As an Evanston resident for over 20 years, I thought your article “Nowhere to go but up” (July 11) touched on many issues about the development boom in Evanston but missed the major point: There is no plan for responsible development. Over 10 years ago, the pro-development group created changes to the zoning ordinance which allowed higher densities. While the higher densities are not necessarily a problem, they were created with no thought to the visual environment. They were developed by an urban planner, not an urban designer, and a bunch of lawyers who happen to be on the City Council. Unfortunately, we have no one who even comes close to the caliber of the architect Daniel Burnham working for the city or on the City Council. The city needs to develop a real plan for future development that shows what the town might look like in 20 years.
JUNAD RIZKI / Evanston
Collateral damage
I would like to express my thanks to you for writing about the train crews who become the “collateral damage” (“When death rides the rails,” July 4). My husband has been a train engineer for 15 years and runs Metra trains every day. He has had his share of fatalities and has been a peer counselor for his fellow engineers when they have had fatalities.
It is widely known that if you run a train, either you have or you will have a fatality.
It was truly interesting to read the stories of the people that took their lives, and why they would do such a thing. Several times you wrote how they look into the engineer’s eyes before they are hit. My husband has told me that verbatim after each of his fatalities. It is a very chilling thing to even imagine, let alone deal with in your mind for the rest of your life.
Thank you for sharing the train crews’ experience. After each incident, typically all we hear is how there is an investigation and that the crew must have done something wrong. All they did was go to work that day and try to make a living for their families.
You did a good job explaining that the crews are part of the grieving process as well.
ANNE KIRCHNER / South Elgin
A hidden gem
It was true urban delight when, having just moved with my family from Ann Arbor to an apartment in Roscoe Village last summer, my stroller-bound children and I stumbled across Gross Park and its quirky “Superheroes” art show (“Median Cool,” July 4).
The kids had a blast playing with the sculptures, and I couldn’t help wondering how many hidden gems like this park there were in our cool new city.
Though we’ve now moved to what we consider an equally hidden (but more affordable) gem, Brookfield, rest assured we’ll be stopping by Gross Park for this year’s exhibition.
DAN STIVERS / Brookfield
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