Welcome, friends!
Dundee Neighbors has created this website to keep you informed about development issues in West Dundee and the Dundee area.
Our primary effort right now is to monitor the currently proposed 186,000 square foot, 24-Hour Wal-Mart Supercenter being wedged into a residential community where it does not belong.
You may have read about the
Planning and Zoning Commission Hearing on Tuesday. Although the P&Z Commission "recommended" the project, it is by no means over yet.
Only the Board can make a final decision. And if they decide wrongly--if they approve a project that clearly fails to meet the standards for Special Uses and Variances--there are means beyond that.
At the Planning & Zoning Commission Hearing, we requested a continuation of 30 days to allow some engineers we have retained to review Wal-Mart's proposed storm water plan and their traffic study, which was conducted by their "preferred contractor" for traffic studies, KLOA.
When we--generously, we feel--made this offer to have an independent review at our own expense, in the interest of objectivity, you should have seen Wal-Mart's attorney spring up and "strenuously object."
What are they trying to hide from residents and the Board of Trustees? Inquiring minds would like to know why our offer to have an independent review so terrified Wal-Mart's attorney.
We think the Board should want to know, too.
The Village staff and Wal-Mart have implied that this has been a completely open process which has encouraged public participation.
But of course, Wal-Mart did not reveal its plans to the public until literally the last possible moment, when the law requires them to disclose their plan.
They didn't call a single resident.
They didn't meet with a single resident.
They sent no letters, made no phone calls, held no forums, made absolutely no effort.
Staff, which has been in negotiations for years, met with no one. Made no calls. Had no meetings. Sent no fliers.
Did not include it in the Village Newsletter. Did not solicit public input.
In other words, they hid it until they couldn't any longer, and when we requested a reasonable amount of time to review the petitioner's materials, we were ignored.
When Target was coming to town, they put a big old sign on the property: "Coming Soon! Target!" Wal-Mart hid behind the wall of "proprietary information", too arrogant to bother with us lowly taxpayers.
When we asked for more time to review materials that have been released to us only in drips for the last month, Wal-Mart's attorney sprang to his feet and quaked in his boots.
The public hearing began on 4/28. Less than a month later, it was closed. It took Wal-Mart years to bring this project together: we can't get 30 days to review it?
That is an open process?
We were told that the public hearing process was the opportunity to comment and present evidence--yet our due process was violated when our attempt to reasonably contribute to the process by locating expert witnesses and having them review the petitioner's testimony, and to testify as to possible problems with it, was shouted down by a slick attorney from a multi-billion dollar corporation. Apparently, they don't have the time to waste on small-town folks who want to know if their backyards will be flooded with greasy parking lot water, if reckless driving will increase on a residential road, if our nice family park is going to turn into a pit of Wal-Mart's carelessly strewn garbage.
That is a good neighbor?
The Trustees have some real thinking to do, about what kind of "partner" they're inviting into the Village.
And our due process will not be violated, and we will be heard.
So check back often! We'll keep you apprised.
Your friends,
The Dundee Neighbors
