6 | June 14, 2018 | The glenview lantern news glenviewlantern.com Glenview Village Board Residents skeptical of proposed development at former Bess site Chris Pullam, Editor Glenview might have found a new tenant for the former Bess Hardware site in downtown Glenview. But first, there are plenty of details to hash out. During its Tuesday, June 5 meeting, the Village Board considered selling the property to The Drake Group, which plans on building a 72-unit, mixeduse, partially five-story apartment development with 89 enclosed residential parking stalls on the 0.927-acre parcel at 1850 Glenview Road, between Depot and Pine streets. In the end, after more than an hour of informational presentations and debate, as well as mostly negative input from about a dozen residents, the board decided to postpone a vote until its next meeting on Tuesday, June 19. The Village purchased the former Bess Hardware site, representing 0.666 acres of the transaction, for $2,225,000 in early 2017 after the previous owner failed to sell the property over a seven-year period when the business closed in 2010. Trustees and staff hoped purchasing the site would speed up the process of finding a new, long-term tenant. The remaining 0.262 acres of land associated with the proposed development, located just to the west, were acquired by the Village in a no-cost land swap with Metra in late 2017. As currently proposed, The Drake Group would buy the combined property for $1,810,000, a net loss of $415,000. But according to Director of Community Development Jeff Brady, Glenview would recoup that amount via the development’s property taxes in a little more than two years. After that, the taxes generated from the development would benefit the village. As currently proposed, the development would generate approximately $230,000 per year in property taxes versus the current approximate $30,000 per year as a vacant site, for a net of approximately $200,000 per year in new property taxes. According to Village Manager Don Owen during a follow-up email exchange: “There is a possibility of additional sales tax from the retail space, and the direct and indirect effects of the new spending in Glenview during construction and by the new tenants would also help revitalize downtown.” Currently, the site is primarily used for temporary parking. The proposed 72- unit apartment complex would include one-, twoand three-bedroom apartments, as well as studios. According to the board packet, the fifth floor of the building would be stepped back along Glenview Road to reduce the impact of the top floor. Along the rear of the site, facing north toward Prairie Street, the second and third floor would include a 20-foot stepback and the fourth and fifth floors would be stepped back more than 60 feet. The plans also include a 718-square-foot retail space at the southwest corner near Glenview Road and Depot Street, as well as a property-management office at the southeast corner near the intersection of Glenview Road and Pine Street. However, more than a dozen residents and stakeholders, as well as several trustees, offered critiques of the current proposal that ranged from minor adjustments to full-scale makeovers. Glenview resident Michael Radel, the last person to have the site under contract before it was bought by the Village, believes a retail or commercial mixed-use concept is best for the property. “At the end of the day, we want a destination for Glenview residents to come to,” he said during the meeting. “We want something more boutique and less cookie-cutter [than what] we’re considering now. And I think the overall financial loss we’re taking on the site ... is a concern. I think that’s unacceptable as a resident who pays taxes.” John Brennan took exception with the term “mixed used” in reference to the proposed development. “I was going to give this proposal, as proposed to the public in the board packet, an ‘I’ for ‘incomplete.’ [After listening to the board meeting], it’s an ‘F,’” he said. “Brady referred to this as a mixeduse development. It is 0.5 percent retail. It’s not mixed use, so let’s just move on.” Resident Jana Tranas was similarly disappointed in the proposal. “Glenview needs a vision and I believed when you bought the parcel ... it would be a cornerstone we could all be proud of — an Additional information To see all the public renderings and floor designs for the proposed development, visit glenview.il.us and navigate to the board packet from the Tuesday, June 5 meeting. asset for the community and not just more condos,” she said. “I look at other governing boards, such as the Park District when it bought Wagner Farms. [That land] could’ve been McMansions. Instead, we have a true asset to the community. ... We have an opportunity here. It should be gorgeous and used by all.” Maria Mooshil summed up the concerns of multiple speakers: “This lacks so much creativity it’s a shame, and what’s been presented here is a missed opportunity to do something much greater.” Glenview resident Margaret Sents said she likes the overall concept of the development, but thinks it could be even better if it included affordable housing. “This is perfect for that because it offers equal access to the types of amenities that low-income people would need to access,” she said. “Someone in a wheelchair could wheel over to the library or Heinen’s and the train is right there. ... If this town is serious about having a community where everyone is welcome, this is a good concept, but let’s see if we can make it even better.” Megan McClung addressed the board representing Friends of Downtown Glenview, a community-based nonprofit organization comprised of neighbors, friends, and civic and business organizations formed in 2017 to revitalize Glenview’s traditional main street, according to its website. She urged the board to consider three things before agreeing to a contract with The Drake Group: retail space, streetscape and design. Specifically, she wants the development to include “flexible, first-floor retail space” that is “inviting to the public.” She also suggested moving the leasing office to the second floor and adding a restaurant with outside seating to draw residents. McClung also said that if the Village is subsidizing the property by accepting a $415,000 loss on the sale, then the development should activate the first floor and parking options to benefit the public. She provided the board with a packet including all the organization’s suggestions. Trustee Scott Britton, who voted against buying the property in 2017, said the board knew the Village might take a loss when selling the site. “We had an owner of the site who had unrealistic expectations for what he could sell it for,” he said. “Basically, it was a game of chicken. Either he would continue to own it forever, potentially for another eight years, or we could buy it ourselves knowing we could potentially take a loss.” He also supported adding an affordable housing component to the plan because “I want my kids and our kids to know all about all people, not just people who look like the seven of us [on the board]. If we don’t mandate it now, we might never have the chance.” Trustee John Hinkamp warned residents that additional retail might not survive in the current downtown. “One thing that struck me is this property is one part of the downtown and we already have all this empty retail, so putting more retail there would either cannibalize what we already have or it wouldn’t probably be successful,” he said. “That’s why I kind of said, ‘Okay,’ to apartments because at least it’s people, it’s people walking down [the road]. It could revitalize. It could attract other retail into some of the empty spaces we have.” Although the board hopes to vote on the development during its Tuesday, June 19 meeting, Village President Jim Patterson warned that village staff might need more time in order to discuss potential changes with The Drake Group. Trustees also voiced reservations about casting a vote during the following meeting, on July 3, because concerned residents might be busy for the holiday, as well as the meeting after that, on July 20, because two trustees would not be present to cast votes for such a major decision. Residents can find out if the development will be discussed at the June 19 meeting by emailing Brady at jeffb@Glenview. il.us, visiting glenview.il.us and referencing the meeting agenda when its posted on June 15, or subscribing to the weekly e-Glenview newsletter.
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