What does the future hold for "the project"?

Last Monday’s Village Board meeting helped fire up the “way-back machine” thanks to the proposed business development by CRM Properties.

         You know the project -- The downtown.  To some people, the destruction of the golf course, which will, as the late George Carlin would say, “infect your mind, curve your spine and lose the war for the allies.”  There were more than seven words said about the project.

         In fact, there were a lot of comments made about the project, the developer, the golf course, village officials, and village staff.

         You just can’t beat fun at the old Village Board meeting.

         Emotions, needless to say, can run high.  Very high.

         The keyword here is emotions.  The project, as presented to the village, is massive and seemingly “uncharacteristic” for the village.  It is, however, just a proposal and while many people may want the village to unilaterally scrap it, this, like any proposal, needs scrutiny by the village before a final decision is rendered.

           So what have I taken away from not only Monday’s Board meeting, but previous ones where the proposal has been discussed? A few things.

• It seems as though every person who addressed the Board started “My name is (name) and I have lived in Buffalo Grove for (number) years.  I get it.  Longtime residents take stock and pride in the community, especially the way it was when they moved in.  The reality is that things change and the nature of Buffalo Grove has changed.  That does not mean, however, that a development the nature of what is being proposed fits the village.  Radical change is not always the best change, but at least a starting point for discussion.

• The Few Good Men syndrome.  Much of what is being said at meetings is based on the proverbial fear factor.  Like the exchange between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in the move “A Few Good Men,” people want answers, they want the truth and sometimes they can’t handle the truth.

• The truth is the village can’t rent stores out.  Nor can it dictate what store opens where.  While it’s no secret that Town Center is little more than a collection of large “for lease” signs, the village cannot just bulldoze the property.  The village can market itself to prospective tenants, but it cannot, as noted, become a landlord.

• If the village wants to enhance business occupancies, it needs to look at every opportunity – no matter how absurd it may seem – that comes along.  Both the village staff and the Village Board owe it, I think, to the entire community to look at any possibilities that may enhance the business climate in Buffalo Grove.

• What we’re ending up here is a Buffalo Grove version of the aforementioned “A Few Good Men” during which Col. Nathan Jessep and Lt. Daniel Kaffee have a fiery exchange about wanting answers and being entitled to the truth.  While we don’t know where they lived, or for how long, what they want, even in a military court room, is what everyone does – answers and the truth – which is why the village people are going through the process. Many of the answers need to come from CRM.  I have been working to arrange a meeting with them to discuss their plans and the sources of information that CRM thinks makes the plan workable for Buffalo Grove.

• Location, location, location.  To no surprise, most of the opposition comes from residents whose homes have strong proximity to the proposed “downtown”.  Who can blame them? Whenever a proposal impacts nearby neighborhoods, those residents are the most vocal.  For example, during the 1980s, the most vocal people against the conversion of what was then Palwaukee Airport from a privately owned airport to a publicly owned airport were the nearby residents.  The misinformation about the project was rampant.  The difference is most of the people who complained purchased homes in or near a flight path of the busiest general aviation airport in the state unlike residents of Manchester Green and nearby areas who purchased their homes adjacent to open space.

• The Jim Croce syndrome.  The late singer, in his song “Recently” noted that “… the future is tomorrow 'cause the past is gone…” -- which is a factor to be strongly considered.  The village is not the same as it was five, 10, 15, 20, 30 or 40 years ago.  Conversely, the village will not be the same five, 10, 15, 20, 30 or 40 years from now – that’s the reality of it.  Change for the village will impact everyone in one way, shape or form. 

         The challenge will be to facilitate change while working within the parameters traditionally associated with the village.  The entire village.