Despite tough economic times, Skokie shop owners are geared up for the holidays.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Skokie builds new police station
This story was originally a photo slideshow with an audio story, but unfortunately, the format isn't compatible with Blogger.
Monday, November 23, 2009
'Tis the season ... for burglaries
This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 20.
As Officer Jason Dewey pulls away from the Skokie Police Station a little after 8 p.m., the laptop screen next to his seat lights up with rows of burglaries, robberies and domestic disturbances. There’s only one available patrol right now, he says, pointing to a blank line. He radios in, and now there are two.
“If you see a white block truck, let me know,” he tells me. He explains that a man was awakened earlier by a burglar carrying his television out of the house – and possibly right into a white block truck.
“This time of year is burglary season,” Dewey says as he turns onto Niles Center Road. Holiday lights illuminate the wreaths mounted on the street lights, which cast a yellow glow across the darkened streets of Skokie.
According to Dewey, the end of daylight savings time means a spike in burglaries because it’s darker earlier. There have probably been six burglaries already today, he says. It’s 8:30 p.m. It’s a Thursday night, and he’s headed toward the latest victim.
A sturdy man with short hair and attentive eyes, Dewey has been on the force in Skokie for 10 years. He’s an evidence technician, a job he describes as a crime scene investigator – different departments have different names for it, he explains.
But that doesn’t mean he likes the television show “CSI” or any of its various incarnations. Leaning back in his seat with his radio in hand, he blames the show for the public’s misconceptions about forensics. He tells the story of a woman who insisted he dust her dog for fingerprints because a burglar might have petted him. She saw them lift a fingerprint from a horse on TV, she told him.
The patrol car pulls onto a quiet, residential street and stops near a street light. The house is warmly lit. The neighbor’s house is dark.
It turns out there is no neighbor. The houses next door and across the street are abandoned, and the one next door has a “for sale” sign. This makes the victim’s home a prime target, Dewey says. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that this is the second time the home has been burglarized in two years; three vacant houses grouped together make an easy target for criminals, he says.
Speculating the burglar came through the open back gate, Dewey questions the neighbors whose houses share an alley with the victim’s. They come to their doors in pajamas: a man and a little boy who tells Dewey their dog has been barking, a young woman who was at school all day and an older man who hates the security system commercials that feature an intruder violently breaking down a front door. Dewey tells him the police have noticed more people coming in through windows.
No one has seen anything unusual, nor have they seen the victim’s cat, which is missing. “She’s worried about her cat,” Dewey says.
It’s not surprising that they haven’t seen anything. One empty house blocks the victim’s backyard from the street, as does a thin veil of trees, and the duplexes on the next block shield the alley. It would be easy to slip out undetected, especially during the day when the neighbors are at work.
Four patrol cars have arrived in total, and the officers scour the house and block with flashlights. But Dewey says there’s only about an 8 percent chance of catching burglars and recovering stolen belongings nationally, though he estimates that figure is more like 12 percent in Skokie. “Not excitingly higher, but…” he adds.
He pulls the patrol car in front of the house and checks his cell phone. He laughs as he shuts it. “They found the cat inside,” he says. Another officer approaches the car and leans in the passenger window. “We found the cat. You got my text, right?” Officer Divita asks Dewey.
“It was in the basement, after I ran around the neighborhood,” she says, laughing a little. But Divita’s hardly annoyed. “That cat is like a child to her.” She says she knows what that’s like.
As Dewey drives away from the house, he says there’s a difference between burglaries and other crimes. “A lot of the crime we respond to is bad guy to bad guy,” he says. “Burglary is one of the crimes you have with a true victim.”
“I enjoy catching burglars,” Dewey says.
As Officer Jason Dewey pulls away from the Skokie Police Station a little after 8 p.m., the laptop screen next to his seat lights up with rows of burglaries, robberies and domestic disturbances. There’s only one available patrol right now, he says, pointing to a blank line. He radios in, and now there are two.
“If you see a white block truck, let me know,” he tells me. He explains that a man was awakened earlier by a burglar carrying his television out of the house – and possibly right into a white block truck.
“This time of year is burglary season,” Dewey says as he turns onto Niles Center Road. Holiday lights illuminate the wreaths mounted on the street lights, which cast a yellow glow across the darkened streets of Skokie.
