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Chicago Tribune
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Glenview, plus Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, Glencoe, smooths way to electric vehicle charging
The village of Glenview is the latest suburb to actively prepare for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations. It joins Skokie, Evanston, Glencoe and Wilmette and others which have taken similar steps. The Glenview Village Board took action earlier this month meant to remove potential barriers to developing EV (electric vehicle) infrastructure, village officials said. The move is also a response to the village joining the Electric Vehicle Readiness Program, an initiative from the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus that helps communities prepare for—and encourage—increased use of electric vehicles. Skokie, Evanston, Glencoe and Wilmette are also members. Some of the new language added to village's code includes: • a prohibition on non-electric vehicles parking in EV charging station spaces. • establishing a 'market rate' fee to charge an electric vehicle at a village-owned station. • new definitions related to electric vehicles and EV infrastructure, including power range levels. • provisions that new residential construction have electrical infrastructure in place for future EV charging, as required by the Illinois Electric Vehicle Charging Act. • allowing EV charging stations to count as two parking spaces when new developments are seeking approval for a minimum number of spaces as part of a conditional use permit from the village. Currently, there are 25 public EV charging stations available around Glenview, though none are located on village-owned property, said David Just, village spokesperson. 'We continue to explore adding charging stations to village property, but have no active plans to do so at this time,' he said. During an April 9 meeting of the Glenview New Development Commission, Deputy Director of Community Development Adam Aronson said charging stations would be considered for purchase if grants are available to fund them. Glenview joined the Electric Vehicle Readiness Program last year as a member of its third cohort. 'It's designed to increase awareness and make it easier for people to utilize EV vehicles,' Glenview Director of Community Development Jeff Brady said of the program. More than 30 suburban municipalities and two counties are currently members, with a new cohort scheduled to be announced in the fall. Mary Munday, co-founder of Greener Glenview, a citizens sustainability advocacy group, said she is happy the village is part of the EV Readiness Program. 'We hope the village's participation does stimulate more EV charging stations,' she said. If the village adds its own stations, it may spur more businesses to do the same, Munday added. Encouraging electric vehicle usage promotes clean energy, and the EV Readiness Program helps communities take the steps needed to be more EV friendly, from specifying electric charging infrastructure in their zoning codes to applying for grants to add charging stations, to getting the message out to citizens, said Edith Makra, director of environmental initiatives for the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. 'The benefits to residents are that their community is showing forward thinking and planning, is aware of opportunities, and is ready to be progressive and move ahead with clean energy technologies,' Makra explained. Federal funding would have been available to the member communities to add EV charging infrastructure, but that funding—more than $14 million worth—has since been eliminated under the Republican presidential administration, Makra said. 'I don't know where we stand with federal funding [in the future], but I think electrification will continue because of the local momentum we have had and because it's the global trend,' she added. Like Glenview, nearby communities of Glencoe, Wilmette and Skokie have also joined the EV Readiness Program. Each community operates their own charging stations, available for public use. The village of Skokie has four charging stations which, over the last six months, have together averaged approximately 550 charging sessions per month with approximately 100 unique drivers utilizing them, said Patrick Deignan, communications and community engagement director. The average charging session lasts about four hours, 18 minutes, he added. While users of Skokie EV stations are charged a fee of 10 cents per kilowatt hour, municipal-owned stations in Wilmette and Glencoe are free to use, according to information on the community websites. Usage is not currently tracked in Wilmette, but officials are working to soon better obtain that data, said Lucy Mellen, sustainability coordinator for the village 'Even though we don't track usage, I can say the stations are heavily used,' she said. 'We frequently see them in use.' Glencoe operates two fee-based charging stations in the Village Court parking lot. By completing specific tasks and initiatives, municipalities can achieve bronze, silver or gold status in the EV Readiness program. Glenview's latest actions qualify it for bronze status, village officials said. 'Being bronze-designated demonstrates the village's commitment to ensuring that EV infrastructure is installed safely and efficiently, while proactively ensuring alignment with state policies,' Just said. 'Future grant funding could also be tied to program participation.'
