La Grange Today

'Chicago's Best' highlights La Grange in video

Ted Brunson of ChicagosBestTV.com recently spent a day in La Grange visiting some "spots" he subsequently highlighted in an online video posted May 16.

Watch the video below.

Those spots include:

• Lyons Township High School's Hall of Fame, where Brunson singled out the plaque honoring actor David Hasselhoff, who was graduated from LT in 1970.
• The restaurant Q BBQ, which Brunson hailed as "Best BBQ in the Burbs."
• My Grandpa's Store, a mecca of candy and treats that is swarmed daily by students from Ogden Ave Elementary School, located just across the street. Brunson honored the store for its "Best Old Town Feel." 
• Devries Grocery, "a true neighborhood store," where Brunson chomped on a free pretzel stick, a time-honored tradition among the market's regular customers.
• The La Grange Theatre. "We're talking about seeing a movie for an adult price of under six bucks," exclaimed Brunson.

ChicagosBestTV.com is owned by WGN-TV, a Tribune company.

Judge 'cuts the guts out' of Gordon Park affidavits

UPDATE - June 1: The hearing scheduled for today was rescheduled for Friday, June 4, at the judge's request.

A Cook County judge last Friday struck from the record significant portions of testimony contained in 30 affidavits submitted by the Park District of La Grange in support of its latest petition to obtain court approval to sell 2.82 acres of Gordon Park to developer Atlantic Realty Partners (ARP).

Going over every affidavit paragraph by paragraph, and in some cases line by line, Circuit Court Judge Susan Fox Gillis removed almost every statement citing the anticipated benefits the sale would have, both in funding improvements to the remaining 14 acres of the park, and to the community as a whole.

In taking her action, Gillis referenced an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that was cited in a motion to dismiss the affidavits filed by attorneys for La Grange Friends of the Parks, a group of residents who are asking the court not to approve the Park District's sale petition.

Gillis said she agreed with the Friends' contention that “the affidavits boil down to general statements of support for the Park District’s case which are not evidentiary and should not be considered." Typically, a judge will not consider opinions unless they are offered by individuals whose expertise on a topic has been documented to her satisfaction.

In addition to affidavits prepared by Park District officials, the documents affected include those submitted by officials for the Village of La Grange, former La Grange Business Association President Michael LaPidus and other local businesspersons and residents, as well as those filed on behalf of the Illinois Park District Association, ARP President Richard Aaronson, and two landscape architects hired by the Park District.

But Judge Gillis did not stop there.

Although attorneys for the Park District did not formally request her to strike any of the eight affidavits submitted by the Friends, Gillis seized upon a footnote that the Park District included in one of its filings that reserves the right to make a similar motion at a later date.

The judge then proceeded to apply a red pen to the Friends affidavits, again striking almost all statements and, in some cases, single adjectives and adverbs, that Gillis said were opinions not facts, or in some cases too vague.

Left untouched by Gillis were two resolutions submitted by the village board of trustees and the District 102 school board, both of which support the sale and include many of the same subjective statements the judge struck from other affidavits.

Gillis said she would not edit the resolutions of those legislative bodies, but added that their statements may not be supported by facts.

"Personal knowledge is key, not personal conclusions," Gillis said.

Exactly where Gillis' action leaves the Park District in its effort to convince her of the merits of its petition is uncertain. When attorneys for the Park District subsequently asked Gillis what standards she would now apply in deciding the matter, the judge did not provide clear instruction.

"I’m cutting the guts out in most cases for both sides," the judge noted, suggesting that, in the event she sets a hearing for oral arguments, the parties' respective attorneys will face the burden of preparing strong, fact-based presentations on why—or why not—sale of the parkland is in the "public interest," the standard established in the Illinois Park District Code .

However, a full hearing may never take place should Gillis grant either of two opposing motions for summary judgment, one filed by each side last month. A decision on those motions is expected June 1.

If Gillis sides with the Friends, she may rule, as she did in June 2008 on an earlier sale petition submitted by the Park District, that the parkland in question exceeds three acres and is therefore outside the court's jurisdiction.

Park officials say the problem with the first petition—a vacated portion of Shawmut Ave, amounting to three-quarters of an acre, was included in the legal description, increasing the amount of parkland being sold to 3.5 acres—has been remedied by swapping the vacated roadway to the village in exchange for a parking lot on Locust Ave adjacent to Gordon Park.

But the Friends contend that the vacated roadway is still part of the deal because the swap only stays in place if the 2.82 acres of parkland is sold to ARP.

If Gillis buys that argument, the Park District may be forced to fall back on its alternative plan to sell the parkland under the authority of a public referendum held in November of that year.

