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the northbrook tower | May 4, 2017 | 17
THE LAKE FOREST LEADER
North Avenue properties
look for updates, Village
seeks revisions to plan
The Lake Bluff Village
Board considered a
resolution to approve a
site plan for exterior alterations
to the properties
at 104-110 Scranton
Ave., 612-616 Oak Ave.,
41 E. North Ave. and 35
E. North Ave. at its meeting
Monday, April 24, but
sent it back to the Architectural
Board of Review.
Brick House Farms
X, LLC, the owner of
the properties, proposed
changes including landscaping,
sidewalks, window
replacement, exterior
lights and exterior painting.
The resolution was
previously approved at a
Lake Bluff Architectural
Board of Review meeting
on April 4, with the condition
that the driveway at
35 E. North Ave. be made
out of a paver designed
to allow grass to grow
through it. Brick House
Farms asked the board
to approve the resolution
without this condition,
and allow them to use
asphalt instead in a letter
prior to the meeting.
The letter stated that
grass would not grow in
this area due to the “permanent
and heavy use by
vehicles” in that location.
This would then necessitate
that these pockets be
filled with gravel, which
would be messy and hard
to keep clear during icy
and snowy weather. The
pavers would add a cost of
$7,000-$8,000 to the total
renovations.
Trustee William Meyer
stated that he shared Brick
House Farms’ concerns
about the snow and ice
being hard to clear in the
winter months if pavers
were used.
After much discussion
the board sent the resolution
back to the Architectural
Board of Review
to have it review further
options. The Architectural
Board of Review will
meet May 2.
Reporting by Christa Rooks,
Freelance Reporter. Full
story at LakeForestLeader.
com.
THE WINNETKA CURRENT
Winnetka nature
nonprofit celebrates
10 years of youth,
community outreach
Founded in 2007, Back-
Yard Nature Center set
out with a mission to help
children and adults foster
nature in New Trier
Township. Ten years later,
in the age of accessible
technology, the charge
rings truer than ever.
The Winnetka-based
nonprofit is led by founder
and president Daniel
Kielson, along with a
five-member board of directors,
one part-time staff
member and a myriad of
volunteers.
“[Our] mission is very
simple: to connect children
and adults with the
wonders of nature, focusing
on New Trier Township,”
veteran board
member John Levine said.
“We look around us and
there are, in fact, wonders
if we just take time to look
and listen and enjoy.”
Levine stressed that
conservation and environmental
activism are possible
for those interested,
even at the local North
Shore level.
“I had this kind of
epiphany that conservation
is not just something
that happens in the Amazon
rainforest,” Levine
said. “There are things
even in our own backyard
that are going on that people
can get involved with,
whether it’s enjoying the
outdoors and wildlife in
the environment or getting
involved, like I wanted
to do.”
BackYard Nature Center
coordinates habitat
restoration projects, education
programming and
outdoor nature activities
throughout the village.
To date, the organization
has worked with hundreds
of community members
across 30 organizations
and nine schools. Most
recently, they partnered
with Sunset Ridge School
for a nature hike and day
of habitat restoration,
which included the removal
of non-indigenous
species such as buckthorn.
Reporting by Lauren Kiggins,
Freelance Reporter.
Full story at WinnetkaCurrent.com.
THE WILMETTE BEACON
Village Hall roof
replacement deferred until
fall
A Wilmette Village Hall
roof replacement contract
approval was originally
scheduled to take place
at the Wilmette Village
Board’s Tuesday, April 25
meeting, but the project
has now been pushed back
until the fall.
The contract was in
the amount not to exceed
$606,758 with The Garland
Roof Company of
Cleveland. The 2017 budget
provides $630,000 to
replace the roof at Village
Hall. For the project, staff
identified a joint purchase
opportunity for roofing
services through the U.S.
Communities program,
which is a national nonprofit
purchasing cooperative.
The Garland Roof Company
currently holds the
contract for roofing services
under the facilities
solutions division of U.S.
Communities. Trustee
Ted McKenna expressed
concerns with the U.S.
Communities procurement
process and pricing
for replacement of the Village
Hall roof. In order to
adequately address McKenna’s
concerns, the approval
of the contract was
removed from the agenda.
Staff will be evaluating
options in regard to design
services and a request for
proposal and bidding process.
Work was scheduled
to begin in early May and
end in June, but has now
been pushed back until the
fall.
“In advance of the
meeting we had a request
from Trustee McKenna to
remove (the roof replacement
contract approval),”
Village President Bob
Bielinski said. “(McKenna)
thought the Village
should explore a different
bidding process to see
if we could cut the costs
on this expenditure. Staff
has agreed to follow that
recommendation and see
what we can do in terms
of cutting costs.”
Reporting by Todd Marver,
Freelance Reporter. Full story
at WilmetteBeacon.com.
THE GLENCOE ANCHOR
North Shore Exchange
named finalist for James
Tyree Award
Glencoe’s North Shore
Exchange made the final
cut for the James Tyree
Award, being named
one of three finalists for
the annual Chicagoland
Chamber of Commerce
honor.
The James Tyree
Emerging Business Leadership
Award is given annually
to an “up-and-coming
Chicago business that
has demonstrated growth
and philanthropic values,”
according to a Chicagoland
Chamber of Commerce
release.
The winner of the award
will receive a $50,000
cash prize. Wendy Serrino,
president of the North
Shore Exchange, said it
was the first time they had
applied for the award. She
added the money would
have a “multiplier” effect
for the Glencoe nonprofit,
which was founded in
March 2013. If they win,
Serrino said they plan to
use the prize money to
strengthen the business
and, in turn, yield more
grants.
Serrino said they would
use the prize money to:
launch a pop-up store in
the city; invest in inventory
management software
and a new online ordering
system, and invest in targeted
marketing.
“We are thrilled,” Serrino
said. “To be recognized
both as a successful
business and helping people
— we feel fantastic
about that.”
North Shore Exchange,
the upscale consignment
shop at 372 Hazel Ave.,
gives 100 percent of its
proceeds to charity. In
three years, the nonprofit
has distributed $700,000
in grant money to a wide
range of Chicago-area
organizations, including
those focused on: abuse,
education, health care,
disabilities, homelessness,
hunger, mental health and
social services.
Reporting by Fouad Egbaria,
Contributing Editor.
Full story at GlencoeAnchor.
com.
THE HIGHLAND PARK LAND-
MARK
PDHP maintenance facility
given OK for construction
The Park District of
Highland Park will be
constructing a new building
to house its park maintenance
and golf operations
facility after the City
Council approved a series
of ordinances amending
its zoning codes and a development
agreement at
its Monday, April 24.
The building at 1220-
1240 Fredrickson Place
will be built on property
already owned by the
park district, and will replace
a previously existing,
smaller building. The
park district asked for relief
from the zoning code,
so the building could be 3
feet taller than the previous
code allowed for.
As part of the public
benefit required for new
developments in the city,
the park district plans
to plant trees and native
grass in excess of what is
required of them.
Concerns were heard
from members of the
city council over planned
lighting in the parking lot
of the new building, and
whether or not the lights
would make an impact on
the residences near the location.
Reporting by Erin Yarnall,
Freelance Reporter. Full
story at HPLandmark.com.
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