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Glenview tentatively OKs 40 new homes for Willow and Pfingsten
Plans for the construction of 40 rental homes at the southwest corner of Willow and Pfingsten Roads in Glenview received preliminary approval from the Village Board this month. Trustees on April 3 voted 6-0 in favor of an ordinance rezoning the long-vacant 8-acre property for residential use and for the development of 20 two-story duplex homes—a total of 40 residences. A second and final vote is expected to take place on April 15. The Village Board's action received applause from a room filled with more than 50 supporters, many of them neighbors of the property, which had been rezoned in 2023 for a commercial development that never materialized. That project, known as Willows Crossing, had generated objections from residents who called for the land to remain residential. At last week's meeting, resident Carol Sullivan said, 'This is the right plan and now is the right time for development at Willow and Pfingsten. This proposal delivers a solution that meets both community needs and development potential.' Glenview trustees also spoke highly of the plan and the engagement of developer Michael Nortman, a Glenview native who grew up in the adjacent neighborhood. Nortman said he met with many of the neighbors and learned there was 'a strong desire for anything other than commercial there.' He acknowledged, however, that he had initially explored constructing the shopping center that had been approved under a different developer in 2023. 'We determined the shopping center plan that was approved was not executable financially,' Nortman said. 'Essentially, it was a mis-designed plan.' The property is located west of Glenview's Plaza del Prado shopping center and north and east of single-family homes. Glenview's 2017 Comprehensive Plan, which contains recommendations for how land throughout the village should be used, identifies the future use for the property at the southwest corner of Willow and Pfingsten as 'low density residential.' Monthly rents for the proposed duplexes were not publicly shared. There are no plans to include units that meet affordable housing standards, Nortman told the Village Board. Like the development of 60 single-family homes approved by the Glenview Village Board in March on the former Scott Foresman campus at 1900 East Lake Avenue, the Residences at Charlie Court, as the proposed Willow and Pfingsten development is called, will be primarily marketed to 'empty nesters' and retirees, according to documents shared by the village. The proposal calls for 27 of the 40 units to contain three bedrooms, and 13 units to contain four bedrooms. Twenty-one of the residences will have the primary bedroom on the first floor, and none of the homes will contain basements. Calculations from both the village and the developer's consultant estimate that the new homes will generate approximately 14 additional elementary school students and three high school students. Glenview School District 30, however, expressed concerns about the potential for additional elementary school-age children and strain on nearby Willowbrook School and its resources. In a March 5 letter to the Glenview New Development Commission, District 30 Superintendent Emily Tammaru wrote, 'The proposed duplexes, with their three-to-four bedroom configurations, are more likely to attract families with children than the 'empty nester' demographic suggested.' Her letter noted that a recent townhome development in Northbrook generated 34 new students, rather than the projected 14. 'An unexpected influx of students could lead to classroom overcrowding, necessitate additional staffing, and potentially trigger costly renovations or even a referendum for funding,' Tammaru continued, suggesting that the village consider a 55-and-over age restriction for the duplex development. Nortman said this is not part of the plan. 'Just because you put an age restriction at 55 doesn't mean they don't have kids,' he said. 'That's not the way the law works and that's not the way age restrictions work.' As required by the village, the developer will pay impact fees to the local schools and park districts. Changes to the fee structure are under consideration, but as they stand now, District 30 will receive a one-time payment of $129,461, Glenbrook High School District 225 will receive $38,675, and the Glenview Park District will receive $221,988, according to information provided by the village. The new development is projected to generate $487,500 in annual property taxes, with $202,440 going to District 30. Still, that district could see a negative net fiscal impact, depending on the number of new students, projections from Teska Associates, the village's fiscal consultant, indicate. While supporting the development, Glenview Trustee Katie Jones said the impact on schools from new residential construction is 'something we need to be concerned about.' 'We continue to have these residential developments come before us and we are approving them in what I consider to be 'silos,'' she said. 'I think it's important we start to look at the community as a whole and look at what is going into our schools. All of these [developments] will affect District 225.'
