Glen Ellyn trustees, consultant discuss long-term vision

Train traffic, aging infrastructure and a need for more senior housing are among the challenges for the future of the village, Glen Ellyn trustees say.

In a broad, informal discussion led by consultant Lee Crumbaugh Thursday, the board took stock of the village's weaknesses and outlined priorities. Economic development officials and police and fire chiefs also were on hand.

Many agreed that the village's growth is hampered by a shortage of open space. Shallow lots constrain development along Roosevelt Road, where most of the village's commercial and service-oriented businesses are concentrated.

Online shopping has taken away business from specialty shops downtown. To foster a thriving central business district, most trustees say the village should strive toward an “18-hour downtown” six to seven days a week. That can translate to a vibrant night life, when visitors do shopping beyond traditional store hours after eating out at restaurants with outdoor seating, said Staci Hulseberg, planning and development director.

“We're missing some diversity here,” Trustee Timothy O'Shea said of the downtown's offerings.

Union Pacific has indicated that freight traffic, meanwhile, will only increase, raising concerns about congestion and delays for drivers downtown, officials say. In the next few months, the board is expected to revisit a study that looked at, among other things, a vehicular underpass or overpass.

As for housing, O'Shea and Trustee Timothy Elliott say the village has too few options that allow empty nesters to downsize.

“That's always a complaint,” O'Shea said.

Though he highlighted plans to build a one-story, 46-unit senior housing complex on a site near Glenbard South High School, Elliott said attracting such developments should be another long-term goal.

Expanding village services for seniors also is worth a discussion, Elliott said, floating a possible senior center that “hypothetically” could be run out of the Civic Center downtown on Duane Street.

Crumbaugh's Glen Ellyn firm, Forrest Consulting, will now deliver a report on the village board's vision, aimed in part at promoting a “small-town feel,” recruiting developers and investing in infrastructure. He said trustees were on the same page when it came to identifying the village's pros and cons.

Village President Alex Demos agreed.

“I think we're very well-aligned,” he said.