Loebbaka: All developers, welcome to Glenview
The Village Board is one step away from allowing you to build more high-rise buildings with a new Downtown zoning ordinance.
There are two options pending for what may be second reading, a final vote, on an ordinance at Village Board's January 18 Zoom meeting. The law's building height limits are confusing at best (four stories and 63' height) but allow developers to apply for Planned Development projects that could go even higher.
Residents would have no clarity on the limits of what could be built in the downtown development area. The developers would be free to propose any type of project. For an example, look at what trustees approved for the Drake High Rise at 1850 Glenview Road. Then look at Midtown Square across the street.
If you like those towers with insufficient parking, no setbacks, no landscaping, and traffic congestion, then the village could give you the same kind of buildings with this new ordinance. Who needs trees, bushes, shade - not developers. Those would only make our town more beautiful.
The village cleared the way last week in a 4-3 vote to keep the ordinance alive. President Jenny cast the deciding vote. Residents who know of his Build Bigger zeal are not surprised.
They should know his partners of the so-called Unite Glenview party voted "yes" - Gitles, Sidoti, and Bland (appointed by Jenny to fill his trustee post after his election as president; surprised?).
Thanks for the Unite Glenview trustees who voted "no": Cooper, DeBoni, and Doron. Note that Doron is a traffic expert. He may be concerned about more heavy traffic adjacent to Lyons School and OLPH. The kids' parents surely are.
If the four legislators don't change their vote - don't bet on that - developers will get what they want, more units in Jenny residential buildings.
The ordinance says new height limits would be four stories, though still allow variations. And, it would allow the roof deck to have 10 feet of architectural features and elevator penthouses 15 feet above the maximum roof height. Now, we're really talking about high-rise buildings adjacent to residential areas along the Glenview Road-Waukegan Road corridor and Depot Street. And anywhere else the village could consider - Tall Trees, Signode, Willow-Pfingsten. Anyone with homes near those?
The new zoning ordinance requires only one parking space for studio and one-bedroom apartments. Developers could jam people into small units.
The current ordinance requires two spaces per unit for row houses/townhouses and 1.5 spaces for condominiums and apartments. The new ordinance changes studio and one-bedroom units to one space per bedroom. So a couple in a one-bedroom will park its second car ... where?
But they can jump on the Metra to their jobs in Chicago or Wisconsin, where they can spend some of their money outside Glenview. That is in keeping with the purpose of the Drake High-Rise. It is in a so-called Transit Zone. Who decided it is important to send residents to jobs and merchants out of town? The Chamber of Commerce?
The Jan. 18 board meeting will be on Zoom again. To make your voice heard now, you can post on Nextdoor, you can send a letter to editors of the three local newspapers, and you can email the president and trustees now. Do any live of them live near downtown?
mjenny@glenview.il.us, jbland@glenview.il.us, mcooper@glenview.il.us, gdeboni@glenview.il.us, tdoron@glenview.il.us, cgitles@glenview.il.us, asidoti@glenview.il.us.
• Charles Loebbaka, a retired journalist, has lived in Glenview since 1964 and served as a village trustee from 1973-83.