Park District voters approved the sale referendum by a margin of 55 to 45 percent, but a subsequent auction in which developer ARP was the sole and successful bidder was voided by another Cook County judge, Leroy Martin Jr, who ruled in June 2009 that a level playing field did not exist because ARP had been granted favorable zoning by the village that did not apply to other potential bidders.

That ruling is currently being reviewed by the state appellate court.

A full hearing also may not be required if Gillis grants the Park District's motion for summary judgment and agrees with its contention that another Illinois Supreme Court ruling, Fields Jeep-Eagle v. Chrysler, bars the court from second-guessing a legislative body's reasons for determining what is in the "public interest."

If Gillis agrees with the Park District, however, Tom Beyer, one of three attorneys for the Friends, said they would ask the court to find unconstitutional the statute under which the Park District's petition was submitted, a result that occurred in the Fields case, but that Beyer said the Park District's attorneys have "conveniently ignored."

Beyer raised the issue of constitutionality in a motion filed with the court earlier this month, but Gillis declined to consider it at that time.

Even if the Park District is ultimately successful in obtaining court approval of its latest petition, there remains the question of whether ARP is still interested in purchasing the parkland.

ARP's Aaronson last November said that the currently distressed real estate  market will not support his company's plans for La Grange Place, its major residential and commercial redevelopment of the former YMCA Rich Port site and the adjoining park acreage, which was approved by village trustees in April 2008.

An effort by ARP to renegotiate its purchase price for the Rich Port parcel were rebuffed by YMCA officials, who in December said they would explore alternate plans for the site.

Last week, the YMCA announced it would demolish the five-story building on the site, which has sat vacant for the past three years, and is generally viewed as an eyesore.

Belcaster is park board's pick to replace Metzger

Brad Belcaster was chosen last night to serve the remaining year of Rob Metzger's term on the Park District of La Grange board of commissioners.

Belcaster's appointment was unanimously approved by the park board at its regular monthly meeting. The appointment, and Metzger's resignation, which he announced in January citing personal reasons, are both effective immediately, Board President Tim Kelpsas said.

New Park Commissioner Brad Belcaster
Click photo for larger image

The park board's selection of Belcaster from among five candidates who submitted applications in March appears to have been significantly influenced by his having served for the past three years as an adviser to the board during its prolonged, and so far unsuccessful, attempt to sell 2.82 acres of Gordon Park to developer Atlantic Realty Partners (ARP).

Belcaster, a commercial real estate broker in La Grange, initially was engaged to help the Park District negotiate its sales contract with ARP. While park officials have never publicly described his role as extending beyond that task, Belcaster subsequently became a key player as a liaison between the park board and the two law firms that have represented it in legal battles with various residents who oppose the sale of park land, according to documents that surfaced during the litigation, as well as detailed invoices submitted by his firm, Belcaster Realty Group LLC.

Belcaster also has represented the board in working with the Village of La Grange and engineering firm Cody Braun to develop a master plan for renovating Gordon Park, according to remarks he has made at various park board meetings.

With his appointment to the board, Belcaster's paid relationship with the board will necessarily end, Kelpsas said.

As of March, the Park District had paid Belcaster's firm nearly $85,000, at an hourly rate of $200, according to documents obtained last month from the Park District under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

Below are remarks each of the park commissioners made last night in support of their decision to appoint Belcaster and also in praise of the departing Metzger: 

Mary Ellen Penicook

"I have found Brad easy to work with. He has strong opinions. They are not always the same as my opinions, but his opinions tend to be very rational and very reasoned, and I have seen him change his opinion based on someone else's rational opinion and discussion.

"It seems like he would be a good consensus builder. I know from discussions with him that he has a strong sense and understanding of the financial dealings of the Park District. Maybe a part of it is that he has spent some time working with us. He seems to have a good financial background and I think that is something we will miss when Rob Metzger is gone. So I would like to see someone with that kind of a background fill those shoes."

Chris Walsh

"I think that the departure of Commissioner Metzger means that we will be lacking certain things, among them someone who is articulate, passionate and can disagree without being disagreeable, is comfortable with different points of view and different constituencies, has a financial background, thinks clearly, quickly and sort of dispassionately about important topics that affect the community.

"I think we were lucky in our process that we had several applicants that, to varying degrees, could have filled that gap well. I have to think that Brad was the best among them and I'm glad he decided to make himself available."

Bob Ashby

"We certainly appreciate all the interest we got in terms of filling this position. We were in the enviable position of choosing the best potential option. I am extremely confident that there were any number of the applicants who would be very valuable board members. We simply had the luxury of choosing the one who maybe could make the biggest impact and move us best and most quickly in the directions we are hoping to get to."