According to Dewey, the end of daylight savings time means a spike in burglaries because it’s darker earlier. There have probably been six burglaries already today, he says. It’s 8:30 p.m. It’s a Thursday night, and he’s headed toward the latest victim.
A sturdy man with short hair and attentive eyes, Dewey has been on the force in Skokie for 10 years. He’s an evidence technician, a job he describes as a crime scene investigator – different departments have different names for it, he explains.
But that doesn’t mean he likes the television show “CSI” or any of its various incarnations. Leaning back in his seat with his radio in hand, he blames the show for the public’s misconceptions about forensics. He tells the story of a woman who insisted he dust her dog for fingerprints because a burglar might have petted him. She saw them lift a fingerprint from a horse on TV, she told him.
The patrol car pulls onto a quiet, residential street and stops near a street light. The house is warmly lit. The neighbor’s house is dark.
It turns out there is no neighbor. The houses next door and across the street are abandoned, and the one next door has a “for sale” sign. This makes the victim’s home a prime target, Dewey says. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that this is the second time the home has been burglarized in two years; three vacant houses grouped together make an easy target for criminals, he says.
Speculating the burglar came through the open back gate, Dewey questions the neighbors whose houses share an alley with the victim’s. They come to their doors in pajamas: a man and a little boy who tells Dewey their dog has been barking, a young woman who was at school all day and an older man who hates the security system commercials that feature an intruder violently breaking down a front door. Dewey tells him the police have noticed more people coming in through windows.
No one has seen anything unusual, nor have they seen the victim’s cat, which is missing. “She’s worried about her cat,” Dewey says.
It’s not surprising that they haven’t seen anything. One empty house blocks the victim’s backyard from the street, as does a thin veil of trees, and the duplexes on the next block shield the alley. It would be easy to slip out undetected, especially during the day when the neighbors are at work.
Four patrol cars have arrived in total, and the officers scour the house and block with flashlights. But Dewey says there’s only about an 8 percent chance of catching burglars and recovering stolen belongings nationally, though he estimates that figure is more like 12 percent in Skokie. “Not excitingly higher, but…” he adds.
He pulls the patrol car in front of the house and checks his cell phone. He laughs as he shuts it. “They found the cat inside,” he says. Another officer approaches the car and leans in the passenger window. “We found the cat. You got my text, right?” Officer Divita asks Dewey.
“It was in the basement, after I ran around the neighborhood,” she says, laughing a little. But Divita’s hardly annoyed. “That cat is like a child to her.” She says she knows what that’s like.
As Dewey drives away from the house, he says there’s a difference between burglaries and other crimes. “A lot of the crime we respond to is bad guy to bad guy,” he says. “Burglary is one of the crimes you have with a true victim.”
“I enjoy catching burglars,” Dewey says.
Skokie board redirects insurance funds
This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 19.
The Skokie Fire Department got a $63,000 boost to purchase thermal imaging cameras and fix workout equipment this week -- a boost that once would have gone toward pensions.
The Skokie Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously to amend the current budget to include the Foreign Fire Insurance Board's expenditure recommendations Monday. It was the first budget submitted by the recently formed board.
In February, the village board approved the creation of the insurance board in accordance with the Illinois Municipal Code. Composed of seven department representatives and the village finance director as a non-voting member, the board decides how the department uses taxes on fire insurance coverage provided by out-of-state, or "foreign," insurers.
The village treasurer once decided what to do with the money, which previously went into the fire pension fund, Fire Chief Ralph Czerwinski said in a phone interview. But now, when Skokie is faced with the question of how to pay for the expanding fire and police pension benefits mandated but not funded by the state legislature, the money is going to the department.
Czerwinski, who is not a member of the board but must approve the budget before it goes to the village board, said the board still has the option of putting the funds into pensions.
"They can make a conscious decision, and some boards have," he said, noting the Evanston Foreign Fire Insurance Board uses the money to fund pensions.
"I think it's something they should consider in the allocation of their funds," he said.
Among its expenditures for the 2010 fiscal year, the board budgeted about $12,000 for services, about 88 percent of which will pay for training. It also budgeted about $51,000 for supplies and equipment. With a $39,000 price tag, three thermal imaging cameras are the biggest equipment expenditure. The board's other priorities include lever entry door locks and flags and flag poles.
