traffic division. 

Lenore loved this year’s Fourth of July fireworks, but asks:  “What was that with the loudspeaker?  The holiday spirit was spoiled by a constant plug for the sponsors of the event and a pop rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.  When the fireworks go off, one should hear only “oohs” or “aahs,” not bad singing.  The loudspeaker ruined it for me.  I also want to raise the subject of more condos downtown.  I live three blocks from the train station, and I know someone who lives in the condos just east of the tracks.  They can really hear the trains. So now the village wants to build more housing downtown? Won’t buyers be surprised when they hear the dinging of the gates, the tooting of the trains and the general noise?  Residents may not know until they move in, but all conversation stops when a train is in the station. How many are there in a day?”

William Dose is pleased with the progress of Glenview’s Downtown Development Committee: “I am impressed that Trustee Woodrow's downtown revitalization committee is taking the time to extensively explore the economic feasibility of various options for downtown development. I know of one project in Winnetka that has been virtually bankrupt because of lack of such planning. This kind of assessment is prudent procedure, pure and simple, conducted in the best interests of the community. Reckless, bankrupt projects will not serve the reputation of our village well or provide the benefits we seek.  We should not forget that what originally drove the formation of Trustee Woodrow's committee is the long-expressed discontent by so many Glenview residents that our downtown offers them so little compared to the downtowns of our neighboring villages to the north and east. Residential density, along with plentiful restaurants and recreation (small cinemas, live performance venues, etc.) are the time-proven ‘Three Rs’ of successful downtown suburban renewal, according to an often-quoted Chicago Tribune feature. As a forty-eight year resident, I am hungry for well-executed upgrading and upscaling in whatever form it takes. The development of the Cloisters, for example, has been one of the most positive lifestyle improvements in many decades.  It provides popular tenants with modern space, location, covered parking, and a built-in consumer base (the upstairs condos) unavailable elsewhere in Glenview. Customers from all over Glenview and beyond have adopted Caribou and Oberweis as favorite hangouts! The Cloisters is a handsome prototype for Glenview's downtown renewal, and one which merits emulation.  I look forward to the day when many of our badly conceived strip malls and the blight of unappealing, out-of-place old commercial buildings is replaced by upscale, professionally executed development that better reflects our fine community. I am not thrilled about public financial participation; however I actually tend to think it's a good idea in the long run. I think the Cloisters actually helps sell houses in Glenview, and keeps us competitive with neighboring villages. We wouldn't have this emergency now if we hadn't been so inattentive and clueless for thirty years.”

Mr. Clean doesn’t like what’s proposed for downtown: “Once again we see it coming -- Rollover Time.  Another politically hand-picked committee, this time the Downtown Planning Commission, will roll over to the developers.  Led by notorious ‘blight-finder’ S.B. Friedman & Co. and aided and abetted by another TIF, sales tax increase and sale of village property, we lowly resident taxpayers will see our quaint downtown Glenview destroyed against our wishes by those who call demolition of history and charm ‘blight removal.’  In its place we will be treated to cookie-cutter canyons of five-story condo buildings flanking downtown Glenview Road.  The template can be seen in suburban communities all over the country, wherever local trustees were sufficiently gullible and naive to buy into it.  And so another sham committee, packed with the usual oblique-interest politicians wraps up its two years of not listening to resident taxpayers and embarks on more friendly deals with the true defining force in the village of Glenview – the developers.”

ED was dismayed by the downtown discussions: “I was at the Downtown Redevelopment Commission meeting for a short while.  It was so frustrating.  Is this Glenview?”

GNB doesn’t like Friedman’s plan to replace Metra parking with new development: “I can't believe these consultants would propose getting rid of train parking.  Even if we don't have a legal obligation to keep the parking where it is, we have an obligation to our community and environment (something they do not understand).  Besides getting rid of it would make traffic even worse, but they don't think about anything other than money.  On that note, did you see the article last week on Hubbard Woods shopping center and how they hired some private company to enforce parking rules, and started booting anyone and everyone for even the slightest of infractions?  We would have those same issues if we got rid of the train parking.   Just what we need.”

And Susan L. has doubts about another of the consultant’s ideas: “Adding retail space to the Patten House parking lot seems crazy.  Where will the residents park and how will people get in and out of the lot?  With all the train traffic and activity from seniors, this sounds like an invitation for an accident.”

Diane Richards reports that the neighbors are watering: “I was running errands today and noticed that Wilmette has put water bags at the base of all its newly-planted trees on Long and Glenview roads.  I was happy to see that.”

EAW challenges our call for testimonials from folks concerned about air pollution in Illinois: “One of the hazards of being a journalist is the temptation to give opinion as fact. When you do, there probably are some readers who know more about the subject than you do. I quote an example of opinion as fact from Glenview Watch:

’By using cost-effective pollution controls and clean energy technologies, we could eliminate most of the pollution.’

How much pollution do we have now, and how much will we have after using cost-effective pollution controls?  Perhaps you can describe these cost-effective pollution controls in detail. As a retired chemical engineer, I’d be pleased to learn more. Similarly, I’d like to know what you consider to be clean energy technologies and their costs.”

The Watch replies:  “Our source for the story was the Illinois Public Interest Research Group – an organization that does its homework.  ILPIRG referred us to a study the EPA did in 1997 on the cost effectiveness of the Clean Air Act in its first two decades.  The researchers concluded that when you add up the costs of controlling air pollution and compare that figure to the economic value of the benefits gained (avoided health costs and increased productivity); the Clean Air Act actually saved the nation trillions of dollars.  This report was issued under the Clinton administration, but in 2002 the Bush administration’s Office of Management and Budget did its own study and concluded that for every dollar spent on air pollution controls, we’d saved between $6 and $20 in avoided costs.

 As for your question about clean energy sources, one of the leading precursors to the most prevalent air contaminants (ozone and fine particles) are nitrogen oxides.  The top emitters of nitrogen oxides are large electric power plants that burn coal.  There are 24 of them in Illinois. Using a technology called selective catalytic reduction, which has been commercially available for more than a decade; plants can cut their nitrogen oxide emission rates by about 80%.  The cost: $1-3 dollars per megawatt hour of power from that plant. 

For examples of technologies to control other pollutants -- sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and mercury -- visit a website maintained by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management: http://www.nescaum.org/ .

YOUR TURN:  Write to glenviewwatch@aol.com or 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60026. 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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