Dear Friends and Dundee Neighbors,
Last Friday, Dundee Neighbors filed a formal complaint against the Village in regards to the decision made on June 16th to grant a Special Use for a Planned Unit Development and Variances for the Wal-Mart Supercenter.
This decision was not made lightly and due diligence was put into making sure that all options were considered. We are moving forward with this complaint to send a message, that development decisions have a real personal, financial, and social impact on communities, and shouldn't be treated like a business decision made by a closed club. The entire Wal-Mart development process began shrouded in secrecy and was kept private as possible for as long as possible, and then rushed through to avoid too much community participation. When we raised these concerns to Trustees, we were advised to take legal action.
We don't relish this decision, but we are not apologetic for it, either. The fact is that if the Village had acted responsibly and given over more time for review of the proposal by independent experts, we would not have had to take this critical step. Dundee Neighbors is planning a series of community events over the next few months to bring the residents and homeowners of West Dundee together to discuss a new direction for this village. We thank you for your continuing support and encourage you to communicate with each other and with us regarding how we can move this village in a positive new direction.
Your Friends
The Dundee Neighbors
I thought the WM was supposed to save us from tax increases?
Yet, all potential tax increases are on the table. Tut, tut.
West Dundee will take tax question to voters
West Dundee voters will decide Nov. 4 the fate of a proposed real estate transfer tax aimed at offsetting anticipated budget shortfalls, village trustees decided this week.
The question will ask voters whether village should impose a new tax on the purchaser of a home or commercial property in West Dundee.
The tax would be set at $5 per $1,000 of the property's sale price, meaning the buyer of a $250,000 home would pay $1,250.
Village officials say the tax would recover part of the village's anticipated $350,000 budget shortfall created by dwindling sales tax revenue and development inactivity.
Over the last five years, village revenues from commercial and residential development have tumbled almost half a million dollars per year, said Village Manager Joe Cavallaro.
Cavallaro said general sales tax revenues also fell from a high of $3.5 million in 2002 to $2.92 million for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. If voters support the measure, village staff estimate the real estate transfer tax would generate about $200,000 annually.
My favorite reader comment:
West Dundee will take tax question to voters
West Dundee voters will decide Nov. 4 the fate of a proposed real estate transfer tax aimed at offsetting anticipated budget shortfalls, village trustees decided this week.
The question will ask voters whether village should impose a new tax on the purchaser of a home or commercial property in West Dundee.
The tax would be set at $5 per $1,000 of the property's sale price, meaning the buyer of a $250,000 home would pay $1,250.
Village officials say the tax would recover part of the village's anticipated $350,000 budget shortfall created by dwindling sales tax revenue and development inactivity.
Over the last five years, village revenues from commercial and residential development have tumbled almost half a million dollars per year, said Village Manager Joe Cavallaro.
Cavallaro said general sales tax revenues also fell from a high of $3.5 million in 2002 to $2.92 million for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. If voters support the measure, village staff estimate the real estate transfer tax would generate about $200,000 annually.
My favorite reader comment:
posted by parts on Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:23 PM
This is my understanding of
this latest grasp at straws effort by our Village. This is the only tax that
they must take to the voters for approval. I feel that they have all intentions
of bringing those "user fees" such as trash collection, utility fees and other
such items our way in the near future. If they were able to pass this without
any input, it would have been done already. Anyone who votes for this should
really have their head examined. In this real estate market the seller will have
to eat this cost as well-- no buyer will agree to this. More taxes are right
around the corner so do not vote this in. The town is strapped for cash and they
will be doing anything they can to repair this huge hole of lost funds.
Village Approves Wal-Mart Plat and Plan
On Tuesday, the Village Board voted to approve the final plat and plan. A lack of fiscal discipline and a greater lack of imagination has gotten us here, folks.
Well, that's never the end of it. We don't have to accept the bad decision resulting from a bad process.
West Dundee OKs Wal-Mart
West Dundee trustees approved a final plan to develop a 30-acre site on the perimeter of Spring Hill Mall into a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
The village board on Tuesday unanimously backed the final plat, which divides the parcel into individual lots and outlines the developer's plan for the site.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, proposes a 186,000-square-foot super store at the corner of Huntley Road and Elm Avenue. Wal-Mart's proposed store will include a general merchandise section and full-service grocery store, a garden center and a drive-through pharmacy.