Tim Kelpsas

"This is a decision that none of us took lightly. I think that is a testament to our belief that, a long time ago, the public decided that this should be a board of five commissioners, and that the five of us would be charged with giving direction to the policies of the Park District of La Grange.

"So in order to fill that appointment carefully, comprehensively and thoughtfully, we did take a number of months to do that, and we did collect a number of strong applicants and, of all those applicants, I am personally quite happy to be able to announce that appointment tonight.

"The moment will be be bittersweet because, according to the way that Commissioner Metzger submitted his resignation, his resignation becomes final upon the appointment of another commissioner to fill that seat. So I would just like to conclude with a big 'thank you' to Commissioner Metzger for all of his years of service, which were many, and for all of the things he did which have made a big mark on the Park District, including having a big hand in this building [the recreation center] that we are sitting in today."

Belcaster was not in attendance at last night's meeting.

To retain his seat beyond the appointed term, Belcaster must win re-election at the public polls next April.

All library board officers reappointed for 2010-11

The La Grange Public Library board of trustees tonight voted unanimously to reappoint its current officers for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

The officers are:

• Becky Spratford, President
• Jane Byczek, Vice President
• Rose Taylor, Secretary
• Caroline Coryell, Treasurer

Trustees voting, in addition to those named above, were Bill Coffee and Mary Nelson. Steve Wolf was not in attendance.

YMCA finally confirms demolition plans for Rich Port

A contract to demolish the vacant Rich Port YMCA building has been awarded to Heneghan Wrecking Co. of Chicago, Chris Ganschow, a spokesman for the Metropolitan YMCA of Chicago, said this afternoon.

Heneghan "very shortly" will apply for a demolition permit from the Village of La Grange, Ganschow said.

The announcement follows by a week a public statement from Village President Elizabeth Asperger, who said demolition of the five-story Rich Port facility, which has stood vacant for more than three years, likely would begin following this year's Pet Parade, to be held June 5. Work would begin with removal of asbestos from the building and an underground fuel tank at the site, Asperger said.

During the past week, YMCA officials declined repeated requests to confirm its demolition plans, stating only that discussions with village officials were ongoing.

Heneghan's name surfaced Monday in a story published online by the Suburban Life newspaper, in which Patrick Benjamin, the village's director of community and economic development said YMCA officials were "reviewing a proposal" from the wrecking company, which has been in operation for more than 30 years.

Reached by phone this afternoon, Benjamin said YMCA officials told him last week a contract with Heneghan was in the hands of its general counsel. Benjamin also said he had been told expect a permit application for the demolition in time for work to begin in June, following approval of the permit.

Shortly after learning of Benjamin's remarks, Ganschow announced the contract.

Ganschow said the YMCA had no specific plans for the parcel once the site remediation was completed.

"We will listen to any good idea someone brings forward," Ganschow said.

At the time the YMCA vacated the Rich Port facility it had a contract to sell the parcel to Atlantic Realty Partners (ARP), who planned to handle the demolition and construct a major residential and commercial project, known as La Grange Place, on the site.

But ARP's plan, approved by the village board in Spring 2008, was thwarted by legal action from residents opposed to the sale of 2.82 acres of Gordon Park, which ARP hoped to include in the project.

Asked if YMCA officials would consider building a new facility of its own on the site, Ganschow said that no options had been ruled out.

Study to determine feasibility of converting 47th St from four lanes to three approved by village board

A study to determine whether converting 47th St from four lanes to three will help improve traffic and pedestrian safety along the heavily traveled corridor was approved Monday night by the La Grange village board Monday.

The board unanimously authorized KLOA, a traffic engineering firm, to conduct a multi-faceted study with the intent of having results available for the board to discuss at a special workshop planned for this fall.

A conversion from four to three lanes, sometimes referred to in urban planning parlance as a road diet, would largely be accomplished by restriping 47th St to provide just one lane in each direction for traffic flow, divided by a third center lane for making left-hand turns. Excess roadway along the curb sides generally is allocated for bicycle lanes and/or parking.

The study approved Monday is the latest in a series of steps taken by village officials to improve safety along 47th St following the tragic death on May 19 of last year of Cari Cook, a young Countryside mother who was struck and killed while crossing the road at 8th Ave with her two small children.

Following an initial study and report prepared last summer by KLOA, the village reduced the speed limit from 35 to 30 mph along the east-west thoroughfare, which traverses the one and one-half mile width of the village from Gilbert to East Aves.