"It was a good cross-section of need and support for the department," Czerwinski said.
In light of the looming pension crisis, Trustee Randall Roberts asked Czerwinski about the designation of $1,800 to purchase three Weber grills during the meeting. In the phone interview, Czerwinski said the grills are part of the kitchen equipment necessary to the 24-hour operation of the department.
"Firefighters are good cooks," he said, adding, "We do a lot of grilling."
Without this funding in the past, Czerwinski said the department has had to make cuts to stay within its budget, and even now there are more requests than funding.
But with the pressure to solve the pension deficit building, Roberts seemed frustrated at the meeting.
"The Illinois General Assembly has done us a real favor here by telling us how to spend our money," Roberts said sarcastically before the village board approved the budget.
The village board is considering ways to compensate for a deficit in pension funding caused by the general assembly's expansion of pension benefits and unsatisfactory returns on the village's investments. It held a special session a few weeks ago to discuss options including raising property or utility taxes but has not decided what to do yet.
The Skokie Fire Department got a $63,000 boost to purchase thermal imaging cameras and fix workout equipment this week -- a boost that once would have gone toward pensions.The Skokie Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously to amend the current budget to include the Foreign Fire Insurance Board's expenditure recommendations Monday. It was the first budget submitted by the recently formed board.
In February, the village board approved the creation of the insurance board in accordance with the Illinois Municipal Code. Composed of seven department representatives and the village finance director as a non-voting member, the board decides how the department uses taxes on fire insurance coverage provided by out-of-state, or "foreign," insurers.The village treasurer once decided what to do with the money, which previously went into the fire pension fund, Fire Chief Ralph Czerwinski said in a phone interview. But now, when Skokie is faced with the question of how to pay for the expanding fire and police pension benefits mandated but not funded by the state legislature, the money is going to the department.
Czerwinski, who is not a member of the board but must approve the budget before it goes to the village board, said the board still has the option of putting the funds into pensions.
"They can make a conscious decision, and some boards have," he said, noting the Evanston Foreign Fire Insurance Board uses the money to fund pensions.
"I think it's something they should consider in the allocation of their funds," he said.
Among its expenditures for the 2010 fiscal year, the board budgeted about $12,000 for services, about 88 percent of which will pay for training. It also budgeted about $51,000 for supplies and equipment. With a $39,000 price tag, three thermal imaging cameras are the biggest equipment expenditure. The board's other priorities include lever entry door locks and flags and flag poles.
"It was a good cross-section of need and support for the department," Czerwinski said.
In light of the looming pension crisis, Trustee Randall Roberts asked Czerwinski about the designation of $1,800 to purchase three Weber grills during the meeting. In the phone interview, Czerwinski said the grills are part of the kitchen equipment necessary to the 24-hour operation of the department.
"Firefighters are good cooks," he said, adding, "We do a lot of grilling."
Without this funding in the past, Czerwinski said the department has had to make cuts to stay within its budget, and even now there are more requests than funding.
But with the pressure to solve the pension deficit building, Roberts seemed frustrated at the meeting.
"The Illinois General Assembly has done us a real favor here by telling us how to spend our money," Roberts said sarcastically before the village board approved the budget.
The village board is considering ways to compensate for a deficit in pension funding caused by the general assembly's expansion of pension benefits and unsatisfactory returns on the village's investments. It held a special session a few weeks ago to discuss options including raising property or utility taxes but has not decided what to do yet.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Videographer arrested in Skokie
This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 12.
A Gurnee man has been charged with aggravated battery, criminal trespass and resisting arrest after he refused to stop filming a well-known Communist activist as she spoke to an ethical humanist gathering in Skokie.
The Skokie police arrested 31-year-old Gregory Koger on Nov. 1 at the Skokie-based Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago when he continued to film writer and activist Sunsara Taylor after being asked to stop. According to the police report, Koger shoved a police officer as he resisted arrest and was subdued using pepper spray.
Witnesses affiliated with Taylor allege police used unnecessary force against Koger.
Taylor stood up before the Ethical Humanist Society's Sunday program, "Peace Corps in the 21st Century," and denounced the society's decision to disinvite her from giving a speech that day. In a phone interview, she said she wanted to give the society a chance to reconsider. "I felt that it was an unethical decision to disinvite me," Taylor said.