After two months of public hearings, village board meetings, commission meetings and protests, several changes were made to Wal-Mart's plan.
"Wal-Mart has modified the plan to take into account many - or all - of the requests the planning and zoning commission made, from the appearance review commission, from public comments and from the board of trustees," said Trustee Norm Osth.
Those requests included lowering the height of the light posts at the rear of the property to reduce the amount of light leaking into the adjacent subdivision, increasing the height of the berm separating the retailer and residents and also reducing the size of monument signs.
"We are in substantial conformance with the village's standards," said Rob Gamruth, Wal-Mart's counsel for land use and zoning.
Community Development Director Cathleen Tymoszenko said the final engineering of the development is "very, very close to being finalized."
Though dozens of residents have spoken out against the retailer's proposal, just a handful were in attendance Tuesday.
Residents say the development, which would occupy a parcel of land first zoned for a Meijer store in 2000, does not suit the community's image and would increase traffic, as well as crime.
Furthermore, residents said the village should not count on the retailer to increase revenue as Spring Hill Mall flails.
Now that the village has approved the final plat, Gamruth said the developer would likely submit applications for building permits "fairly shortly," but did not have an exact time frame.
Well, that's never the end of it. We don't have to accept the bad decision resulting from a bad process.
West Dundee OKs Wal-Mart
West Dundee trustees approved a final plan to develop a 30-acre site on the perimeter of Spring Hill Mall into a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
The village board on Tuesday unanimously backed the final plat, which divides the parcel into individual lots and outlines the developer's plan for the site.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, proposes a 186,000-square-foot super store at the corner of Huntley Road and Elm Avenue. Wal-Mart's proposed store will include a general merchandise section and full-service grocery store, a garden center and a drive-through pharmacy.
After two months of public hearings, village board meetings, commission meetings and protests, several changes were made to Wal-Mart's plan.
"Wal-Mart has modified the plan to take into account many - or all - of the requests the planning and zoning commission made, from the appearance review commission, from public comments and from the board of trustees," said Trustee Norm Osth.
Those requests included lowering the height of the light posts at the rear of the property to reduce the amount of light leaking into the adjacent subdivision, increasing the height of the berm separating the retailer and residents and also reducing the size of monument signs.
"We are in substantial conformance with the village's standards," said Rob Gamruth, Wal-Mart's counsel for land use and zoning.
Community Development Director Cathleen Tymoszenko said the final engineering of the development is "very, very close to being finalized."
Though dozens of residents have spoken out against the retailer's proposal, just a handful were in attendance Tuesday.
Residents say the development, which would occupy a parcel of land first zoned for a Meijer store in 2000, does not suit the community's image and would increase traffic, as well as crime.
Furthermore, residents said the village should not count on the retailer to increase revenue as Spring Hill Mall flails.
Now that the village has approved the final plat, Gamruth said the developer would likely submit applications for building permits "fairly shortly," but did not have an exact time frame.
The Dundee Neighbors are Still Here--and Growing!
Labels:
dundee neighbors,
future
Friends,
The Dundee Neighbors have not disappeared--in fact, we're growing!
Obviously, we're dissatisfied with the behavior of the Village during the Wal-Mart issue. When people face possible devastation of their home values, degradation of the community character, and a seriously new direction in planning, the process should be more open then a notice and, two months later, a 24-Hour, 200,000 square foot Supercenter and 30 acres of asphalt.
No matter how they try to spin it, that is not an open process. We, the residents who will be most impacted, were left scrambling for time to have the materials reviewed, to retain an attorney, and spent literally hundreds of hours making sure the entire village was kept in the know.
That is not an open process and, frankly, the fact that the Village felt no need to inform us that this massive development was coming in before the legally required notice date demonstrates that they knew we wouldn't be happy, and wanted to avoid involving us. Shameful.
But that's not why we're continuing on--we believe in our community. The outpouring of support from every part of the Village has made it clear that there IS support for a new vision and direction for our wonderful little town.
So we invite you to post a comment, or send an email, letting us know about YOUR ideas for the future of West Dundee--and the kinds of policies YOU would like to see.
Tell us West Dundee--what is on your mind?
Your Friends
The Dundee Neighbors
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)