Pingree Grove candidates talk economic development

The candidates running for village president and trustee in Pingree Grove have varying degrees of optimism on attracting future economic development and balancing that with the town's character.

Mayoral candidates

It's all about capitalizing on Route 47, said incumbent Village President Greg Marston, who is running for a second term April 7.

"That, I believe, has the biggest bang for the buck for economic development," he said. "We need to get our name out because not a lot of people know that 7,000 people live south of Huntley in a town called Pingree Grove."

It's not about recreating a second Randall Road but tailoring development to the village's small-town character, Marston said. "We don't need to see a sea of asphalt parking lots, and we have to see how to incorporate a little more green initiatives."

The village is selecting an economic development consultant to disburse about $500,000 in economic incentives. Beyond that, there's not much the village board realistically can do, said Marston's opponent, 18-year-veteran trustee Steve Wiedmeyer.

Economic development "will always be the village's No. 1 issue, but commercial is going to come when it's going to come," he said. "We have some land set aside (for development) and we can expedite the process all we can, but they're coming when it's right for them."

The village might be able to attract small businesses, but a big box or grocery store along Route 47 is at least 10 years down the road, Wiedmeyer said. "It's a delicate balance to keep everybody happy," he said. "I think we'll be able to keep our character. That's what our land planners are for."

Trustee candidates

Candidate Joe Nowosielski said it's important to maintain high standards when deciding how to disburse economic incentives. Also running for three open seats are incumbents Bob Spieker, Bernie Thomas and Brian Paszkiewicz.

In November, the village board agreed to give up to $25,000 in incentives plus up to $10,000 as a loan to The Noble Carrot Co-op to build an ice cream store on its site. However, that happened before the co-op submitted a formal business plan, Nowosielski said.

"I am not opposed to the idea but I am opposed to giving money away to someone who doesn't have a business plan," he said.

The board also needs to carefully evaluate decisions such as allowing video gambling in town, even if it brings in tax revenues, he said. "I don't know how I would have voted on it," he said, "but we have a family feel and we should always be protective of our families."

Improving the flow of traffic - especially where Route 47 intersects with Routes 72 and 20 - is imperative to attract development, Thomas said. The village doesn't control those roads but must lobby with state transportation officials, he said.

"Pingree Grove is a four-square-mile community. We don't have a lot of property to build on. Without traffic, without flow, you don't have anything," he said. "We don't have the money to do the things we need to do and until then, we're going to live by the skin of our teeth to make it."

Several properties along Route 47 not annexed to the village lack access to infrastructure such as water and sewer, a major stumbling block for development, Spieker said.

The village owns about 16 acres off Route 20, part of the old Harrison property. A retailer's plan for the land - which already has infrastructure connections - recently fell through, but industrial development is another possibility, Spieker said. "We shouldn't be fixated on (the land) being set for a particular purpose or use right now," he said.

It's difficult to attract businesses when the village doesn't own any truly desirable locations for development, Paszkiewicz said.

"The locations we do own need to be developed. In order to develop them, we need more revenue," he said, "which currently the village does not have."

The village certainly could use another gas station and a grocery or convenience store, he said. "We can work with the building and planning commission to have the structure built and keep a small-town type of feeling."