Four Libertyville village trustee candidates will face off for three spots on April 4.
Incumbents James “Jay” Justice and Rich Moras are seeking reelection along with Pat Carey, who was recently appointed trustee. Also running is Gary Franzen, a former village trustee and current president of the Victoria Park homeowners association.
All four candidates attended a March 6 forum at O’Toole’s of Libertyville.
Moras is a certified financial planner who sits on the village’s parks and recreation committee and finance committee.
Justice is retired after 26 years as an executive at Condell Medical Center and is an active member of the Libertyville Senior Center and Libertyville Civic Center board.
Both Moras and Justice first joined the board in 2009.
Carey was Libertyville’s police chief from 1996 until retiring in 2010. He recently moved back to the village and was appointed in October after Todd Gaines resigned.
Franzen said he was a teacher at Libertyville High School until retiring in 1994 and immediately won a seat on the District 128 school board. He said following that term he won a term on the village board from 1998 until 2002.
Anticipated vote on archdiocese property
During the forum, the candidates were asked if they would overturn the Plan Commission’s recommendation to deny a 148-house project on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s 40-acre parcel along Butterfield Road near Winchester Road.
While voting against the numerous permits on Feb. 27, commissioners primarily cited safety concerns relating to the lack of a stoplight at the exit of the proposed subdivision onto Butterfield Road and impacts the project would have on nearby residents.
The application will go before the Libertyville Village Board on March 21.
Carey said he doesn’t currently feel qualified to give an opinion on the disputed impacts.
“I do have a background in traffic and public safety,” Carey said. “One item in particular in the proposed development that I don’t believe is safe or workable is the projection on how to handle traffic in and out of the subdivision. A lot more work has to be done on that.”
Justice said the village has negotiated with the developer for nearly three years and those talks need to continue.
“Again, 148 units crammed together, some of them on real small lots, doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Justice said. “The plan commission has done a great job. I would certainly support their recommendation. It’s a great location but a wrong project.”
Agreeing that the property has value, Franzen called upon Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor and Lake County Board Member Carol Calabresa to join the talks since the county-owned Butterfield Road is a main factor.
“That property is going to be developed at some point down the road, I think everyone here would agree with that, but it has to be the right development,” Franzen said. “I think the development being proposed to the village board, I hope they vote it down because it’s the wrong development.”
Moras said he believes the commission did a good job of vetting the project and listening to public opinion. He said he can’t support the project unless there are changes.
“What I would hope is the archdiocese and the (prospective) property owners want to be good neighbors and that they will listen to what was said and rethink the plan,” Moras said.
Historic preservation
Candidates were asked for their positions on historic preservation in Libertyville, particularly homes behind the downtown district.
Libertyville formed its Historic Preservation Commission in October 2014, according to public records, after the Village Board approved a local ordinance in February 2012 that allows for certain properties or areas to be given “landmark” status.
Carey said he supports the ordinance but he wants the efforts to be “tempered,” because once a property is given a landmark status all future owners need to get permission from the village to make changes.
“My main concern with historic preservation is that sometimes it can interfere with the rights of the individual property owner,” Carey said.
Moras agreed, saying the commission has a worthwhile task of saving Libertyville’s beloved culture, but not at the cost of personal liberties.
“I feel strongly that we as the government should not be forcing somebody to do this,” Moras said. “I would hope the Historic Preservation Commission would drive the camaraderie with people in those homes so they freely do the right thing.”
Justice said the commission was formed because several owners asked the village to recognize the homes they long cared for. He said it should focus on similar people.
“I think the real tragedy is the fact that all of us live in Libertyville now, but our children can’t afford to buy homes in Libertyville,” Justice said.
Referencing a recent proposal to put a monument in Cook Park near the library, Franzen said he’s mostly concerned with saving that property.
“Cook Park is the backbone of our community,” Franzen said. “I’d hate to see us add anything to the park that isn’t already there.”
Downtown business
Candidates were asked if downtown Libertyville has too many restaurants and nail salons and how the shopping experience could be diversified.
“I would like to see a quality mom and pop grocery store downtown,” Carey said. “So many people go through downtown on foot already and we’re working on a transit oriented development, and I think (a grocery store) would (be) workable.”
Franzen said he spoke with three restaurant owners who claim to be taking losses of late. He said the downtown is definitely oversaturated. Pointing to the upcoming closure of the Winchester House, Franzen said a grocery store would be a good replacement.
“I moved to Libertyville in 1965, and at that time we had a grocery store in downtown and it was called The Jewel, located where the Libertyville tower is right now,” Franzen said. “It was a great store and well shopped at.”
Moras said he doesn’t know if the Village Board should be making mandates on property owners.
“It’s really a free market process. We don’t subsidize specific businesses,” Moras said. “When are there too many restaurants downtown? When we start losing restaurants because the dollars are spread too thin and the weakest gets weeded out and the strongest survives.”
Moras said he hopes the landlords are responsible when setting rent because bookstores and specialty clothing stores do not generate the revenue that restaurants do, yet they’re important attractions that drive foot traffic.
Early voting begins March 20 and election day is April 4.
Twitter @Rick_Kambic
