Top 10 Reasons a Business / Condo / Apartment Development Doesn't Belong on Brae Loch Rd
"Where else does it go? It goes in areas which could be developed for more of a commercial application. It could go on the opposite side of Center Street. There are areas behind there. It could go somewhere south of the train station if we ever see that developed. It can go in a lot of other places where it could be more compatible than plunked down in the middle of a residential subdivision."
- Tom Morris, Zoning Board meeting, Nov. 14, 2005
The Van Dixhorn family (College Park North) bought a parcel of residential land on Brae Loch Road and expected their commercial rezoning request to breeze through the approval process. The mortgage holder for this deal is State Bank of the Lakes, where the former Mayor of Grayslake (Perry) was Vice President at the time of the loan. That former Mayor still works for State Bank of the Lakes.
A similar situation has already occurred in Grayslake. An individual bought land on Park Street and tried to get the zoning changed for his own purposes. The Village rejected that proposal outright on the grounds that the petitioner did not do his homework and therefore it was not up to the Village to reward said petitioner by rezoning 'just because'.
The Grayslake Village Zoning Board of Appeals TWICE rejected the Van Dixhorns attempt to plunk down a business in the middle of the residential community that is adjacent to College Trail. It is our understanding that the Van Dixhorn family intends to bring this before the board anyway.
We need your support to stop this stomping of your rights as property owners. We believe that the rezoning and proposed special use permit should NOT be granted because:
1. The proposed site is not large enough to accommodate the size of the structure, parking lot, and buffer. The inclusion of this business WILL NOT reduce the tax on the other residents of Grayslake.
2. It is not in harmony with the established residential zoning. The parcel is surrounded on three sides by homes. There is no commercial enterprise in the area.
3. There are better locations for it, according to the Village's own zoning board that TWICE rejected it.
4. If Brae Loch Road is allowed to fall to commerce, property values in College Trail will slide. Homeowners will sell to investment buyers who use the homes as rentals. Property values will plummet and the neighborhood will become blighted.
5. The minute amount of tax the Village will get from this business that has a high likelihood of failure will be offset by the blight it will cause to the surrounding neighborhoods.
6. The traffic increase along Brae Loch Road will result in delays and possible traffic fatalities as this plan has nothing in it providing for a turn lane.
7. Traffic backups will block off access to Atkinson Road for the newly constructed Fire house on Brae Loch Road causing a delay in its response time.
8. The petitioners indicated that they might seek a liquor license to allow the serving of beer and wine at the facility. This will add the unwelcome consequences of drunkenness to the area, disturbance of the peace, crime and drunk driving.
9. The proposed business will not provide a significant number of jobs or increase in village revenues.
10. The general business zoning is not the highest and best use for the parcels. The zoning board twice rejected these petitioners.
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posted by Brae Loch Road / Grayslake / Lake County Developments at 2:09 AM
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