2710
Longview Dr.
Lisle, IL 60532
July 30, 1998
Village of Lisle Trustees
Lisle Zoning Board of Appeals
Lisle Plan Commission
1040 Burlington Ave.
Lisle, IL 60532
Dear Trustees, Board Members, and Plan Commission Members:
After listening to the Meijer’s proposal at the recent meeting a Lisle
Junior
High School, the overflow crowd was still firmly opposed. I apologize
for
some of the rowdy behavior on the part of my fellow audience members.
The
room was too warm for all of us. People get upset when the system
appears to be stacked against them. I know that our Mayor tried to be
fair, but he
appeared to be touting the Meijer’s message.
I am employed by a grocery vendor. In that capacity I have had occasion
to
visit approximately fifty different Meijer’s Superstores over the past
twenty
years. All of the stores that I have visited are in heavily commercial
or
open, non-residential, areas that bear no resemblance to the Lisle
location.
Also, the other two western suburban Chicago locations bear no
resemblance to the Lisle location!
When my wife and I first purchased our home about fifteen years ago, we
were very concerned with the zoning and planned unit developments for
the
surrounding area. There was so much vacant land, we thought that it was
prudent to research our potential neighbors. The parcel in question was
not
zoned for future commercial development. While we were aware that zoning
may change, a change from institutional or public use to an intense
commercial use was never contemplated.
It is not Meijer’s that I object too. We are the "Arboretum
Village." We
must resist the intense commercial development in this residential area.
Meijer’s traffic engineer indicated that 6% of the traffic would come
up
Benedictine Drive through Green Trails. A good line of questioning would
be,
"Have you ever been wrong? Could it be 8%, or 10%, or maybe 15%? Do
you know what the volume of the store will be before it opens? Is this
an exact science?"
If there traffic flow is wrong and 15% of the traffic comes up
Benedictine,
and the store exceeds volume projections by 25%, what is the multiplier
effect upon traffic going through Green Trails? Quick work on my
calculator
indicates that their traffic projections through Green Trails could be
44%
short of a more realistic total.
In a side note, I learned that yesterday there was a counter on
Benedictine to monitor traffic. Several days ago Benedictine was closed
to traffic because of construction. Most of the barricades are still in
place. I made four
trips from my home yesterday and avoided this area due to the potential
obstructions. Yesterday was not a fair day to monitor traffic. I suggest
that they return on any school day after both Steeple Run, and Benet
Academy are opened to get a more realistic count.
Recently, the Village of Lisle Public Works Department called because my
sump pump discharge was flowing over the trail behind my home. I had the
slotted drain tile buried about seven years ago. It is well within code
away from my property line. For several years there was no problem.
About three years ago, I noticed the water flowing over the trail. My
sump pump discharges significant volumes four to six times per hour. It
appears that the water table has risen. After talking with a Public
Works employee, I have
temporarily rerouted the pipe above ground. He observed that the water
table
in my area is very high. He is aware of similar situations up and down
my
whole street. I am working with him to solve my problem with overflow.
Will
the Village guarantee flood control for my property if the Meijer’s is
built?
Will the Village insure my losses if the basement floods?
If the history of the Turnbury development holds true, Meijer’s will
now
attempt to amend their proposal. By circumventing the normal process for
approval of this magnitude by holding a combined meeting of all of your
boards, the citizens of the area have been denied access to the normal
time
frame of the approval process. In other words, it looks like the fix is
in.
Please prove me wrong by rejecting the Meijer’s proposal and any other
proposal for intense commercial development in this residential area of
Lisle.
Sincerely,
Warren Ganden
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