Arbor Day 2011; Belle Court welcomes a new Autumn Blaze Maple tree

On National Arbor Day April 29, 2011, the crew of J&E Nursery of Libertyville plants a new Autumn Blaze Maple at the corner of Belle Court at Route 120 (305 Belle Court) in Grayslake, IL

(Click the picture below for more photos and slideshow)

Arbor Day in Grayslake IL April 29, 2011

Lake County Forest Preserve Arbor Day Celebration Saturday 4/30 at Rollins Savanna

Looking for a beautiful tree for your home or business but don’t know a maple from a magnolia? Concerned about the threat of invasive species to trees in your neighborhood?

Don’t miss the Arbor Day Celebration at Rollins Savanna this April, where 20 assorted free trees will be raffled off every hour, made possible with a USDA Forest Service grant.

When: April 30, 2011
9:00am - 12:00pm
Where: Rollins Savanna (Grayslake)
Who: All ages
Cost: FREE

Link: Lake County Forest Preserve Arbor Day Celebration

TribLocal: Zoning board has concerns about proposed low-income senior facility in Grayslake

Zoning board has concerns about proposed low-income senior facility in Grayslake

Zoning officials in Grayslake have raised questions about the impact on traffic that a proposed housing development for low-income seniors would have.

The zoning board didn’t decide whether to recommend approval of the project during its meeting this week. It asked Mercy Housing Lakefront to provide more detailed information about its proposal for a 70-unit facility at Route 120 and Neville Road. Further discussion was scheduled for May 9.
...(more)
http://bit.ly/dNnJAf

Another great job of reporting by Megan Craig!

Although some seem to want to downplay it, the April 11th Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting was standing room only, with over 200 people crowded in the room.

TribLocal: More opinions sought Monday about proposed low-income senior housing in Grayslake

http://triblocal.com/grayslake/2011/04/22/more-opinions-sought-monday-about-proposed-low-income-senior-housing-in-grayslake/

REVEALED! The actual Mercy Housing Lakefront Zoning Special Use Permit Application for the Grayslake Senior Center

Through a Freedom of Information Act Request we have obtained more of the actual documents contained in application by Mercy Housing Lakefront for modifications to the 2007 Zoning Special Use Permit for the Grayslake Senior Center project at Route 120 and Neville Road being considered by Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals.

The Special Use Permit document: 2011SUPApplication.pdf
Color Exhibits: colorexhibits.pdf

The citizens of Grayslake have requested repeatedly that the full collection of documents included in the application being considered by Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals - on which the board is seeking public comment - be made available to the public. This request was made at the Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting on March 14 and again on April 11 - each time asking how the public could be invited to comment on a matter the public could not be aware of. Some documents were posted on the Village of Graylake web site, http://villageofgrayslake.com on April 4th. The posted "housing special use.pdf" version of the full file has 8 pages. The actual document being reviewed by the board, linked above, has 34 pages.

Some interesting items in the SUP document:

The application indicates that one change from the 2007 plan is the building is "3 stories w/garden level" vs. the original 3 stories...

...while the brochure from Mercy Housing Lakefront, included in the same document says "The building will be a four story elevator structure."

The application not only does not contain the required "Preliminary Plat," there is no drawing with a single dimension callout in the entire application, even as the variation being asked for mentions changes to normal 5 foot property setback. Not only is there is no indication where that request applies, there is not a mention of a single dimension of any length in any drawing included in the application to the board.

We continue to wonder how the Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals is being asked to make an informed recommendation to the full Grayslake Village Board with the incomplete and inconsistent information in this application.

Grayslake Zoning Board meeting on the 120 and Neville senior housing project continued to April 25th

The Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on the evening of Monday, April 11th 2007 on the revision to the Zoning Special Use Permit for the proposed senior center project at Route 120 and Neville road was continued to the next Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Monday April 25th at 7PM at Grayslake Village Hall, 10 South Seymour.

