Glen Ellyn History Park at Risk
Dear President Pfefferman and Trustees of the Village Board,
Recently, members of Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation have become aware that, like local governments and businesses across the country, the Glen Ellyn Historical Society has felt the strain of declining income. There has been concern that this venerable organization may not be able to meet its obligations on the debt related to the properties acquired at Stacy’s Corners, which were for the creation of a history park on behalf of the residents of the village.
Given the historical importance of this site as the village’s original settlement, as well as, the aesthetic and cultural appeal of such an inviting space along the northern gateway to the downtown, we feel that the commercial redevelopment of any part of this property would be detrimental to the character of the village. Therefore, we urge the village board to seek a compromise that would keep this property intact and would allow the Historical Society to complete its mission.
Sincerely,
The Officers and Board of Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation
Click here for background on Stacy's Tavern
Lead removal
Preservationists have long been recommending that care be taken when removing lead paint and asbestos during restoration work. New EPA rules are finally in place and, while contractors may grumble about the inconvenience, this is a good thing. Contractors who work on pre-1978 homes will need to take a short certification class that applies to lead paint removal. While some contractors have always taken precautions, all will now be required to follow lead-containment procedures. Homeowners who are doing their own work do not need certification but must also follow the EPA's lead removal rules. Many in the construction industry were caught off-guard by these new health-protection policies, so if you are having work done that will disturb old paint, be sure your contractor is qualified to do the work.
Click here for work site requirements
Click for more about lead and lead-containment
tree Preservation update
As we have reported, the amendments to the villageTree Preservation Ordinance that were proposed over 4 years ago, were sent back by the Village Board to the Environmental Commission, which is still in the process of reviewing its original recommendations. At last month's commission meeting, village staff made suggestions as to how the current ordinance might be better implemented. However, there were no recommendations for actual preservation for trees on private property, which is a particular problem during demolitions and new construction. The village forester reported that there is very little evidence of unnecessary tree removal by residents on their own properties and, in fact, the majority of residents seem to be quite protective of their trees. The 2007 CGEP survey of residents, which showed 79% in favor of village protection of certain desirable varieties of healthy trees within the unbuildable area of private property, supports this view of a community-wide love for trees. Only 8% of those surveyed did not want tree protection, leaving 13% who wanted more specific information about the proposed amendments before they decided. The area covered was well-wooded with a mixture of vintage and new homes.
Current News
Revitalizing Downtown Glen Ellyn
Keeping the Green Glen in The Glen Plan
 |
At the October 5 special workshop, the village president and more than one board member expressed the intention to delete a concept from the proposed Downtown Strategic Plan of a landscaped strip running along the south side of the railroad. It is this green swath of land filling the space between the railroad tracks and the Prairie Path, running through the heart of the downtown from east to west, that gave the final version of the concept plan its name: The Glen. It is the opinion of the board of Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation that the omission of this concept would be inadvisable and we have asked the village board to reconsider given the improvements in aesthetics, traffic flow and safety that could be provided by this feature. read more... |
 |
Village residents save last remnant
of historic West Babcock Grove at Ackerman Park
Visit the News Archive page to learn more about Ackerman Park, and read the June 2008 Daily Herald Editorial about the effort from grassroots that saved trees and the April 2008 Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation Board letter to the Park District.
image left: Ackerman Woods, May 2008, courtesy of Brian Dykes, www.blue-echoes.com |
Article of the month
|
