Two sent to PRU for you to read and consider --
Letter #1
Here's another example of what I'm assuming is Frimark and Friends. The following is a letter to the editor I'm sending out today. Please feel free to investigate yourself, or start a new conversation. Thanks for the great site.
Dear Editors:
I was floored to discover that the City of Park Ridge was negotiating with a bank (CenTrust) to build on the empty Napleton parking lot on the corner of Northwest Highway and Meacham, across from the Napleton Cadillac building. The plans include cutting new curb access on Northwest highway and drive-thru lanes. Anyone who has driven in the area and is familiar with traffic patterns knows this will effectively turn the residential streets of Meacham, Cedar, and Elm into drive-thru lanes too.
Not only is this an ill-thought-out plan, it is also completely contrary to what the citizens expect and what the City Council and (former) Mayor adopted for the area. The Uptown Master Development Plan, available for all to see on the City’s website (see https://www.parkridge.us/assets/Upfinalplan.pdf), clearly shows this land to be used for “transitional residential,” which is defined as condominiums or town homes (p. 16). It is not to be used for commercial at all!
If that’s not bad enough, I learned the same day that the City was talking with CVS Pharmacy about putting in a store and parking lot across the street on the site of the former Napleton Cadillac property. This too is addressed in the Uptown Master Development Plan. That land is to be used primarily for town homes.
As citizens we have to ask ourselves: who is this benefiting? Whatever answer you find for yourself, one thing is clear: it is not benefiting us. Just because the current developer is no longer interested in building town homes on the site doesn’t mean that the City can step in to help Napleton sell their property to any available buyer.
No one who lives near uptown, no one who uses Hinkley Park, and no one who is concerned with the character of Uptown wants a car-traffic-heavy (and perhaps 24-hour) drug store like CVS on that spot. Neighbors and park users do not want the bank across the street. These two businesses seem to mainly benefit people driving through town. Neither are pedestrian-oriented.
And neither of these is supposed to be allowed under the Uptown Development Plan, which was unanimously adopted and amended into the Comprehensive City Plan in 2002 (p. i).
The same Plan lists two of its primary objectives (p. 3): 1) Maintain Uptown as a small, compact, and well-defined geographical area, and 2) promote a pedestrian-oriented shopping environment.Both the CVS idea and the bank violate both of these primary objectives.
I don’t think we as citizens can allow major decisions about the character of the City, the traffic safety of our streets and parks, and the quiet altering of long-time plans to be made in back rooms, restaurants, or golf courses and then later be presented to the citizens as the new plan. The citizens have a right to expect our elected officials and City employees to follow the Plan as adopted, to keep the citizens posted on developments, and to act and communicate with full transparency so that we can see for ourselves that they are acting in our best interests.
The Uptown Development plan is clear: Uptown commercial development is not supposed to creep further up Northwest Highway. The Napleton parking lot is supposed to be residential. The Napleton Cadillac building across the street is supposed to be condos or town homes.
Stick to the plan, Park Ridge. It’s what the citizens want.
Steve Kopka
Park Ridge, IL
Letter #2
Letter to the Editor:
Today, we read where Mayor Frimark had the US government funds all set and ready to cash the check to the tune of $ 500,000 for a study for the Cumberland Ave possible extension.
Its not a big surprise here to see that all was just about closed for discussion on this issue and the ink on the check was ready to dry for mailing. But Mayor Frimark forget something - the people!
What is their desire ? What is their concerns....as well as traffic flow through the town north and south and back. A major artery that would be revised and extend - all because of HIS desire to collect federal tax dollars! "Its only federal dollars" Mayor Frimark once stated at a recent city hall meeting and its not city money.
Now, US Rep Jan Schakowsky must think that we are all two sandwiches short of a picnic in asking for federal tax money and the PEOPLE have not been approached.
Mayor Frimark this is just a continuation of the type of leadership that we have here in Park Ridge - from YOUR office sir.
Grant applications, state tax breaks, state monies from Gov. Blagojevich, veterans money stolen and used for " art in the park" with Roasemary Mulligan's fingerprints all over it ?
Parachutes being given out, a screw up with the (just retired police chief 's) pension/package and the payment to our new city manager in his cost of living - here?
I ask you sir - when is this all going to come to a halt?
Are we leading from the rear - here ?
I guess you could loop it all together and call this term the following:
" the dark night" or "the joker", or even better "space chimps".
