Glencoe Approves Park District Pilot Program

With a thoughtful lightheartedness, the Glencoe Village Board motored through its business at its monthly meeting Thursday.

Trustees approved a pilot program for sharing services with the park district, established a new landmark, approved a new community garden, commissioned a stormwater drainage study and mulled a few policy changes suggested by the Contextual Design Review Commission.

Earlier: March Referendum Could Give Village Choice Over Electricity Supplier

In a unanimous vote, trustees elected to begin a sharing program between the village and the park district for services such as fleet maintenance, forestry upkeep and mowing.

"This is a great opportunity for the village of Glencoe," said Village Manager Paul Harlow. "It will provide opportunities to reduce equipment and staff duplication."

Other trustees were even more enthusiastic.

"I'm so happy," Bruce Cowans said. "I can't imagine anyone in Glencoe wanting to pay twice when they don't have to. I almost want to stand up and applaud."

The board also approved a 2011–2012 stormwater drainage study not to exceed $19,552. As is the case at almost any meeting across the North Shore in the past few months, the discussion focused heavily on the floods that wreaked havoc on the area in July.

Board members later reviewed a presentation by the Contextual Design Review Commission, which suggested that the village use incentives to get residents to be sustainable in their renovations or new construction.

"To promote things like sustainability, there has to be a desirable incentive," said Walt Eckenhoff, chairman of the CDRC. "Then, as the years go by and it becomes mandatory, you can back of the incentives."

Eckenhoff and the commission suggested that residents who want to build should be able to get an increased floor area ratio (FAR) if they agree to incorporate sustainable elements into the construction.

Meanwhile President Scott Feldman was skeptical.

"Essentially what we'd be doing is sell FAR," he said, outlining a few concerns: First, he thought that, incorporating sustainable elements, the bigger house should actually use less energy than a smaller, non-sustainable home. Second, he was reluctant to set a precedent that the way to get a bigger house is to incorporate things like solar panels. Third, he underlined the need to be clear about which options would count as "sustainable" elements.

Several trustees echoed Feldman's opinions.

"I don't think the size of homes is the problem with Glencoe," Cowans said. "I'd be concerned to incentivize making a community of big homes even bigger."

In other business, trustees established a 20-foot by 80-foot community garden between and the railroad tracks. The garden will be maintained by members of the Am Shalom congregation, and portions of the produce will be donated to local food pantries.

The board recognized Ellen Van Wart for her service on the Golf Advisory Committee and Steve Miller for his service on the Public Safety Commission. Trustees also bestowed landmark status for an Edward-Dart-designed home at 350 Sunrise Circle.

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