Mr. Clean on a Roll
“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’ (insert taxpayer paid planning consultant here) and aided and abetted by another TIF, sales tax increase and sale of village property, we lowly resident taxpayers will see our quaint downtown (insert charming suburb here) 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 (insert charming suburban stree names here).
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 (insert charming suburb here) – the developers.” Glenview Watch July 19, 2005
“Until resident apathy ends and citizens say ‘enough is enough’ the developers will continue to rule. We can’t count on commissions to keep developers in check. Tasteful minimalism, a lost concept in Glenview, can only be brought back by citizens speaking up.” Glenview Watch July 27, 2005
posted by Good Company @ 3:45 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
*** Thankfully, unlike Mr. Clean's view of Glenview, in Elmhurst we have a dedicated group of citizens that serve on the Elmhurst Zoning & Planning Commmission that take great care to solicit and listen to public comment and include public thinking in their recommendations to the Elmhurst City Council. Of great concern, however, is the newly elected block on the Elmhurst City Council that seem bent on overturning generations of tradition in our Elmhurst residential areas. Ominously, on July 18, 2005, the day before Mr. Clean was quoted on the Glenview situation, the three newest members on the Elmhurst City Council that just took office in May 2005, led the charge to abandon the rule in place since 1924 that residential lot coverage not exceed 30% to afford green-space and a suburban setting in our residence areas (i.e. to include trees, landscaping and shrubbery). In a whisper-thin 7-5 vote, this serious challenge failed. See, Minutes of Elmhurst City Council July 18, 2005, Report on item 6b. This vote came in direct opposition to the unanimous recommendation of the Elmhurst Zoning & Planning Commission to honor the 30% rule and not allow the 30% rule to fall by the wayside. Again, our all-volunteer Elmhurst Zoning & Planning Commission heard and honored the requests of the majority of citizens and neighbors that the 30% rule not be altered. They heard the neighborhood request that the 30% rule remain as an important aspect of residential life in Elmhurst into the future. Unfortunately, those newest elected members of the Elmhurst City Council seemed on this vote to care little about what the majority of the neighborhood thought, showing more concern for a small minority and that vocal minority view that helped get them into elected office. Now that the Kelo v. City of New London case is on the books, even though the eminent domain laws in Illinois and the ordinances of Elmhurst remain firmly in the citizens' rights camp concerning land use, we need to be ever-watchful that the newest members of the Elmhurst City Council remember to listen to the recommendations of those that have heard and listened to the majority view of the public that has come forward to speak on land-use issues. ***
I saw the same thing....
“Elmhurst City Council Absent: Treas. Charity Pigoni
July 18, 2005 Ald. Regan left at 8:05
7:45 to 9:35 p.m. M. Costello, Observer
Property owner at 218 Maple was turned down in his request to increase garage size form
20’ by 20’ to 20’ by 25’. Council majority agreed with Zoning Board of Appeals that
such a request for lot coverage has never been approved. (!!) Voting Nay (which was a
vote to allow the larger garage) were Tranter, Vanek, Moriarty, Mulliner and Lomnicki.”
Source: THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ELMHURST, ILLINOIS – Observer Reports July 18, 2005
Is this the same Elmhurst League of Women Voters whose president carried Phil Jordan's campaign banner in the Spring Road St. Pat's Parade? Were you the observer at the meeting?
I've never been a League member so no, I wasn't the observer and was unable to attend the meeting. I do read the reports about the parks, schools and city as I'm unable to get to various meetings around town as much now as I used to. No, I haven't been to a parade either ever since my spouse died. Are you saying the vote reported is inaccurate? For as long as I've lived in town through at least 10 mayors by now, I've never heard of a lot being allowed to have more than 30% covered by a home. Are you a member of the city council?
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