"Momma Mia" as the film title goes.... when is the next election!!
Gene Spanos
" Dedicated Twice By Choice"
Police - Marines
Det # 553 MCL
61 comments:
Didn't Shakowsky already anounce that she had withdrwan the request for funding for the study?
Yes. But she left the door open.
I have a message for anyone planning on putting in a 24-hour pharmacy on the old Napleton site: over my dead body. I also am fed up with behind-the-scenes negotiations that leave out the residents and ignore their concerns. It has been happening on a regular basis under this administration, and it is time to put an end to it.
There is another somewhat related issue which the residents need to be aware of. Next month the City Council will consider a proposal to expand the R-5 zoning district to monstrous proportions. For those of you new to the ever-present zoning battle, R-5s are the tallest, most dense buildings allowed in Park Ridge. As of now, they are restricted to a "core" area in Uptown. However, the plan which apparently has the support of the mayor and a number of aldermen is to expand that area to include the entire "Central Business District." That means the tallest and most dense buildings would be permitted right next to or even in residential neighborhoods which border Uptown. The net effect would be to turn Northwest Highway into a canyon and the Central Business District into our own version of Manhattan. Is this what we want for our hometown? I say no, but I will need alot of help from alot of residents before enough minds on the Council are changed to defeat this proposal. I urge those who want to maintain what is left of Park Ridge's "small town charm" to contact the mayor and their aldermen and urge them to reject this disastrous plan.
election day is April 7, 2009
259 days
God help us all
Alderman Dave,
It's great and refreshing to hear how you feel.
I agree with you on almost everything I have seen you post here on this site and at watchdog, and I will rally my friends and neighbors to the cause.
I have one question for you on a separate but related issue:
Can I rally them to the cause of a certain alderman running to unseat the ego-driven mayor we currently have in an election being held next Spring?
I know other people are "listening" to this conversation, but just whisper your answer. No one will hear.
Alderman Dave--
I read your post. Well put as always. I feel sick about our lovely town. It reminds me of the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." Remember when George Bailey was going through his town, seeing how it looked as it was run by Mr. Potter? It was all sleazy, run-down, the people were trash, etc.
Hmmmm...who is it in our town that is the perfect image of Mr. Potter?
Does anyone else feel like a CVS would bring in a whole lot of tax revenue that this city desperately needs? Certainly R-5 type buildings would hinder the beauty of the Cedar to Prospect to NW highway area, but we need certainly need more stores to bring in a greater amount of tax dollars. If anyone hasn't noticed stores like Yvonne's estelles, Camp Willo, and Rafia don't exactly do it
Alderman Dave:
Thanks as always for keeping me informed. Is there any current information available about the current R-5 zoning district versus what there considering expanding it to?
From my perspective this is a balancing act. There varying opinions on development. For me I think any expansion must come along with sum explanation of what the expected economic benefit to PR would be. I also think that all development has to go under a review process to keep within the overcall community standards. As an example, I have no problem with the new buildings across Touhy from the library in terms of their appearance etc. Of course there are some who would disagree with me on that.
Again, that is the value of blogs like this. Unless you had posted this today it would have come to my attention.
Maybe it is because I lived in the city for many years, but I do have to say I see your "canyon" and "Manhattan" comparisons as a bit over the top. Are you saying that there are developers lined up to build 30 story buildings in Uptown if only the zoning law would change?
Anonymous @ 11:24:
I'm for smart development but do not want a CVS to go into that spot. Bad choice.
I don't believe we'd see a "whole lot" of additional tax revenue brought into town. We already have two Walgreens stores in town.
Are we crying out for another business to fill that need?
No on CVS.
Smart development, not development for development's sake.
www.daveformayor.org
Wishful thinking? And don't tell me a few of you didn't check it out....just in case.
Anonymous at 11:42:
So what would you consider "smart" development. I agree that one store won't make the largest difference but it will certainly make some difference. I would go there instead of the Jewel at Milwaukee and Oakton.
But more importantly and this is for everyone what would people like to go in that spot?
psst, b. darton: I'll tell you later.
Mouse: don't give up. Fight. Park Ridge is worth it.
11:24 a and b: you are right, it is a balancing act, but right now we are way out of balance, and we need some common sense leadership. The "canyon" comment is not over the top. Look at the south side of Northwest Highway north of Touhy right now. There is a difference of opinion as to whether the appearance is good or bad, but that is really no longer an issue, because what's done is done. However, imagine buildings of the same height on the other side of the street. That, my friends, would be a canyon. Are there developers lined up to do it? Who knows, because much of these discussions go on behind the scenes, and the residents and aldermen who are not in the mayor's inner circle are the last to know.
