Residents Wonder Why This Was Proposed After the Referendum Vote

 

Update  August 24, 1999

The current status of the  School garages is that Emerson will NOT have one, but that Julian is still scheduled to have one constructed on its site.

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The newest addition to the middle school plans include two and three-story above ground parking structures for Emerson and Julian.  The Emerson structure is proposed for the middle of the site with it’s entrance on Kenilworth Avenue and cuts the green space to less than half of what was seen on earlier plans.  The Julian structure will face Ridgeline Avenue on the Madison Street end of the property.  The larger middle schools will have larger staffs, requiring more parking space, and over night parking is a problem that needs to be addressed but members of the community wonder if this is the best solution to the problem and why it was not in the plans that were used for the referendum.

The plan proposed by the architects, contractors and school board representatives is not final, but the project is proceeding with final designs due by the end of the summer.  District 97 School Board has been in contact with the Village of Oak Park in an effort to ease the staff and over night parking problems.

Residents and other community members wonder if Emerson Middle School functions betters as an educational facility with the parking structure or with the green space.  They ask if the structure would negatively effect the students and their educational experience, most notably as a safety threat.  Others think that there are more esthetic solutions than a two story structure on a quiet residential street.

One resident suggested that much larger multi-layer garages, on commercial zoned land, could be built on land already owned by the village or currently for sale in close proximity to both schools.  Other residents stated that they would rather allow teacher permit parking during the day in front of their houses than to look at a parking structure 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  If there is no concern for safety with the new garages in the evenings, no problem with the increased pollution for the local people having to smell cars coming and going at all hours.  Bright lights of autos bringing even more light into their quite homes, and the sounds of auto alarms echoeing through the cold concrete canyons may be an attraction to some neighborhoods - not OAK PARK.  Should we next rezone the entire area for commercial use??? 

Neighbors have been meeting, even as you read this article.  There will be more
meetings in the days to come.  There is even talk of a tax boycott, or protest to let
the local offficals know of their dislike.   Petitions are already being circulated.

A meeting to discuss the proposed structure at Emerson with representatives from the Village of Oak Park, District 97 and OWP&P Architects, Inc. will be held Tuesday, July 20, at 7:30 in the Council Chambers at Oak Park Village Hall, Lombard and Madison Streets.

A District 97 School Board meeting will be held Wednesday, July 21 at 7:00 PM. at the Administration Building at 970 Madison Street. 

Feel free to voice your opinions to the following people:
Peggy Wilson - Oak Park District 97 Director of Business - 524-7623
Adolph Beanies - Village of Oak Park Parking Services - 383-6400 ext. 2271 or fax 383-6692
Village Board Members (as a group) 383-6400 ext. 2293, then press 2

This address will take you to the District 97 page and their plans.  You will not
notice any plans for a garage yet.... 

http://www.op97.k12.il.us/plans/

Here is an update from a recent meeting. During public comment nine residents of
Oak Park spoke in opposition of the proposed rezoning plan and there was one
speaker representing the developers.

Of these speakers; the themes of the people directly affected by the project were:

1) misrepresentation of the facts given by the hospital (ex: a: one resident Mike Weik - 708-383-2934; had been told that the building would not be within 30 feet of his house and now he is told it is 3 - 5 feet and that he can only speak to their lawyer,
b: Partners '99 LLC has repeatedly told the press, the neighborhood and the
Village; how their expert traffic report showed that the project graded
highly and would not negatively impact the neighborhood - now they say the
data was misused and a new report will be written),

2) none of the information requested is being turned over i.e.; other options considered,
traffic reports, and a listing of other property owned by the hospital...

3)One person broke down over her feelings that the hospital and developer have
treated her in a dehumanizing manner.

There were also reports by a 20 year veteran Traffic Planner for the State
of Illinois (Mark Johnson - 708-386-0044;  a past head of the Oak Park
Planning Commission) and there was a licensed Interior Designer (Margaret
Abbott). Mr. Johnson had reviewed Partners '99 LLC's expert traffic report
and found it totally useless for determining a realistic impact on the
neighborhood. Based on the architectural designs (Partners '99  traffic
consultant refuse to give him any data that they are basing their new report
on; such as the number of Doctors and employees expected to work in the
facility ) Mr. Johnson foresees a massive flooding of our residential
streets with traffic, for which they were not designed to handle.  Ms.
Abbott, the Interior designer, looked over the architectural designs and was
able to establish that the planned five story office building could fit onto
Madison St. where the hospital already owns property and with a little
adjustment could fit onto their Harlem Ave property. All of this Partners
'99 LLC has rejected as options (based on their data they won't produce).
The parking garage now in use by Oak Park Hospital, can be rehabbed and can
have an additional structure added to it.

The room was packed with concerned residents who responded in sustained
applause after each of the speakers opposed to the rezoning proposal.
President Furlong requested the same demeanor for the Hospital's
representative. He basically said that some of the requested reports and
data was being culled and would at some point be available to the Village
and Oak Park residents. He request that the process towards approving the
proposal be advanced to the next stage. The Board of Trustees voted to send
it to the Planning Commission.

Randy Gillett, Oak Park Resident

Latest Update August 26, 1999

The following information and events occurred during a Town Hall Meeting with Illinois State
Representative Wanda Sharp.
 

It was brought up during an open discussion with Rep. Sharp, that the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce is attempting to buy some land from the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for the purposes of Constructing an office.  I am opposed to this idea, as was the majority of persons at the meeting.  In the past couple of weeks alone there have been numerous buildings going vacant in Oak Park (Salvador's Restaurant on Ridgeland and Lake, Earthlodge in the mall, a Hot Dog place on Lake St. in downtown Oak Park, Chernin shoes, et cetera.)  There is no need to have more green space removed from our immediate area for an office.  The Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce already has an office at 1010 Lake Street, Suite 102, Oak Park, Il. 60301.  They currently have 550 members in the organization and if they need to expand they should do so with one or more of the existing properties in Oak Park and not destroy park land.  Destroy is the right word here since no matter how many plants you put in an office it's not the same thing as a park open to the public.  This view is from our editorial staff if you feel the same I would encourage to you to call and speak with the following persons:

phone: 708-848-8151
hours 9-5pm