November 8, 2007

Meanwhile in Lombard...

It looks like some elected officials listen to their resident's concerns and carefully consider the consequences of their decisions on their community. Our thanks to a PRU reader for the submission.



Daily Herald - Lombard denies group's plan to build senior housing complex
By Justin Kmitch Daily Herald Staff
Published: 11/7/2007 12:18 AM

Highlights from the article include:




  • A Naperville-based nonprofit group has scrapped plans to replace the second phase of a stalled luxury condominium development in Lombard with apartments for fixed-income seniors.



  • Lombard trustees denied the Xilin Association's bid to build a publicly funded 52-unit senior citizen housing complex in place of a previously approved 40-unit condo building along St. Charles Road.



  • Village President William Mueller said the trustees were uncomfortable the Xilin plan called for 12 additional units. Trustees also had a short timeline to make a decision.



  • "The board had a lot of questions that could not be addressed because of the timeline," Mueller said. "But, ultimately, the density was not thought to be proper for that location."



  • On Thursday, trustees rejected Xilin's plan.



  • Village planner Bill Heniff echoed Mueller's sentiments that "density was an issue." Heniff said several residents voiced concerns and support for the project during the past few weeks.



  • Mueller wants the developer, Park Ridge-based Neri Companies, to construct the second condo building as planned in 2004. A message left Tuesday at Neri's offices was not returned.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that we all need to see to it that this Thanksgiving day - we need to say thank you not only for our families but for our friends too.

For without our good friends - why would anything get done here.

You wash my back and I'll wash yours.

Bob, Carol, Ted & Alice
1st Ward's True Family

Anonymous said...

What's With the Park Ridge Police Dept?

http://www.journal-topics.com/pr/07/pr071107.editorial.html

Anonymous said...

We shouldn't want our elected officials to simply hold their fingers up to check which way the wind is blowing. But a public official should operate on the presumption that what his/her constituents want is the right thing to do, unless the official can make a very persuasive case that it is actually bad for the community. And there is no way that simply not giving Norwood 8 extra units would have risen to the level of a "bad" thing - except, perhaps, for the pocketbooks of Norwood's investors.

Watching the proceedings Monday night, however, it became crystal clear that: (a) Allegretti doesn't give a d*mn about what his constituents think and doesn't care enough to even try to make it look like he does; (b) Ryan doesn't care, but tries a little to make it look like he does; (c) Carey's a second-rate Ryan; and (d) DiPietro is Ryan, but with a much better act.

Unfortunately, this won't be the last such give-away-the-store vote that these Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse jam down our throats during the remaining months of Mayor Frimark's first term.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of the PR P.D.
What's the status on the
murdered Maine South graduate
and resident - Jerry Dhamer ??????

Anonymous said...

I say it is time we looked at starting a petition to bring back fourteen. This is exactly why there were more than one alderman per ward. We have a much better shot at being represented with two per ward than what we have now. EOP is a clear example of what King Howard wanted to accomplish by reducing the number of Alderman. The less number he has to manage the easier they are to control

Anonymous said...

please swallow your drink before you read this:
Does our honorable mayor ever have "Town Hall Meetings"?
Questions like anonymous at 1:14 could be asked there.
Would be a good place where citizens gather to get petitions signed too.

Unknown said...

So many possible petitions, so little time. In addition to going back to 14, how about:

1) Recall of elected officials, especially when there are no contested elections and candidates are hand picked by, well, you know the story.
2) Term limits for elected officials, so we won't be stuck with the same bad apples forever
3) Staggered the terms of office for aldermen, so its harder for any individual or group to control the council by hand picking council seat fodder
4) Annex to Chicago to be in the Ald. Doherty's ward. At least that way we can really blame it all on Mayor Daley.

Going back to 14 would be great, as long as hacks like Anderson and Cox stay away.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter if we have 7 or 14 or 50 or 5 aldermen. What matters is the people who serve. Right now our mayor is calling the shots and his people are in there. Instead of wasting time with petitions, work to elect good people.

Amen to the Anderson/Cox comment. Who wants them back?

Anonymous said...

Rather than Park Ridge annexing itself to Chicago, it has been suggested that the First Ward simply annex the adjoining Second and Fifth Wards and let Alderman Schmidt represent all of them. I could live with that.

Jean Dietsch said...

in response to Father McKenzie.....
We will have to wait over three years to get good representation by electing new alderman. If we get petitions to put a referendum back on the ballot we could then work to elect good people and have them representing us much sooner.

