The first meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Ad-Hoc Committee is tonight, February 10, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Fire Station 2, 5420 Main St. Agenda is here.
The Comprehensive Plan Project website has been established to keep residents informed about the process and provide a means to give feedback.
Source for this notice is the Village website.
With positive train controls, which the railroads are working on now, there will be shorter distances between trains. The railroads recently experimented with a longer 3 mile train, with 9 locomotives. So look forward to longer trains. With population growth, the railroads are expecting substantial increases in train movements. That is one of the main reasons Warren Buffett bought the BNSF. Now picture this: more trains, closer trains and longer trains and a Village Council that seems to be satisfied with a single grade separation at Belmont Ave.. It is time to start planning for additional grade separations in Downers Grove. It took us 10 years of effort to get the funding, the plans and eventual ground breaking for the Belmont Ave. underpass, and it will probably take at least that much time and effort for any additional grade separations in Downers Grove to be built. Time and effort well spent.
This is directly from the minutes of the February 2nd Village Council meeting:
“Commissioner… reiterated that this is important for the Village. He disagrees with the idea that 11 people can’t work together. The appointment of this committee is an important matter. He noted that six of the nine members are existing members of Boards and Commissions. He would like the discussion to start with a blank slate and is concerned that six of the nine members may be locked into existing ways of doing things. He said calling this “last minute” is a misnomer. He said he first asked that this matter be pulled off the agenda two or three weeks ago. He does not want to see this bound by people who have a predisposition with the way things have been done in the past.”
What a message to send to Downers Grove residents who have volunteered to serve on the Architecture Design Review Board, Plan Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals: The Village Council doesn’t trust your expertise, experience and ability to think anew, and thanks for serving!
The two newly-designated members are: Richard Bollow and Margy Sigerich. They are sitting at the table with the previously-appointed members.
is there a list somewhere of everyone on it?
Here’s the list:
Chairman: Bill White, chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals
Marge Earl, ZBA
Alan Jirik, Audra Hamerik and Gregg Beggs, Plan Commission
Mike Davenport, Architecture Design Review Board
John Wendt, Traffic and Parking Commission
Richard Bollow, Paul Jacobs, Margy Sigerich and Mark Thoman, at large.
Mike Davenport…
Interesting choice. I think he is looking to run for office soon! D58 board maybe! Things that make you go hmmmm.
Chad:
That’s just speculation, right? Davenport applied for the D58 seat vacated by Tom Cunningham last fall, but has not, to my knowledge, announced any intentions at this point. The next election, after all, is more than a year away.
Has anyone heard yet who is even running for Council or Mayor?
John what Commissioner said that?
EJ,
I am just making a prediction. He is setting himself up well with a few committee appointments and the D58 application process last fall. Plus, I have heard him at D58 meetings and he makes good points. Pure speculation at this point, but he is making all the right moves!
Is the Mayor and current Council members running to retain their seats Chad? I hope so. They are doing a good job in my opinion.
Kelly,
As far as I know or can tell they will all run again. The current council is doing fine. I agree with certain members more than others, but over all it works.
Durkin, Nuestadt, Beckman and Sandack are up for re-election in 2011.
I am not to sure how long Sandack will be Mayor. I never got the impression that he was going to be a lifer as Mayor.(pure speculation, just my gut feel)
Durkin applied for the open D3 county board appointment, so that shows his aspirations for higher office, just not sure when, where or how he will end up.
Either way Sandack and Durkin are good public servants of Downers Grove and I support many of the decisions they both have made since they won election to the council.
That’s your opinion, Mr. Walz. I am fairly certain many do not share it.
Yes it is my opinion. That is what you do on a blog, share opinion.
John,
I don’t think that the commissioner was out of line at all. I agree with him in saying that adding all those people who are on existing boards and commissions is not getting any new blood into the thought process of the village. We need to know where we want to go in the future, not building on what we have today. Lets think big and dream, what can we make DG in the future?? That is what he meant. I think that is a good thing. No diss to the people on the existing boards and committees.
Mr Walz, Commissioner Barnett denigrated friends that still volunteer as well as acquaintances that are on this committee. They will look past a gaffe made by an inexperienced public servant.
Mayor Sandack invested his time and effort assembling a blue chip crew. Mr. Barnett saying the discussion should start over with a blank slate slights that investment by our Mayor, a gaffe he too will probably look past.
Past Vol,
Ya Past Vol, did you get that from the Mayor himself?? I doubt Ron told you that Barnett was attacking the character of these individuals. The comments were taken out of context. You people are soo touchy.
Correction, Past Vol. Barnett asked that the committee be expanded to 11 by adding two at-large members. He did not call for starting over with a blank slate.
Taking it back to Swimmer’s post, I hope and trust the group will work with a couple of organizations out there that are literally planning the transportation infrastructure in the 9 north eastern Illinois counties. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is involved with helping make infrastructure plans though 2040 and CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program ) is working on the transportation conflicts that exist between rail (passenger and freight) and road traffic. They are both continuously looking for input and DG could benefit if the committee has a voice at the table.
Good suggestion, Joe. Just to be sure the committee sees it, could I suggest hitting the Comp Plan Project link (in the post or on the right sidebar), clicking on the “Get Involved” tab and cutting and pasting your comment?
Done – Thanks for the info!
“He would like the discussion to start with a blank slate.” That’s what Commissioner Barnett said. If he meant something else he should have said something else.