New Sun Article / Grayslake Review Article

News Sun article / Grayslake Review article
Current mood: happy

Here's the link to the internet
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/opinions/5_4_wa03_doros_s10803.htm

To give you an idea of how it looked in the actual paper go here

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/abbath_/VSImage_15.jpg

Well done!

(actual article)
Specifics lacking in Brae Loch plan

These are unhappy days in Grayslake.

Watching Grayslake politics for years, I try to help elect people who care about individuals in our community, who use their intellect and all information available to form an opinion.

Unfortunately, we have only Trustees Edwards and Werfel who exhibit the desirable integrity to make informed and respectful decisions. The rest of the board, including the mayor, support a private indoor tennis club and changing the zoning from residential (existing homes) to business or a CLC Corridor (depending with whom you're talking), on Brae Loch Road.

It's such a convoluted, ugly situation for residents on Brae Loch, in College Trail and throughout the Grayslake area that it's stomach churning. The Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously rejected situating a huge metal building in a single-family residential neighborhood; not the "idea" but the "location" was rejected.

Yet, the mayor and some trustees push for zoning to allow only certain business "in case of failure." Expecting failure, rejecting residents' rights equals good planning? No.

I've received no answer when asking for specifics about the Braeloch Vision. The only common vision is a huge, metal building (expected to fail) and replacing homes. Knowing Brae Loch residents love their homes is irrelevant. Plummeting property values is irrelevant. ZBA rejection is irrelevant.

The developer stated at the public hearing "that the village was pretty favorably open to this." Therefore, before Grayslake's plan approval, a mortgage was obtained from the bank employing the mayor.

Commonly, an offer is made on property "contingent on approval," but this developer was encouraged prior to approval. I asked the mayor to abstain from voting in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Extreme effort for an empty vision should put this plan under extreme scrutiny. What's really going on?

This Brae Loch plan is not a vision; it's a travesty, a disdain and lack of respect for you and your families, and for property rights, can be pervasive throughout the community. Who, in their wildest imagination, could have predicted this problem?

Support, for whatever perceived reason, can lead to other, unimaginable problems in our community. Which is most important? An "amenity" that should be built elsewhere and an empty vision, or respecting the integrity of current residents and the character of Brae Loch?


Cheryl Doros is a resident of Grayslake

GRAYSLAKE REVIEW Article
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin/ppo-story/localnews/current/gr/08-31-06-1016172.html
BY MARCIA SAGENDORPH | STAFF WRITER
August 31st, 2006
msagendorph@pioneerlocal.com

TENNIS CLUB CAUSES CONCERN

A proposed indoor tennis club with seven courts on the south side of Brae Loch Road is causing concerns from neighbors.

The five-acre property located across from the College of Lake County is currently zoned residential through the county, so it would need to be annexed into the village and then rezoned commercial.

Some neighbors in the area say they believe it is the wrong location for a tennis club.

"The bottom line for us is this area is residential. Period," said Ken Heerdegen, who lives nearby. He also questioned who will pay for improvements to Brae Loch Road and what impact such a development would have on the environmental area.

"There is just too much that is unanswered and I see too many drawbacks to such a scheme," Heerdegen said in a letter stating his concerns.

The Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals has twice denied the plans, but the developers continue to revise and resubmit.

Kirk Smith, zoning officer for Grayslake, said that the proposed development includes seven indoor tennis courts with possibly a small snack area and small pro shop, but without a bar or restaurant.

"The Zoning Board denied it mainly because they weren't sure that the general business zoning was appropriate there," Smith said.

Gene Kulin lives on Brae Loch Road, just east of where the club would go, and said it would be more appropriate in another location.

"It doesn't belong there," Kulin said. "To put a business in the middle of residential wrecks our property values and increases traffic."

He also sees a conflict of interest because the developers got their loan through State Bank of the Lakes, Grayslake, where Mayor Tim Perry currently works, although he had left the bank for a time to take another position.

"This is a clear conflict of interest," Kulin said. "The mayor should step down from any vote on this."

Kulin said he has filed charges with State's Attorney's office and filed a complaint saying that this violates the Grayslake ethics code. Kulin has retained a lawyer, and plans to go to court against the village if the plan were approved.

Cheryl Doros, a former Grayslake trustee who does not live near this area, fears that village officials are envisioning a commercial Brae Loch corridor, although no such plans have been presented.

"The tennis court zoning change could set a precedent," she said.