Finally, let's talk about the desire to increase sales tax revenue. I'm all for it, but NOT at the cost of the City's character and the residents' comfort and peace of mind. What good does a few thousand dollars in sales tax revenue do if it ruins a neighborhood? Quality of life and property values decline, and so does property tax revenue. The City ends up no better financially than before, and a beautiful neighborhood is no longer a desirable place to live.
Regarding the R-5 issue, picture the traffic and parking situation in Uptown as a full glass of water. Every time you add even a drop to that glass, water spills out and travels to the surrounding area. Now think of a huge expansion of the R-5 district as a shot glass full of water. Pour that into your full glass, and the surrounding neighborhoods start to drown in traffic and parking problems. It's happening now. Talk to the folks on Sibley and Cedar and Elm and Meacham and Prospect and Washington. And that is just the north side of town. I don't want it to get any worse.
11:24 b...forgot to answer your question about information. The "before" and "after" maps should be posted on the City's website. Not sure excatly where. I'll look into it and see if they are. If they are not, I will ask that they be posted so the residents have plenty of time to look them over and decide whether they think this is how they envision Park Ridge in the future.
anon 11:42:
I do not disagree with you. It seems silly to me to put a CVS there but then again I have no need for it. I go to Walgreens.
It is possible that there are some who live in that area who would love to be able to walk to a drug store.
I guess there would be varying opinions on what smart development consists of. So, like with any other issue, hopefully people will participate in the process and let their voices be heard.
12:12...you are absolutely right. But we should make sure that the residents have plenty of advance notice. However, I just cannot imagine a majority of local residents wanting or needing a 24-hour pharmacy across the street or down the block.
I'm sure no one who lives in the area wants to walk to a drug store if it means adding a strip mall to edge of uptown, right next to a park. This is not a store for people to walk to. It's a store (and a bank!) whose traffic kids will have to dodge going to Hinkley park.
And tax revenue isn't everything.
Drive down Irving Park west of California and you'll see what this would be: a bunch of commercial store fronts that sit unrented punctuated by a CVS or Walgreens on one corner and a 7-11 on the other. We already have the vacant storefronts. No one would be walking anywhere in "pedestrian-oriented" uptown.
From time to time commentators on this site and PublicWatchdog have compared Park Ridge to the fictional Bedford Falls of "It's A Wonderful Life" and then observed how, under Mayor Frimark, it appears to be turning into "Potterville" ("Howardville"). Which is what happens, of course, when greed for power and money dominstes, if not replaces, every other concern.
All things being equal, developers can make a lot more money from dense multi-family residential than they can from single family homes, which is why Adreani, Chipman and other Friends of Frimark were pushing so hard for that 8-unit variance over at EOP. It's also why the developers and the land speculators are pushing their lackeys on the Council and the City boards and commissions to make the west end of Uptown R-5. And they'll gladly go higher than 5stories if we let them.
As for those monstrosities on Touhy and NW Hwy that dwarf even Summit Square next door, they're like found money for PRC. Whether you like their design or not, one thing is certain: Measured by height, volume, materials and appearance, they aren't compatible with anything in Uptown.
But once you give Frimark and his cronies an "opportunity" and some closed City Council sessions to scheme in, "Bedford Falls" doesn't stand a chance. But Frimark's not worried about what Park Ridge will look like or be like in 10 years - he's got Bonita Springs to fall back on.
A part of the information that I would think needs to be out there is what time of demand is there for these open spaces. I am not in the commerical realestate buisness but I do know there are quite a few empty stores and fairly large buildings around Park Ridge.
A part of the balancing act is what is the demand for the space and how long does one want the space to remain vacant. What are the downsides of having the space vacant while waiting for a tenant/buyer that everyone can agree on.
As an example, based on what I hear it would appear that a Bank is going into the Bailey's space.
I have heard unconfirmed rumors that Baileys is not going to close but instead will relocate. I occasionally miss a few days reading the blogs but it amazes me that I have read nothing about it here. Many of you seem to be way more tuned in than me.