Chicago Tribune
28-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Margaritas up next for Ecuadorian restaurant after Glenview OKs liquor license
The customers at Riobamba Latin Kitchen in Glenview often ask for margaritas, which the restaurant could never serve – until next month, owner Tony Andino said, thanks to an action by the village. 'My buddy gave me a slushie machine that he's no longer using, so I figured this would be the perfect time to start,' Andino said after the Glenview Village Board voted unanimously on March 4 to grant the restaurant, which serves Ecuadorian and Mexican food, a liquor license. Andino plans to add a bar area and launch alcohol service in mid-April. Riobamba will start with beer, wine, regular margaritas and frozen margaritas before eventually offering a full tequila bar and Ecuadorian specialty drinks, he said. Since opening, Riobamba, 1869 Waukegan Road, has operated under a Bring Your Own Bottle, or BYOB, license, Andino said. 'I do expect it to generate more business, especially because a lot of people ask for alcohol,' he said. Andino began operating in 2016 with a food truck, he said. The slow-roasted pork tacos became very popular, Andino added. 'My father was born and raised in Riobamba, so that's where we got the name,' he said. 'We wanted to bring in some Ecuadorian seasonings. All of our recipes are authentic Ecuadorian recipes from my grandmother. All the seasonings, marinades, tamales are Ecuadorian style.' For example, for chicken tamales, the dough is cooked with chicken stock, which makes it softer and 'more flavorful versus Mexican tamales, where the dough is a lot stiffer,' Andino said. All of Riobamba's food is made with natural ingredients without hormones, antibiotics or GMOs, he said. 'Business is doing all right,' he said. 'We're starting to get into the food truck season.' Andino operates both the restaurant and the food truck from April through November. The food truck will not sell alcohol, he said. Last year Riobamba's truck began serving customers 'taquiza,' or buffet, style, Andino said. The truck arrives with a grill and cooks food on site, he said. Ninety-five percent of the truck's business comes from private parties, such as graduations, birthdays and some smaller wedding groups, Andino said. The restaurant's specialties are its smoked brisket, slow-roasted pork and marinated ribeye steak tacos, he said. 'We're mostly known for tacos because we started as the taco truck,' Andino said. 'We're known for our quarter-pound tacos. They're big.' The favorite among customers is 'llapingachos,' or potato cakes stuffed with cheese and served with peanut sauce and a fried egg, he said. Andino said Riobamba does good business despite its location, which is tucked behind another building in a strip mall.
Chicago Tribune
18-02-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Glenview police officer killed in car crash; other driver charged with reckless homicide
The Glenview police department and village officials and staff are mourning the loss of Police Officer Robert Fryc, 43, who was killed in a traffic crash Sunday morning in Barrington while on his way to work, per a police department news release. On Monday night, Barrington police announced they have charged a 23-year-old man with one count of reckless homicide in the crash. Fryc, who had been with the Glenview Police Department since 2007, had been honored at the Feb. 4 Glenview Village Board meeting for his quick thinking and response that helped save a fellow officer's life during an incident last year. Barrington police said in a news release late Monday night that their preliminary investigation shows that Christopher Lopez, 23, of Cary was driving northwest-bound in the 200 South block of Northwest Highway in Barrington at 4:09 a.m. Sunday when his 2020 Kia Forte crossed into the southeast-bound lanes and struck Fryc's 2004 Volkwagen Jetta. The Barrington police and fire departments responded and took Fryc to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the Barrington police news release. After reviewing the police investigation, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved one count of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony, against Lopez, Barrington police said. He was scheduled to have a detention hearing Feb. 18 at the Cook County 3rd District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. At the Glenview Village Board meeting just 11 days before Fryc was killed, Glenview Police Chief William Fitzpatrick recounted a story of the life-saving work of Fryc and his colleagues. When Fryc drove by the car of a fellow officer who had arrived in the police department's parking lot to start work one day, Fryc noticed the fellow officer, Mark Amerazian, was slumped in his vehicle, Fitzpatrick said. Fryc stopped to check it out and set in motion a chain of events that summoned paramedics, who took Amerazian to the hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered a brain aneurysm. Fitzpatrick told the Village Board that without the work of Fryc and fellow first responders, Amerazian might not have survived. On Sunday, after learning of the crash that took Fryc's life, a news release from the Village of Glenview and the Glenview Police Department announced they had sent home the day shift officers who normally worked with Fryc, and that coverage of the shift was being temporarily assisted by law enforcement from Cook County and neighboring communities. 'Officer Fryc was more than just a colleague,' said Fitzpatrick. 'He was a part of our family and a part of this community. Our hearts are broken by his passing, and our priority now is to support his loved ones and our department as we grieve this unimaginable loss together.' After expressing his devastation and offering condolences to Fryc's family, Village President Michael Jenny said, 'When the time is right, we will come together as a community to honor and remember his service.'
