Wish lists shared on Dec. 13 at Northbrook Village Hall included an unwrapped gift left under the lobby’s decorated tree.
Northbrook neighbors opposed to the proposed Shermer Road development at the former Grainger property left a protest sign as a surprise holiday card tucked under the municipal tree.
The sign, like those dotting Northbrook parkways, reads, “Too Dense, Too High, Oppose Grainger Plan.”
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The group claims the former Grainger property (1657 Shermer Road) was a $8.3 million purchase and bungled 2018 attempt by the village to unsuccessfully relocate Northbrook’s Metra station south to the site.
Several Woodlawn Road residents claim the 10.3-acre Grainger land was snagged using village cash reserves without public input. Research was poorly done with fast tracked assumptions about rail lines and if schools could become overcrowded with a tsunami of new students, complainants charge.
“They made a mistake by buying this property and they’re trying to fix their mistake,” said Gail Rago of Woodlawn Road.
View their petition with more than 800 signatures at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/support-northbrook-plan-commissioners-unanimous-denial-of-grainger-site-petition?source=direct_link&.
The Northbrook Chamber of Commerce & Industry promotes at https://northbrookchamber.org/village-selects-purchaser-for-grainger-site/ that
Northbrook trustees approved last May a $10.5 million agreement to sell the Grainger land to a developer for apartments and retail space. Email correspondence to the village exists supporting the plan.
Last autumn, the Northbrook Plan Commission unanimously denied the project. The Grainger controversy comes to the Jan. 24 Board of Trustees meeting.
“It’s an absolute disaster,” said Cindy Valleau, Woodlawn Road resident. “They (the village) want to just get rid of it (Grainger property).”
“They’re willing to do anything and not listen to the residents.”
Woodlawn Road resident Jennifer Wyton worries about, “the conflict of interest,’ by a village board, “motivated to sell it to the highest bidder.”
Vida Wu, also of Woodlawn, said, “This property is not being treated like other properties.”
Northbrook Court News For 2023
Meanwhile, Northbrook Village President Kathryn L. Ciesla shared good tidings for 2023 that Brookside Properties of Northbrook Court is revitalizing Lake Cook Road mall plans stalled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is the most exciting one,” Ciesla said publicly on Dec. 13.
New mall renderings were not made public with zero indication if any mall buildings would be razed.
“The village is 100 % committed to being a partner with Brookfield Properties who is working hard to create a master plan to transform Northbrook Court,” Ciesla told Pioneer Press.
“I look forward to discussing, with our residents and Brookfield Properties, a comprehensive and contemporary approach to this important project in the coming months.”
Trustees unanimously approved the third amendment to Northbrook Court’s redevelopment and economic incentive agreement to extend Brookside Properties more time.
Ciesla also showed an overhead slide that Village Hall will focus on improved customer service in 2023 to streamline economic development applications.
“We don’t think of ourselves as customers,” said Len Rago of Woodlawn Road, referring to village-owned land. “We think of ourselves as the owners.”
Ciesla also delivered a local project wish list.
Napolita, the vacant downtown Shermer Road pizzeria by Graeter’s will open next March. Two weeks ago, Napolita’s pizza oven was installed. Owners told Ciesla that Napolita is hiring staff.
Updates on multiple closed corner gas stations offered promise for 2023 to address eyesore complaints. The new Starbucks development at Waukegan and Shermer Roads has building permits, Ciesla also added.
Erickson Senior Living/Former Green Acres Country Club Proposal
And then there was Dec. 13 Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting 90 minutes before the Board of Trustees meeting held in the Sandra “Sandy” Frum Board Room to accommodate audience overflow.
Neighbors near the former Green Acres Country Club site on Dundee Road heard revised developer plans by Erickson Senior Living.
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Nearly 84 acres of former Green Acres land would be donated to the village with a portion of the 127 acres accommodating senior living buildings.
Dedicated municipal space could cause Northbrook Fire Department Station 11 to move west from its current 740 Dundee Road address. A consultant hired by the village will report back.
“Final decisions really won’t be ‘teed up’ for the board until May,” said Northbrook Village Manager Cara Pavlicek about the former golf course.
Steve Montgomery, Erickson Senior Living vice president of development acquisitions, told Pioneer Press, “We appreciate the opportunity to be able to come back.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to see it through,” Montgomery said. “We’re excited.”
The COW format is a workshop meeting. No action was taken.
A stoplight serving the Dundee Road/Lee Road area project is vital, said Northbrook neighbor Brian Mele.
“I am pleased that they listened to us,” Mele said, but, “This deal’s dead without a traffic light.”
Proposed permanent park space near Dundee Road includes a tot lot, disc golf, trails, picnic and community garden space plus community public-oriented amenities.
“The Northbrook Park District is committed to offering additional recreational opportunities to our community through a park development at the former Green Acres location,” Northbrook Park District Executive Director Molly Hamer said to Pioneer Press. “Our current comprehensive master plan includes an inventory and analysis section that evaluates how well we are serving the community based on a level of service standard for parks and recreation developed by the National Parks and Recreation Association.”
Green Acres is in the district’s planning area 5, “where zero percent of the population is served by a developed park within a one-mile radius,” Hamer said.
“As the tax-supported providers of park and recreation services in Northbrook, the Park District has identified this under-resourced area as an appropriate location for a community park that is accessible to all residents and that will meet communitywide needs,” Hamer said.
“We look forward to further communication, to learning more about the opportunity and to meeting and working with the village and the developers on this exciting potential project for Northbrook.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.