I have heard that Baileys plans on moving into the now vacant Hollywood Video space. If this is true I am sure there will be objections from some residents south of the fence along the parking lot. But this has to balanced with demand and what the downside is of that space remaining vacant.
you are right. Frimark doesn't care about what happens in the future. Kinda like a certain priest who wont be around to see a homeless shelter open in his church BECAUSE HE WONT BE HERE!
how ironic it would be if the bank they open on the Bailey's site will be the "Frimark Building and Loan." ha!
We already have a CVS going in soon near Dempster/Potter. I know its not Uptown, but how many Walgreens/Osco/CVS's do we need in town? Wouldn't that Uptown CVS site be just blocks from the existing Walgreens on Touhy?
So everyone has gone on and on about how beautiful this town is, but we have our beautiful areas and downtown Park Ridge has never been one and will never be one. It was ugly and useless before the expansion and now, in my mind at least, we have a good looking modern uptown area that brings in some of the money this city needs. And people are talking about this ruining the neighborhood??? Please don't offend our citizens. Park Ridge will not lose its citizens because of some parking problems. Will more people complain? Certainly, but Park Ridge has been a great place for people to raise their kids for years now and unless the school systems all fail people are not going to be moving out of Park Ridge.
Lets try and focus on PR's great qualities such as its schools and citizens and not its so-called "beauty".
Anonymous at 1:25:
If you are here for the schools you are living in the past. The myth of top performing Park Ridge Schools is just that, a myth.
Test scores prove it.
Though we do pay our teachers and administrators among the tops in the State. That's something upon which we can hang our hats!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people think a Walgreen's on every corner is a beautiful thing, some thing a homeless person sleeping in doorways of stores and residence is beautiful. And MANY believe that growing up in a town like PR is so beautiful that they return to raise their kids here. At the rate we are going, it's not gonna be such a nice place anymore.
Test Scores don't show everything about a high school. From the sports and interactions to the teachers and quality of education I can attest to the greatness of the Park Ridge schools as a recent graduate. Anony-mouse those two opening lines are just ridiculous. Let's try to be serious.
anon 2:17:
The banner at the top of the page reads "irreverent and unrepentant satire and irony". Whether you agree with them or not, I believe the comments from anony-mouse qualify!
it was MEANT to be ridiculous
Anonymous July 24, 2008 1:25 PM:
You say that "we have a good looking modern uptown area that brings in some of the money this city needs." How much revenue do the buildings generate v. how much in expense to the city (e.g., the millions in TIF financing costs)?
And people are talking about this ruining the neighborhood??? Please don't offend our citizens. Park Ridge will not lose its citizens because of some parking problems. Will more people complain? Certainly, but Park Ridge has been a great place for people to raise their kids for years now and unless the school systems all fail people are not going to be moving
Ok yes at this point obviously the revenue brought in is nowhere near the costs, but that's not how development works it takes years. If you could find a way to match revenue to costs in the first couple of years in development you'd be a VERY rich man... or woman.
As to anony-mouse you start off by saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder? So why is beauty such a big deal then why don't we worry about more concrete things?
Many of this discussion is about what we should do... what's beautiful, what's desirable. It seems to me that there are many things going on here where we don't even have a choice in the matter. This city is ours, right? Whatever happens is going to change Park Ridge for years and decades. We can't let a few people out to make some quick cash make these kinds of decisions for us.
Regardless of what the aesthetics are, we can't let them tell us one thing (this is going to be residential, aren't you happy?) and do another thing (meet your new bank!).
which is why we need to get someone ELSE elected to the mayor's office!
Back to the Original Post...WHO is talking to CVS? WHO in the City of PR? Is it the mayor? One of the Aldermen? The new city manager?
I think the question of extending Cumberland should be put on the November ballot. While Howie doesn't care what we think, it could be another record of the citizens/voters/taxpayers not wanting this stupid, wasteful plan.
Hey Anony mouse 1:10 pm -
AMEN on the soon to departed priest! I heard he was suppose to leave last month but extended his stay. How very nice of him to take the time to screw us over before he leaves. What a great guy!
Anony mouse I find you amusing. Keep up the good work!
About CVS, I have noticed a CVS manager at a number of city council meetings trying to get some signage or something approved. At Monday’s council meeting the poor guy was treated badly and forced to wait through the PADS extravaganza. He asked Frimark how long it would be until his agenda item was up so he could call his wife – the mayor just chuckled and said he would have to wait. I don’t have the impression that the mayor is too interested in CVS, or was that just showmanship
Perhaps not much interest in CVS...but don't forget who owns the property...
