There are two questionable projects in Morton Grove. One is the restaurant Moretti’s on Dempster and the other is a large condo complex on Waukegan Road. I question the accuracy of traffic studies indicating no problems with the increase of cars and people at the proposed sites. Both are adjacent to heavily traveled roads that are already a problem in traffic movement, especially at rush hours. With patrons at Moretti’s trying to get in and out and the increase in condo residents trying to get in and out of Waukegan Road, it spells a traffic snarl.
The village has also bypassed several zoning laws for the condo, including a height forgiveness of over 30 feet making this building a towering edifice in the otherwise low profile character of Dempster. Parking is also an issue. These projects are over-sized and should be downsized to match the available access points and property sizes. TIF money is being spent here, while we have debts on our failed Waukegan TIF of several million dollars. What we are adding here are primarily more condos that do not generate the same revenue as retail businesses.
Unanimous voting concerns me as to the amount of due diligence being applied.
We need to attract businesses that are not over-sized and require expensive enticements. We need to hear some criticisms from the trustees to eliminate the appearance of decisions being made before the meetings convene.
Sherwin Dubren
Morton Grove
