Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Calm and Quiet summer
Well gang our town has had a very calm and quiet summer. Nothing really to report except that I am going to try to find out where the bond cap money was used. I will get back with you later.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Fairview Village Expansion
Here is a synopsis of what has happend so far as told by a trusted sourse. Thanks Mark.
"Fairview Village, a part of Downers Grove since 1973, held meetings, revised plans, showed some very expensive looking multi unit buildings as an outcome of their earlier efforts to get the campus expansion on the west side of Fairview approved. They’re even using a million+ dollar home as a club house, all in an attempt to fit 32 expensive senior condos into 4 buildings in an area zoned for single family homes.
They are asking for R-5A multifamily zoning where currently R-1 and R-3 zoning predominates. Fairview Village on the east side of Fairview is already zoned R-5A.
The residents are nobody’s fools, and have come back at every public meeting with a coordinated and compelling counter argument. They have cited promises made and broken in the past, of zoning use ignored and changed in the past, of equivocation by the village in the past that they claim reduces the value of their homes, the safety of their neighborhood, and breaks breaches their reasonable expectation for the single family home zoning they were promised when they moved in. These are expensive homes, nicely kept, and they don’t want multifamily high density buildings in their backyards as their neighbors.
Undeniably, the property was platted out as R-3 single family homes, 7 lots.
There was a comparative real estate values study done to corroborate claims that the planned development would not negatively impact the single family home owners in the neighborhood. The one comparison I drove by today, Villa St. Benedict, I’d be hard pressed to tell you where the nearest single family homes are.
Not done at all was a traffic study, something council always looks for. Typically traffic studies are also done by the petitioner.
They The residents who live in the single family home there are white collar, smart people, and they hired Bill White to represent them. Bill White was a very vocal Sandack supporter in the last election, and much of his website Wired Grove was dedicated to supporting Ron.
Bill White, on January 17, 2007, also donated $500 to Sandack’s campaign. Although there is no prohibition of discussing and voting on matters involving parties represented by campaign contributors, and White is not seeking to do business with Downers Grove, Sandack might check in with Village Attorney Petrarca for some legal counsel as this creates a possibly slippery slope, if in appearance only. That might leave six voting council members and the possibility of an unbreakable tie vote.
I have been advised Bill White is also Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals. My opinion only, but that is either very shrewd on the part of the residents, or maybe Mr. White is carrying a bit too much baggage into this. It remains to be seen.
Council remanded this back to the Plan Commission again anyway, and asked for a traffic study, so members of Fairview and residents opposing will have to mark their calendars again to make sure they are there and are heard.
This is still months from any resolution."
"Fairview Village, a part of Downers Grove since 1973, held meetings, revised plans, showed some very expensive looking multi unit buildings as an outcome of their earlier efforts to get the campus expansion on the west side of Fairview approved. They’re even using a million+ dollar home as a club house, all in an attempt to fit 32 expensive senior condos into 4 buildings in an area zoned for single family homes.
They are asking for R-5A multifamily zoning where currently R-1 and R-3 zoning predominates. Fairview Village on the east side of Fairview is already zoned R-5A.
The residents are nobody’s fools, and have come back at every public meeting with a coordinated and compelling counter argument. They have cited promises made and broken in the past, of zoning use ignored and changed in the past, of equivocation by the village in the past that they claim reduces the value of their homes, the safety of their neighborhood, and breaks breaches their reasonable expectation for the single family home zoning they were promised when they moved in. These are expensive homes, nicely kept, and they don’t want multifamily high density buildings in their backyards as their neighbors.
Undeniably, the property was platted out as R-3 single family homes, 7 lots.
There was a comparative real estate values study done to corroborate claims that the planned development would not negatively impact the single family home owners in the neighborhood. The one comparison I drove by today, Villa St. Benedict, I’d be hard pressed to tell you where the nearest single family homes are.
Not done at all was a traffic study, something council always looks for. Typically traffic studies are also done by the petitioner.
They The residents who live in the single family home there are white collar, smart people, and they hired Bill White to represent them. Bill White was a very vocal Sandack supporter in the last election, and much of his website Wired Grove was dedicated to supporting Ron.
Bill White, on January 17, 2007, also donated $500 to Sandack’s campaign. Although there is no prohibition of discussing and voting on matters involving parties represented by campaign contributors, and White is not seeking to do business with Downers Grove, Sandack might check in with Village Attorney Petrarca for some legal counsel as this creates a possibly slippery slope, if in appearance only. That might leave six voting council members and the possibility of an unbreakable tie vote.
I have been advised Bill White is also Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals. My opinion only, but that is either very shrewd on the part of the residents, or maybe Mr. White is carrying a bit too much baggage into this. It remains to be seen.
Council remanded this back to the Plan Commission again anyway, and asked for a traffic study, so members of Fairview and residents opposing will have to mark their calendars again to make sure they are there and are heard.
This is still months from any resolution."
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Should Downers Grove cede bond cap to IHDA?
Here is a statement that I wanted to read to the VC at tonights meeting.
I am here today speaking on behalf of a group of residents who have contacted me to express their concern’s about last months debate over various housing topics in our village. As a result we have created the Downers Grove Housing Alliance. Our goal will be to monitor the real estate climate in our village and making our recommendations when necessary. We know that there are many worthy groups who normally apply for the village’s bond cap authority. I applaud the VC for receiving a fee from the city of Romeoville for using a portion of our bond cap. It has come to our attention that the IHDA is applying for the remaining bond cap funds. The request before you is vague and non specific. We hope before you grant any funding, a concise and comprehensive plan would be in place. The majority group on the ad hoc committee sent a list of recommendations that would benefit our community. Having said that… I would like to site the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act where it state’s “many teachers, police officers, nurses, fire fighters and other key employee’s in local jobs cannot afford to live in the communities where they work” Using this logic we would like some assurance from the IHDA that the bond cap is used to assist these vital service provider’s who work in Downers Grove. If you, the council, vote to cede the bond cap to the IHDA we want to make sure it gets used in Downers Grove. The DGHA does not support any IHDA program at this time. We would like to see a specific & detailed plan from the IHDA that is open to public debate. I hope you will take our groups position under advisement during your deliberations. Thank you.
I am here today speaking on behalf of a group of residents who have contacted me to express their concern’s about last months debate over various housing topics in our village. As a result we have created the Downers Grove Housing Alliance. Our goal will be to monitor the real estate climate in our village and making our recommendations when necessary. We know that there are many worthy groups who normally apply for the village’s bond cap authority. I applaud the VC for receiving a fee from the city of Romeoville for using a portion of our bond cap. It has come to our attention that the IHDA is applying for the remaining bond cap funds. The request before you is vague and non specific. We hope before you grant any funding, a concise and comprehensive plan would be in place. The majority group on the ad hoc committee sent a list of recommendations that would benefit our community. Having said that… I would like to site the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act where it state’s “many teachers, police officers, nurses, fire fighters and other key employee’s in local jobs cannot afford to live in the communities where they work” Using this logic we would like some assurance from the IHDA that the bond cap is used to assist these vital service provider’s who work in Downers Grove. If you, the council, vote to cede the bond cap to the IHDA we want to make sure it gets used in Downers Grove. The DGHA does not support any IHDA program at this time. We would like to see a specific & detailed plan from the IHDA that is open to public debate. I hope you will take our groups position under advisement during your deliberations. Thank you.
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