The village also added flashing yellow lights at an existing pedestrian crosswalk at 47th St and 9th Ave, which can be activated by pushing a button similar to those found at intersections at fully signalized intersections. An additional pedestrian-activated signal crossing is being considered for the intersection at Waiola Ave.

KLOA recommended consideration of the three-lane configuration after observing that the reduced speed limits along 47th St often were ignored.

The three-lane "road diet" has been hailed for its traffic calming effect in several instances nationwide where it has been applied.

Click here to read a PDF document with the full text of the study proposal, or watch the video below in which Village Trustee Mark Kuchler reads it aloud. The second video contains a discussion of the proposal among trustees and village officials.

Hoffenberg, Finder to join zoning board of appeals

The La Grange village board of trustees Monday night approved the appointments of Jeff Hoffenberg and Michael Finder to the Zoning Board of Appeals; and Troy Pavelka to the Design Review Commission.

Additionally, the board approved ten re-appointments and one transfer to various commissions and boards.

Watch the video below for more details.

Village asks Gov. Quinn to sign new crosswalk law

La Grange Village President Elizabeth Asperger Monday night said she is sending a letter to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn encouraging him to sign into law an amendment to the state's vehicle code that would require motorists to come to a complete stop whenever a pedestrian enters a crosswalk that is not regulated by a traffic signal or stop sign.

The amendment—Illinois House Bill 43—passed the state Senate April 29 and now awaits Quinn's signature.

Under the current law, motorists only "shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be."

"It is a change from 'yield' to 'stop," which we believe will provide additional pedestrian safety and make enforcement easier," Asperger said at Monday night's meeting of the village board.

Some board members said they hope the new law will educate 47th St motorists to yield to pedestrians at the 9th Ave crosswalk, where flashing yellow lights activated by a button were added last fall but motorists often fail to heed them.

"More cars are stopping, but it's still a little dicey getting across," said Trustee Mark Langan.

"Sometimes it takes a couple of cycles of pushing the button to get a clear path across," Trustee Jim Palermo agreed.

"I make sure I hit the button and wait until the cars stop," Mark Kuchler, another trustee, said. "Some residents don't believe it's changed much."

If signed into law, the amendment would take effect immediately.

Fire captain honored for bravery in house fire rescue

La Grange Fire Captain David Rapp was applauded Monday night by the village board of trustees after being named as one of ten recipients of this year's Firefighting Medal Honor Award from the Illinois Fire Marshal.

Rapp is being honored for his involvement in the rescue of three Brookfield residents who were trapped in a house fire in that neighboring village on Jan. 8, 2009.

Two of the victims, a four-year-old boy and his 71-year-old grandfather, later died of their injuries. The boy's four-month-old sister survived.

Rapp will receive his award May 13 in a ceremony at the State Capitol in Springfield.

Watch a video of the village board's salute to Captain Rapp.

Former Rich Port YMCA building to be razed in June

UPDATED May 18:  After a week of evasion, YMCA officials today finally confirmed their plans to demolish the vacant Rich Port facility. Click here for details.

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After sitting vacant for more than three years, the former Rich Port YMCA has a date with the wrecking ball.

Demolition of the five-story structure is scheduled to begin in early June, La Grange President Elizabeth Asperger said in her opening remarks at Monday night's village board meeting.

The former Rich Port YMCA building will be torn down in June Click photo for larger image

"Our staff is working with officials from the Metropolitan YMCA, and we understand that work should begin after the Pet Parade (June 5)," Asperger said. "It will begin with asbestos and fuel tank removal and, following that, demolition of the building."

The YMCA moved out the building early in 2007, relocating its recreation and day-care programs to a temporary facility on 31st St in La Grange, after negotiating a sale of the Rich Port parcel to developer Atlantic Realty Partners (ARP).

YMCA officials at that time said they intended to use the proceeds from the sale to purchase land elsewhere in the area on which to build a new facility.

In September of that same year, ARP announced plans to construct La Grange Place, a major residential and commercial development, on the site and an adjoining 2.82 acres of Gordon Park, which the Park District of La Grange in July had agreed to sell to ARP.

But legal challenges raised by residents opposed to the sale of parkland so far have thwarted the deal.

Last November, ARP announced that it was significantly downscaling its redevelopment plans in response to deteriorating conditions in the real estate market brought about by the recession that engulfed the nation in 2008.

A subsequent attempt by ARP to renegotiate its purchase price for the Rich Port parcel prompted YMCA officials to withdraw from the sale. The revised sum offered by ARP was insufficient to proceed with plans to buy land for their new facility, they said.

Rumors have circulated recently that YMCA officials are giving thought to building the new facility on the Rich Port parcel.