North Cook News

The Village of Glenview Board of Trustees met in mid-November to discuss a proposed shopping mall at Willows Crossing on Pfingsten Road.

The developers had discussed the issue with board members and brought a revised plan based on comments made by members of the planning and zoning commission. The developers are seeking rezoning and approval of their plan.

Concerns about further setbacks and increased traffic during rush hour were brought up by board members. Other concerns include pick-up and drop-off times for a daycare center and visibility of the daycare playground. It was noted that residents in the area need to have safe access.

Many of the board members felt that the plan was not changed enough after their previous discussion, so they decided to defer the vote. Board members, including Trustee Adam Sidot, were frustrated because the process has gone on for so long.

Board President Michael Jenny said he did not want the same outcome the next time they met.

"My concern is, how is this different from the last board meeting when we talked about it?" Jenny said. "What I don't want to do is have, sort of, Groundhog Day."

Jenny was referring to the movie starring Bill Murray, whose character wakes up on Groundhog Day, every day.

Attorney Hal Frank of Meltzer Purtill and Stelle LLC spoke to the board on behalf of the developer, 2660 Pfingsten Property, LLC. Frank spoke highly of the proposed plan at the beginning of his presentation.

"We've been hearing and taking into account from many, many meetings now input from the public, from the members of the new development commission, and from all of you," Frank said. "And I really think that the plan that is now before you is a poster child for how the process is supposed to work. And we really think that we’ve created a plan that accommodates and responds to everybody’s concerns and needs here."

The amended plan includes a larger amount of green space and landscaping that will prevent trees from being cut down. It also adds local prairie grasses to the area. The amended plan increases the distance between the buildings and neighboring developments, as well. The property was razed in 2020 and is currently vacant. The developers have been working on the plan since summer 2021.