The program committee originally invited her to speak on the topic of morality without Gods, said Tom Hoeppner, chairman of the membership committee and moderator of the Sunday program. He said the committee voted to disinvite her less than a month in advance once it learned her speech would focus more on Communist Party activities.
Hoeppner said the president of the Ethical Humanist Society asked Koger to stop filming and he refused. The police report states Koger was told he would be arrested for criminal trespass if he did not comply. Koger turned off his camera after a plainclothes officer told him he was on private property and would have to leave if he did not, according to police.
The society requested an officer attend the event to prevent disruptions after Taylor said she would speak despite being disinvited, Hoeppner said. She made the announcement at a workshop she gave at the society the day before.
According to the report, Koger began filming again, at which time two officers asked him to leave the assembly room. As they escorted him out, they told him he was under arrest for criminal trespass, and he began to resist.
In a statement posted on Taylor's blog, witness Martha Conrad denied Koger resisted arrest. "At no time was the videographer aggressive toward police officers," Conrad wrote. "At no time did he resist arrest."
Conrad said she observed officers "batter" Koger, including beating his head against the floor. She said his face was scratched and his eye was red and tearing when he was taken to the police car.
According to police, officers called the Skokie Fire Department because Koger had been pepper sprayed, but he refused treatment. Conrad said Koger sought treatment at Skokie Hospital after being released.
Koger declined to comment pending his trial. Witnesses affiliated with Taylor also declined to comment further.
According to Koger's personal Web site, he served 10 years in prison after being convicted of armed violence and aggravated battery with a firearm in 1996.
Police did not attempt to stop Taylor from talking, and she completed her statement before heading to the home of an Ethical Humanist Society member, where she gave her speech.
"If I had actually been doing something wrong, you would think that [the president] would want a record of it," Taylor said.
Koger is scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Cook County Courthouse.
Correction: At the end of paragraph five, I originally referred to the Communist Party as the "Community" Party; that was a typo and has been corrected.
Update: This story originally reported Koger's lawyer had approved the witness statement on Taylor's blog. That detail has been called into question and thus has been removed.
A Gurnee man has been charged with aggravated battery, criminal trespass and resisting arrest after he refused to stop filming a well-known Communist activist as she spoke to an ethical humanist gathering in Skokie.
The Skokie police arrested 31-year-old Gregory Koger on Nov. 1 at the Skokie-based Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago when he continued to film writer and activist Sunsara Taylor after being asked to stop. According to the police report, Koger shoved a police officer as he resisted arrest and was subdued using pepper spray.
Witnesses affiliated with Taylor allege police used unnecessary force against Koger.
Taylor stood up before the Ethical Humanist Society's Sunday program, "Peace Corps in the 21st Century," and denounced the society's decision to disinvite her from giving a speech that day. In a phone interview, she said she wanted to give the society a chance to reconsider. "I felt that it was an unethical decision to disinvite me," Taylor said.
The program committee originally invited her to speak on the topic of morality without Gods, said Tom Hoeppner, chairman of the membership committee and moderator of the Sunday program. He said the committee voted to disinvite her less than a month in advance once it learned her speech would focus more on Communist Party activities.
Hoeppner said the president of the Ethical Humanist Society asked Koger to stop filming and he refused. The police report states Koger was told he would be arrested for criminal trespass if he did not comply. Koger turned off his camera after a plainclothes officer told him he was on private property and would have to leave if he did not, according to police.
The society requested an officer attend the event to prevent disruptions after Taylor said she would speak despite being disinvited, Hoeppner said. She made the announcement at a workshop she gave at the society the day before.
According to the report, Koger began filming again, at which time two officers asked him to leave the assembly room. As they escorted him out, they told him he was under arrest for criminal trespass, and he began to resist.
In a statement posted on Taylor's blog, witness Martha Conrad denied Koger resisted arrest. "At no time was the videographer aggressive toward police officers," Conrad wrote. "At no time did he resist arrest."
Conrad said she observed officers "batter" Koger, including beating his head against the floor. She said his face was scratched and his eye was red and tearing when he was taken to the police car.