Mr. Karl Molek, the chair of the Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals, extended the public comment portion of the board agenda to the April 25th board meeting so the public still has the opportunity to file written comments and to file the request to provide testimony and be cross-examined and to cross examine witnesses.   Mr. Molek was accepting comment from all who attended the meeting, so it was not necessary to file the form to speak. Those who wish to be cross examined and who wish to cross-examine witnesses should complete the Public Hearing Appearance form here on the Village of Grayslake web site.

The plan by Mercy Housing Lakefront is to build a 50 foot tall 4 story 70 apartment elevator building on a raised lot bordering Route 120 barely 100 feet from the shore of Gray's Lake.

25% of the apartments will be subsidized for low income residents. The plan is that the residents must be 55 years or older. Some of the apartments will have 2 bedrooms.  It was announced on April 15th that 15 apartments will be reserved for special needs residents.

The lots on the site are zoned for commercial and residential use. The Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals will make a recommendation to the Grayslake Village Board on requested modifications to a 2007 Zoning Special Use Permit. That 2007 permit with a special ordinance was approved by the Grayslake Village Board in 2007 for a senior center project by a different developer. The Village Board must vote to approve this 2011 application.  

Among the changes in the Zoning Special Use Permit being requested for the 70 apartment building and before the Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals are:

• Minimum age of occupants being age rather 55 than 62 as on the 2007 proposal
• Building a 4 story elevator building rather than 3 stories as on the 2007 proposal
• A 50 foot setback from Belle Court properties rather than a 55 foot setback as the 2007 proposal
• An exterior of Stone & Hardiplank rather than Stucco & Hardiplank as on the 2007 proposal

Public response in writing on the Zoning Special Use Permit should be delivered or mailed by Noon on Monday April 25th to:

Kirk Smith
Grayslake Village Zoning Officer
10 South Seymour
Grayslake, IL 60030

Mr. Smith's email address is ksmith@villageofgrayslake.com  See http://villageofgrayslake.com/index.aspx?NID=291

Grayslake Patch: New Senior Housing Proposed for Grayslake

Grayslake Patch: New Senior Housing Proposed for Grayslake

http://grayslake.patch.com/articles/new-senior-housing-proposed-for-grayslake

Daily Herald: Voices for and against Grayslake senior housing

Voices for and against Grayslake senior housing




http://dailyherald.com/article/20110411/news/704119829/

TribLocal: (Winnetka) Affordable housing debate to reach Council on Tuesday

Another town discovers that when the facts are held behind the back imaginations run wild and generate speculation to fill in the blanks:

Winnetka’s affordable housing proposal, which has bitterly divided residents in recent months, will come before village trustees for the first time Tuesday.
...

In March, Winnetka Village President Jessica Tucker tried to counteract misinformation about the plan by urging residents to study it before making comments at the April study session.

“I think it’s unfortunate that there have been some conversations out there that haven’t been based on facts,” Tucker said, including the rumor that the plan could bring Section 8 housing to the North Shore suburb.

http://triblocal.com/winnetka-northfield/2011/04/11/affordable-housing-debate-to-reach-council-on-tuesday/

Grayslake Patch: Route 45 construction snarls traffic into spring.

Route 45 construction snarls traffic into spring.

The much needed, and long anticipated, widening of Route 45 between 120 to just north of Washington Street in Grayslake has slowed already congested traffic through the center of Lake County.

http://grayslake.patch.com/articles/are-we-there-yet-7

TribLocal: Resident opinions split on proposed low income senior facility in Grayslake

Resident opinions split on proposed low-income senior facility in Grayslake

http://triblocal.com/grayslake/2011/04/08/resident-opinions-split-on-proposed-low-income-senior-facility-in-grayslake/

Overheard at the Open House

Overheard at the Mercy Housing Open House Thursday April 7th.

Looking at the elevation view.

"Are you in favor of this project?"
"No."
"Why not?  Isn't it a beautiful building?"
"Where are the gutters?"
"This is only an architectural concept.