Anonymous July 24, 2008 4:40 PM:
The Mayor is a doofus.
He was rude to the CVS guy (their lawyer, I believe) and he told some guy in the crowd to "be a man" when the guy waived off taking his 5 minutes for comment and asked the Mayor to "protect our children". Nice, huh?
Several weeks ago, after the Mayor so poorly introduced the new City Manager by telling him he was third choice, a women (Jean Sandrick?) showed up at a meeting and completely lambasted the Mayor for his boorish, stupid and ignorant behavior. Boy, did she ever get it right.
How Howard got this far in life is beyond me.
Howard must go...
People unite!!!
To one of the Anyonamous who calls the town ugly and useless.
What's so ugly about it?
If you feel in sucg a way them why do you even bother living here?
The mayor was at a sit-down meeting at Affresco's where CenTrust introduced their plans for the bank at Meacham and Northwest Highway. Neighbors from the immediate vicinity had been invited. He claimed to be "just an observer" but why indeed was he there when nothing has been formally submitted to City Planning?
A google search turns up this July 9th item from the Journal, where the CVS lawyer says of the Napleton idea: "That's the plan."
http://www.journal-topics.com/business/08/biz080709.7.html
It doesn't say who they are talking to in the City, but it's got to be someone. Who would you talk to if you wanted to change the well-publicized Plan (and zoning)?
We totally missed it!
PADSPADSPADSPADSPADS!
Thanks for the link!
Do we not already have enough banks in this town? Last count I heard there were between 15 and 20 banks in town. Enough already.
In addition, though I appreciate the need for revenue for the city, a CVS at the old Napleton Cadillac site is just wrong. The traffic on NW Hghwy is already difficult. This will surely make it much worse. Another significant negative toward a CVS is the fact that there is a pool and a busy park full of kids skateboarding, playing baseball and football. Though I don't think this town needs anymore multi-unit housing, a 24 hour pharmacy is a very bad use of the property.
Does anyone know if Napleton will be required to clean up the "toxic" waste now that the city is not paying the clean-up. Or will it sit there until the property is redeveloped?
Thanks for the information.
Park Ridge Schools (district 64) are top even when comparing test scores. Overall performance on state tests (those exceeding standards) in academic year 2006-07 was 91.0% (source:district report card). Compared to
Glenview , 91.0%
Northbrook, 94.2%
Des Plaines, 83.1%
Wilmette 94%
Evanston 85%
Maine South (Park Ridge's Maine.. no pun... high school) has an average ACT of 24.1 compared to
Prospect High School, 23.8
Evanston, 22.6
Glenbrook South 24.0
And according to the Illinois State Board of Education Maine South is 14th in Northeastern Illinois (includes CPS) in academic performance, ahead of Nequa Valley, Highland Park, Glenbrook South and North and many others.
So according to the test scores and rankings the "myth" of Park Ridge not having top notch schools is well..... false.
Before you speak
anonymous @ 11:27--thanks for the FACTS! Now they will have to bitch about something else (and they will...).
Regarding tax revenue from a new CVS (or any other pharmacy) - common sense says that people generally shop at their local drugstore. For the most part, locals are not currently leaving Park Ridge for their pharmacy needs, nor are out-of-towners going to drive into Park Ridge just to to shop at a CVS. So if the total spending at drugstores in Park Ridge remains constant, a new store will not increase tax revenue. You can only increase tax revenue by getting people to spend money in Park Ridge that is currently spent elsewhere. Tax revenue is a non-issue when making the decision for (or against) a new CVS in town.
anon 11:27:
Thank you for posting the information on the test scores! While my daughter is not in highschool, one of the big factors in our family moving to PR from the city was the school system.
I could not possibly be more pleased with our families experience thus far. I have not ever had a face to face discussion with anyone who has children in public school here in PR who has had anything but praise for the teachers, administrators, coaches, office personal etc.
I am sure that are issues - no system is perfect. I applaud the communities participation in pointing out issues and participating in resolving them.
But to say that PR having a great school system is a myth is beyond absurd. This does not match the experience of my family or any family that I know who has children attending public school here in PR.
I would like to point out that I was blasted for saying it was the schools that make Park Ridge great yesterday.