According to police, officers called the Skokie Fire Department because Koger had been pepper sprayed, but he refused treatment. Conrad said Koger sought treatment at Skokie Hospital after being released.
Koger declined to comment pending his trial. Witnesses affiliated with Taylor also declined to comment further.
According to Koger's personal Web site, he served 10 years in prison after being convicted of armed violence and aggravated battery with a firearm in 1996.
Police did not attempt to stop Taylor from talking, and she completed her statement before heading to the home of an Ethical Humanist Society member, where she gave her speech.
"If I had actually been doing something wrong, you would think that [the president] would want a record of it," Taylor said.
Koger is scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Cook County Courthouse.
Correction: At the end of paragraph five, I originally referred to the Communist Party as the "Community" Party; that was a typo and has been corrected.
Update: This story originally reported Koger's lawyer had approved the witness statement on Taylor's blog. That detail has been called into question and thus has been removed.
With pension crisis looming, property taxes may rise even higher
This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 5.
In addition to already seeing their property tax bills jump almost 13 percent, Skokie homeowners soon may be paying even more, ending a 19-year property tax freeze.
Faced with a deficit in public pension funding, the Skokie Village Board of Trustees is contemplating options to bridge the gap created by disappointing returns on its investments and the Illinois General Assembly's unfunded mandate of expanded pension benefits.
Finance Director Bob Nowak presented the board with four funding options at a special session last week. Among the ideas were two proposals to increase taxes to fully fund fire and police pension needs, one of which would raise the village's portion of residents' total tax bills 21.7 percent.
In a phone interview, Trustee Donald Perille said while the village has been proactive, the property tax hike may happen. "I think it's entirely possible," he said.
Last year the village's portion of an average annual residential property bill was about $469, which represented only 7.7 percent of the average total bill. According to real estate service Zillow.com, the average home value in Skokie was $269,800 in August. If the board votes to increase the property tax levy for the first time since implementing its freeze in 1990, those who own homes worth the average value can expect their bill to go up approximately $100.
To maintain its heralded property tax freeze, the board may instead choose to fund the pension deficit through raising taxes elsewhere, likely on utilities. A 2 percent increase in levies on electricity and natural gas would provide 94 percent of the needed funding. A 3 percent increase would provide 140 percent.
While these options would keep pensions strong, the burden on the taxpayer would be significant. The other options offer lesser burdens but do not fully compensate for the funding gap, which could weaken pensions. One proposal suggested increasing the property tax levy by 5 percent every year for the next five years, while another proposed lowering the pension funding goal to 90 percent from 100 percent.
Perille advocated a hybrid plan that would use a little of each option to meet the village's goals. "It would spread the burden around so it wouldn't all fall to property owners," he said.
The session occurred the day before the Chicago Tribune reported Skokie's property tax bills will soon jump with a median increase of 12.9 percent, meaning that about half of property owners received a larger increase and about half received a smaller increase.
The Tribune attributed the hike in part to the phasing out of a state-imposed cap on tax assessments, which proved beneficial in a stronger housing market. Now a smaller portion of home values is protected each year for three years, which has translated into higher assessments.
Due to the three-year assessment cycle in Cook County, Skokie home values also haven't been evaluated since 2007, meaning they don't reflect the market's downturn in recent years. Hence, Skokie residents are being taxed based on assessed values that are likely higher than their current home values.
Marketing and Communications Director Ann Tennes said there is nothing the village can do to ease the hike because increases come from districts including the parks and schools, which are separate units of government. This year, the village took only about 7.3 percent of the average property tax bill, compared to the 38.5 percent that went to elementary schools, for instance.
"We have done our part," Tennes said.
The board will further discuss its pension funding options at its Dec. 7 meeting.
In addition to already seeing their property tax bills jump almost 13 percent, Skokie homeowners soon may be paying even more, ending a 19-year property tax freeze.Faced with a deficit in public pension funding, the Skokie Village Board of Trustees is contemplating options to bridge the gap created by disappointing returns on its investments and the Illinois General Assembly's unfunded mandate of expanded pension benefits.
Finance Director Bob Nowak presented the board with four funding options at a special session last week. Among the ideas were two proposals to increase taxes to fully fund fire and police pension needs, one of which would raise the village's portion of residents' total tax bills 21.7 percent.