Anonymous said...

A word to the warned.............
If the churches decide
to house homeless folks -
then per the fire prevetion
code will cause them to all
install a working fire alarm
system in all of those churches.

Check it out !!

Anonymous said...

Off Topic -
You probably already know that most of the particulars of his shady deals were hammered out and eventually consummated in Florida. Distance is an effective alibi. Everyone knew he was up to no good, but proving it is impossible.
I'm talking about Al Capone, of course, and the Valentine's Day Massacre...

Anonymous said...

I have never seen a bigger bunch of bitter, hateful, nasty people in my life. If you hate the way this town is run move!

If you wanted "good people" (meaning people that vote the way that YOU vote I presume) then why didn't any of you run for alderman?? How pathetic you all are, slamming the volunteers of this community. I don't think it really matters who is in office. If it's not YOUR way then you will have a problem with them.

Why don't you try taking all of your negative energy and put it towards something positive? Obviously you all have plenty of time on your hands, why not volunteer for a worthwhile charity: breast cancer, pediatric cancer, genocide, domestic abuse. Imagine what a real positive difference you could make in someone's life.

KARMA - YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE!

Anonymous said...

1. I served as Alderman.

2. I volunteer and serve on the board of a couple charity based not-for-profits.

3. I volunteer and coach my child’s athletic endeavors.

4. Now that I have met your qualifications to comment, The Mayor needs to go.

Anonymous said...

Yes, that's right Anonymous @ 7:40...if you don't like the wallpaper in your kitchen, then move.

If you don't like the way you are being represented, then move.

If you expect your representatives to enact policy seemingly favored by a majority of residents in and around an area, and they don't, and you don't like it, then move...

But whatever you do, don't give voice to your discontent...that's just so negative! And somebody's feeeeeeelings, nothing more than feeeeeeelings, might get hurt!

Correct, Anonymous at 7:40...if I don't like the way my representatives vote, then yes, I will have a problem with that. Luckily, I live in a democracy that allows me to have a problem with that, and that same democracy allows me to voice my opinion about it even when it is negative.

If YOU have a problem with the rights conferred by the workings of democracy perhaps it is YOU who should move...I hear Cuba is lovely this time of year...and you might find the dynamics of the political structure more to your liking.

ppppppffffffffffftttttttttt!

Anonymous said...

I have no reason to move, I happen to be very happy with MY community and who represents me. You are the people with the issues.

Anonymous said...

I'm not moving. I have too much stuff.
Besides, why should I MOVE? I should walk away from the corruptness? Turn my head? IGNORE the lying leaders of the city? Let them continue to destroy this community?
hmmmm...Governor Ryan, did they give you a computer at the "facilty" already? Is that YOU, "anonymous @ 740"?

Anonymous said...

7:40 is probably on the contributor list...
So just ignore...

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous @ 7:40 p.m.

One of the great things about living in the good ol' US is that we have the right to speak our minds without fear of reprisals from government or our fellow citizens.

Since many of us are anonymous or use pseudonyms, you have absolutely no idea of what we have done in the past, present or what we will do in the future to make our contributions to our town, schools, churches, etc.

If you see something on tv that you don't like you have the option of turning it off or changing the channel. I would suggest that you can do the same with this website. Just don't visit it anymore.

And if you're wondering why I choose to be anonymous, it's because I really don't want to be harassed by people like you.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 7:40:

Love it or leave it, heh? Do you have any quotes from George Ryan, Rod Blagojevich or Richie Daley to go with it?

We live in one of the most corrupt, if not THE most corrupt, states in the country; and in one of the most corrupt counties in the country - next to perhaps the most corrupt city in the country.

So it's not "negative" to suspect that there is graft and corruption in our town. To the contrary, only an idiot (or a perpetrator looking for an alibi) would discount it. In fact, it's a big positive - a necessary first step in working toward good, honest, truly representative government.

And honest government is a whole lot more important than any of the charities you mention - because it is fundmental to the health and well-being of the entire country. Spending time working for honest and responsible government also makes a lot more sense from a cost-benefit basis, because it might take you a year to raise $100,000 through Market Day or another charity, but stupid or corrupt public officials can squander 10 times that amount with one vote or one stroke of a pen.

And if you want honest, open government, you've got to get rid of the dishonest money-grubbers who are just looking to make a buck off the clueless taxpayers and their stupid and/or corrupt representatives.