New Twitter and FaceBook accounts

We have a Twitter account GrayslakeFolks  and are GrayslakeNeighbors on Facebook.

Be sure to follow and say hello there.

Grayslake April 5th Election results

http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/IL/Lake/28396/43582/en/summary.html

Neighbors of the Milwaukee Mercy Housing Project wanted answers

Sound familiar?

From March 9, 2010:

Angry neighbors want access to Mercy Housing project

Irate neighbors on Milwaukee’s east side stand between Mercy Housing Lakefront’s $12.7 million apartment building and a March 26 project deadline.

The Chicago-based developer needs preliminary city approval to buy a parking lot for the project. March 26 is the application deadline to receive state affordable-housing tax credits needed to pay for the project, and the developer cannot apply for the credits without the parking lot approval.

The development, planned for a triangular lot bordered by North Murray, East Thomas and North Farwell avenues, includes eight townhouses and a building with 75 apartments.

But associations representing neighborhoods around the site are trying to slow approval of the parking lot sale because, the groups argue, city government and the developers have not shared project details.

Mike Maierle, speaking on behalf of the Greenwich Village Neighborhood Association, on Tuesday told city aldermen there will be problems if the parking lot sale is approved before the neighborhood gets a look at the project.

“If you want to keep making people angry,” he told aldermen, “keep doing what you are doing.”

...

http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2010/03/09/angry-neighbors-want-access-to-mercy-housing-project/

MHL project Special Use Permit hearing at the Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Monday April 11th

The Mercy Housing Lakefront application for a Special Use Permit will be on the agenda for the meeting of the Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday April 11th at 7PM at Grayslake Village Hall, 10 South Seymour Street, Grayslake.


Mercy Housing Proposal - Special Use Permit Application


Public comments in writing can be mailed or delivered to:
Kirk Smith
Grayslake Zoning Officer
10 South Seymour
Grayslake, IL 60030
or call the Grayslake Village Hall at 847-223-8515

All persons in attendance at the hearing shall have an opportunity to be heard.  Any person who also wishes to appear as an "interested party" with the right to cross-examine others (and be cross-examined)  at the hearing must complete and file an appearance with the Village Zoning Officer Kirk Smith at the Village Hall, 10 South Seymour Avenue, Grayslake, Illinois 60030 or via e-mail at ksmith@villageofgrayslake.com no later than 12 noon on Monday, 11 April 2011.  Appearance forms are available at the Village Hall or at the Village website by clicking  Public Hearing Appearance Form.

See information on the Village of Grayslake web site at http://www.villageofgrayslake.com/index.aspx?NID=291

Grayslake Village Information on Mercy Housing Project

There is now a link on the Village of Grayslake web site for the Mercy Housing Proposal, for the first time the content of the Special Use Permit request going before the Grayslake Zoning Board of Appeals at the meeting at 7PM on Monday April 11th.

http://www.villageofgrayslake.com/index.aspx?NID=291

Mercy Housing Lakefront Open House - Thursday April 7th 6:30PM

From Kirk Smith, Grayslake Zoning Officer:

At the request of the Village, Mercy Housing will be hosting an informal public information open house on Thursday April 7th from 6:30 to approximately 8. The meeting will be on the second floor of the Village Hall. This will be an opportunity for residents to discuss the project with Mercy Housing and provide written and/or oral comments. Date & Time: Thursday April 8th, 6:30PM Location: Grayslake Village Hall, 10 S. Seymour Ave. Grayslake, IL 60030 Street: Grayslake Village Hall, 10 S. Seymour Ave.  City State Zip: Grayslake, IL 60030  Phone: 847-223-8515

TribLocal: Proposed senior facility will host information session in advance of zoning decision

Proposed senior facility will host information session in advance of zoning decision

http://triblocal.com/grayslake/2011/04/04/proposed-senior-facility-will-host-information-session-in-advance-of-zoning-decision/