Letter: Celebrating victory over unwanted development

One year ago, on a beautiful Friday afternoon, our peace was disturbed by a Fedex delivery that contained a letter sent to all the residents of our little subdivision in Medinah. The letter stated that a real estate developer was planning on buying all our homes, demolishing them along with all the trees, gardens, wildlife and basically every living thing, all by spring of 2023. At that point Transwestern (the real estate company) could apply to Itasca with the intention of Itasca annexing Medinah, at which time they would have free rein to go ahead and begin the destruction.

If someone wants to see what Medinah would look like if that happened, just drive west on Thorndale Avenue from Rohlwing Road and see the hellscape that the property at Thorndale and Andrene Lane has become. That would be our future. But we citizens of Medinah fought; we organized, we attended every meeting and we didn't let up. We met new neighbors and renewed old friendships.

One of our residents who is in the sign business, produced yard signs within days which we were happy to display. We contacted politicians, attorneys, newspapers and TV stations. Our lives changed since we needed to devote time every day to this cause. I tip my hat to the residents of the easternmost street in Medinah because they held fast and refused to sell.

Without them, we wouldn't have been successful and I consider them superheroes. I will be eternally grateful to each of them.

So this weekend some of our neighbors are planning on getting together to celebrate our victory and to remind ourselves that there is strength in numbers and how we have to stay alert to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

Diane Lauk

Medinah