Also as to people using their local drug stores. That is probably true, though I think people south of Oakton North of Elm and East of Prospect tend to go to the Jewel over on Milwaukee for these things. So maybe anon at 8:53 is right about that. The problem is that everyone keeps saying NO NO NO NO NO NO NO, without giving any better suggestions. I thought this was the PRU message boards not the PRUde message boards.
anon 11:36:
I think it was the person blasting you that motivated my post about the school. Sorry it took so long.
I agree with you about people not making suggestions but to me it goes beyond that. It is also a question of is their demand for it. Someone may have a great idea for what they would like to have at the old Napleton site but if there is not an interest from their preferred business to do it then do we just wait and leave it empty? Does leaving it empty have a negative affect? I know that it will be better for traffic, but doesn't having large empty buildings with for lease signs reflect negatively on the community? I don't know the exact answer to this. I am not in commercial realestate but I know there is a great deal of empty office and store space in PR and all over the neighboring burbs. It is likely that CVS may be the only one who has shown any interest since the space became empty.
First off thanks a lot for coming through with that info. Anyone who has dealt with those schools in any capacity knows how great they are.
Secondly you're right that the demand is really just not there, but people can still answer the question as to what they would "like" to have there.
Third the idea of taking less congestion with empty buildings over more congestion with full tenants is just absurd. Again that seems to be the general idea here on the PRUde boards. Not saying you anon @ 1136
We'd like to point out that it may be the schools that help make the single family housing market "great", but families with children in the local schools aren't anywhere near a majority of the population in Park Ridge.
GREAT point about drugstores and tax revenues.
Regarding CVS being the only interested party. I don't know about that. The Uptown development people wanted to build town homes there, but now they are harder to sell. I'm sure they would still build there, just not at the price Napleton is asking. I'm sure we'd have all sorts of interested parties if the price were right.
For me, the question is not can we afford to wait for a better option there, it's: Can we afford to let impatience, ambition, and a skittish market be the driving forces behind city planning?
Decisions we make under duress (in this particular case economic duress--though I don't think an unsold Napleton Cadillac is OUR economic duress) are ones we have to live with for years and years.
That is, if we get to make the decisions at all.
Great points 853am and 208pm.
PRU, I question your comment alluding to the fact people who don't have kids in the schools don't care about them. Schools often are the driving force in real estate prices in many of Chicago's surround suburbs. Explain further....
Loyola Academy (just for those who may want to know) has a average ACT of 25.3, with the pick of the litter.
Anon@12:10 AM --
Nope. You read something into our statement that was not there. Give yourself a gut check and see what you find.
Ours was in response to posters expressions that it is the local school system that makes Park Ridge great. We disagree with that.
In fact because we believe the school system, either in reality or myth, is considered "great", families want to buy into Park Ridge; thus making the single family real estate market "great", which means people with and without kids in the district will want to maintain, either in reality or myth, the sentiment of "great" regarding the schools because it helps to protect their property values and investment.
And because the families with school age children are not a majority of residents means that there is much more than just the schools contributing to any perception of greatness Park Ridge has.
Sorry. It is not the school district, nor its fans, that can lay any claim as being the singular factor of why Park Ridge may be considered great.
But we will concede that this is a very subjective matter, if not a totally dumb conversation.
I wonder how old the thought of People moving to PR for the schools is.
It's certainly not new.
What's even interesting we have 5 elementry schools and 1 junior high within the city limits we used to have 4 more which all closed durring the 70's and early 80's due to a drop in enrollment.
Of course for all we know that might of happened elsewhere asl well.
Hey guys, the CVS pharmacy is probably a great idea--the homeless at the PADS location at St. Paul won't have far to walk.
Another bank?
Another Drug Store?
Boy, the RICH people of Park Ridge sure are SICK!!!!
Anonymous 11:42
What should go in that spot?
How about a tent city. At least that won't exceed the height requirements.
I think you all need to do a little more research when it comes to our town...you can all live in the past and think some Park Ridge Residents yearn for the days of Pines, Moheisers, Hill's Hobby Shop and Citizen's Bank while others focus on the future...Starbucks, Pot Belly's, Trader Joes, a true Community Bank, etc. Have any of you even consider that when the Bank wanted to explore the possibility of buying the Napleton Property, the first thing Mayor Frimark recommended to the potential buyers was to have the Alderman visit with the neighbors to get their collective reactions, which may have been initially very positive. Why not ask your Alderman? What happens when a convenience store opens on the Napleton Property (Parking Lot), with the current curb cut onto Meacham. Many things to think about.
Whatever keep it to yourself.
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