Elgin land grab made no sense

After a year of delays the city of Elgin approved the annexation of the Villa Olivia residential/commercial development plan. While not by itself a terribly odd event (such developments are approved by municipalities weekly), it is an excellent example of the problem with local city planning (too provincial), the power of money (chasing tax base), and the blind willingness of many elected officials to see all things new and "upscale" as somehow good, positive and beneficial no matter what the facts are.

Elgin approved this 375-unit development despite the fact that: 1) the property is currently an active recreation facility located in Bartlett: 2) it is a key component of a golf-course community; 3) it is restricted from further development by legal land covenants; 4) it was previously rejected by both the village of Bartlett and the Elgin Plan Commission; and 5) it is a financial loss leader to the city of Elgin having more service costs than tax potential.

The development plan itself is state-of-the-industry - in other words, unexceptional in design and layout. In all aspects the property is more related to the village of Bartlett than to Elgin.

And what of the council's basis for accepting such a proposal? It's hard to say, due to the council's fear of open public discussion and, for several members, the inability to coherently discuss issues without the use of meaningless platitudes and unsupported claims. While their silence is effective in hiding ignorance and biases, it does little in helping the public understand their elected representatives' votes or establishing accountability for the coming election. Other than re-enforcing the local coffee shop mantra that the council " ... has yet seen a development it won't approve," it is hard to tell what the council members were thinking this Wednesday evening ... or if they were thinking at all.

A. Bruce Trego

Elgin