Northbrook trustees give thumbs-up to presentation

The Village of Northbrook Board of Trustees enjoyed an update on downtown developments at its Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday night.

Over the course of the 90-minute remote meeting, Development and Planning Services Director Tom Poupard presented the key points of planning studies contained in a 231-page agenda focusing on four areas of development.

The board came away impressed.

"I don't know if Tom's sick of having so many great ideas in one meeting," said trustee Johannah Hebl.

Poupard recapped progress on traffic-calming measures and parking options on Cedar Lane near the Northbrook Public Library; streetscape enhancement at Shermer and Meadow roads; possible redevelopment of the village-owned Grainger property; and zoning amendments to the Village Green area.

A February traffic study that indicated speeds up to 75 miles per hour on Cedar Lane from Cherry Lane - the vast majority of traffic traveled from 25 to 34 mph - prompted thoughts of such items as a four-way stop sign at Cedar and Cherry, raised crosswalks and the narrowing of traffic lanes on Cedar, which is due for resurfacing.

Poupard provided two different options that also would address parking and, in one of the options, a possible drop-off area for the library.

Taking streetscape "to the next level" was Poupard's focus of the area around Shermer and Meadow roads. He offered aesthetic enhancements such as firepits, murals, pedestrian pass-throughs, permanent tables, the flexibility of temporarily closing streets for public uses. He suggested working with the Park District to better integrate Village Green Park.

The plan was for "modest" improvements over time rather than large, expensive development.

"My sense is we should proceed with those plans," said board President Sandy Frum.

The presentation included information on possible redevelopment of the 10-acre Grainger site at Shermer Road. If retained by the village, one plan considered splitting the property into two separate parcels, and, if grant funding was available, construction of an underpass between the Metra tracks for pedestrians and bicycle riders, connecting east and west sections.

If the village sold the property, a Request for Proposal for best use of development was proposed. Trustees said it would be a good site for affordable housing or a development for people with disabilities.

Affordable housing seemed to trump the final piece of Poupard's presentation, on zoning code amendments in the Village Green Overlay District.

Those would deal with items such as ground-level retail and other land use in the district. In his summary on the topic Poupard anticipated a greater focus on an Affordable Housing Ordinance that will be heard Sept. 15 in a Plan Commission public hearing.

"We got through this and I'm excited about a lot of this happening," Frum said. "Tom, thanks so much for all this work, as usual you are doing a tremendous amount of planning and working for us, and it's terrific."