In a phone interview, Trustee Donald Perille said while the village has been proactive, the property tax hike may happen. "I think it's entirely possible," he said.
Last year the village's portion of an average annual residential property bill was about $469, which represented only 7.7 percent of the average total bill. According to real estate service Zillow.com, the average home value in Skokie was $269,800 in August. If the board votes to increase the property tax levy for the first time since implementing its freeze in 1990, those who own homes worth the average value can expect their bill to go up approximately $100.
To maintain its heralded property tax freeze, the board may instead choose to fund the pension deficit through raising taxes elsewhere, likely on utilities. A 2 percent increase in levies on electricity and natural gas would provide 94 percent of the needed funding. A 3 percent increase would provide 140 percent.
While these options would keep pensions strong, the burden on the taxpayer would be significant. The other options offer lesser burdens but do not fully compensate for the funding gap, which could weaken pensions. One proposal suggested increasing the property tax levy by 5 percent every year for the next five years, while another proposed lowering the pension funding goal to 90 percent from 100 percent.
Perille advocated a hybrid plan that would use a little of each option to meet the village's goals. "It would spread the burden around so it wouldn't all fall to property owners," he said.
The session occurred the day before the Chicago Tribune reported Skokie's property tax bills will soon jump with a median increase of 12.9 percent, meaning that about half of property owners received a larger increase and about half received a smaller increase.
The Tribune attributed the hike in part to the phasing out of a state-imposed cap on tax assessments, which proved beneficial in a stronger housing market. Now a smaller portion of home values is protected each year for three years, which has translated into higher assessments.
Due to the three-year assessment cycle in Cook County, Skokie home values also haven't been evaluated since 2007, meaning they don't reflect the market's downturn in recent years. Hence, Skokie residents are being taxed based on assessed values that are likely higher than their current home values.
Marketing and Communications Director Ann Tennes said there is nothing the village can do to ease the hike because increases come from districts including the parks and schools, which are separate units of government. This year, the village took only about 7.3 percent of the average property tax bill, compared to the 38.5 percent that went to elementary schools, for instance.
"We have done our part," Tennes said.
The board will further discuss its pension funding options at its Dec. 7 meeting.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Skokie board approves downtown revitalization plan
This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 4.
After nearly eight months of research, the village government's plan to revitalize downtown Skokie received approval to go forward Monday.
In a unanimous decision, the Skokie Village Board of Trustees adopted the Downtown Task Force's recommendations to create a "lively, attractive, active commercial district," according to the plan's mission statement. Known as the Downtown Skokie Action Plan, the two-phase strategy would first improve the traffic flow and aesthetics of the downtown area, then actively recruit developers and retailers. Economic Development Coordinator Tom Thompson said the village has already started marketing.
"While we have earmarked 2012 as the beginning year for retail recruitment, I don't want to give the impression that we're not going to do any retail recruitment before that," Thompson said. "We've already done some with some success, and we will continue at that."
The plan is based on a market analysis by Chicago consulting firm 4Insights presented to the task force in June. It also includes the suggestions of the Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie, whose membership includes about 60 to 70 percent of downtown retail businesses, according to president Randy Miles.
Thompson discussed improving Lamon Avenue between Oakton Community College and downtown to reach the "untapped market" of students. He also laid out ideas for making Oakton Street more pedestrian- and retail-friendly, including narrowing the street to create more parking and hiring professional designers to advise retailers on window displays.
Despite the unanimous vote, Trustee Donald Perille questioned 4Insights' recommendation that businesses switch from flat signs to blade signs, which protrude from a building instead of lying flat against it.
"I heard [the consultant] say blade signs, and my blood ran cold," Perille said.
According to Perille, who has worked for the village government since 1961, Skokie used blade signs until about 35 years ago, when it switched to flat signage to give the downtown a neater appearance and make the signs easier to read. In a phone interview, he said the change took about five years and some business owners objected to the expense. In the end, though, the change was popular, he said.
Perille also asked the task force to take inventory of existing commercial space to see how much is vacant before further development. He warned building more could further harm current property owners in a weak economy.
Village Manager Albert Rigoni urged Perille to consider the plan "conceptual" when Perille voiced his objections, assuring him developments would come before the board before implementation.
Perille said downtown Skokie looked like "a jumble, hodge-podge" if one looked east down Lincoln Avenue in the late 1960s. Today there's "more light and air," and the signs are easier to read, he said. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
After nearly eight months of research, the village government's plan to revitalize downtown Skokie received approval to go forward Monday.
In a unanimous decision, the Skokie Village Board of Trustees adopted the Downtown Task Force's recommendations to create a "lively, attractive, active commercial district," according to the plan's mission statement. Known as the Downtown Skokie Action Plan, the two-phase strategy would first improve the traffic flow and aesthetics of the downtown area, then actively recruit developers and retailers. Economic Development Coordinator Tom Thompson said the village has already started marketing.
"While we have earmarked 2012 as the beginning year for retail recruitment, I don't want to give the impression that we're not going to do any retail recruitment before that," Thompson said. "We've already done some with some success, and we will continue at that."
The plan is based on a market analysis by Chicago consulting firm 4Insights presented to the task force in June. It also includes the suggestions of the Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie, whose membership includes about 60 to 70 percent of downtown retail businesses, according to president Randy Miles.
Thompson discussed improving Lamon Avenue between Oakton Community College and downtown to reach the "untapped market" of students. He also laid out ideas for making Oakton Street more pedestrian- and retail-friendly, including narrowing the street to create more parking and hiring professional designers to advise retailers on window displays.
Despite the unanimous vote, Trustee Donald Perille questioned 4Insights' recommendation that businesses switch from flat signs to blade signs, which protrude from a building instead of lying flat against it.
"I heard [the consultant] say blade signs, and my blood ran cold," Perille said.
According to Perille, who has worked for the village government since 1961, Skokie used blade signs until about 35 years ago, when it switched to flat signage to give the downtown a neater appearance and make the signs easier to read. In a phone interview, he said the change took about five years and some business owners objected to the expense. In the end, though, the change was popular, he said.
Perille also asked the task force to take inventory of existing commercial space to see how much is vacant before further development. He warned building more could further harm current property owners in a weak economy.
Village Manager Albert Rigoni urged Perille to consider the plan "conceptual" when Perille voiced his objections, assuring him developments would come before the board before implementation.
Approved by the Skokie Village Board of Trustees on Monday, the Downtown Skokie Action Plan encourages developing "the Floral Triangle," an area near Village Hall bordered in part by Oakton Street and Floral Avenue. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
The two-phase revitalization plan recommends exploring ways to make Oakton Street more pedestrian- and retail-friendly. One suggestion is to narrow the street to create more parking and walking space. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
Economic Development Coordinator Tom Thompson recommended hiring professional help to cover and use vacant storefronts like this one to promote Skokie events. "Every area, no matter how healthy, has them," he said of the vacancies. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
Trustee Donald Perille objected to the Downtown Task Force's suggestion to switch back to blade signage, which protrudes from buildings. He said Skokie changed to flat signs about 35 years ago and that after the initial transition pains, the change was popular. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
Perille said downtown Skokie looked like "a jumble, hodge-podge" if one looked east down Lincoln Avenue in the late 1960s. Today there's "more light and air," and the signs are easier to read, he said. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)Introduction
I'm a master of science in journalism candidate at the Medill School at Northwestern University, studying public affairs reporting with a side of new media.
In May, I graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in political science and anthropology. I wrote for The Michigan Daily for three years, including several semesters as a columnist and associate editor and one summer as editor in chief. I also worked on senior political analyst Jack Lessenberry's show at Michigan Radio in 2008.
The first quarter of Medill's graduate program is devoted to learning the basics of reporting, a process that includes about five weeks of beat reporting. My beat is government, activism, politics, community safety, economic development and housing in Skokie, a suburb located northwest of Chicago.
This is week three of beat reporting.
In May, I graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in political science and anthropology. I wrote for The Michigan Daily for three years, including several semesters as a columnist and associate editor and one summer as editor in chief. I also worked on senior political analyst Jack Lessenberry's show at Michigan Radio in 2008.
The first quarter of Medill's graduate program is devoted to learning the basics of reporting, a process that includes about five weeks of beat reporting. My beat is government, activism, politics, community safety, economic development and housing in Skokie, a suburb located northwest of Chicago.
This is week three of beat reporting.
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