'Very Sneaky': Neighbor Group Questions Burr Ridge Panel

BURR RIDGE, IL – One of the leaders of a group of neighbors of an industrial property in Burr Ridge is unhappy with how the mayor is going about forming a committee about the site's redevelopment.

The 11-member committee is now made up of four village officials – three trustees and the chairman of the Plan Commission, according to a list released Thursday.

Late last month, the Village Board approved Mayor Gary Grasso's request to form the ad hoc committee.

At the time, Grasso said the committee would gather local feedback on the development of the CNH Industrial site at 6900 Veterans Boulevard.

CNH is looking to sell the building. A developer is planning a big development that would include a Costco, which neighbors oppose.

In August, Ingrid Tepler, a resident in the Fieldstone subdivision, posted a Change.org petition opposing Costco on the site. As of Thursday, 625 people had signed it.

On Thursday, Tepler posted an update to the petition, criticizing the mayor's handling of the committee.

"At this point, we feel this committee is no longer representing the people of Burr Ridge as 25% have been removed and replaced with trustees. We feel a village trustee is always politically driven and not the 'voice' of BURR RIDGE," she said. "We feel disappointed in the village's behavior but truly more invigorated to continue to fight this very sneaky and deceitful behavior that has been happening within the village."

Four of the public members on the list live close to the proposed development – five if one counts Plan Commission Chairman Greg Trzupek, who lives in Fieldstone.

Tepler also wrote on the Facebook page for the protesting neighbors, a group called Burr Ridge Against Industrial Development. She said Grasso originally communicated to neighborhood leaders that they could have seven to 12 members of the community with different backgrounds.

She said the group submitted 11 names.

"The Mayor asked I reduce the list and I did," Tepler said in the Facebook post. "Slowly the Mayor changed his position and changed the list ENTIRELY, he added 4 of his village members, 3 trustees and 1 plan commission board member. It’s been a BAIT AND SWITCH, to say the least."

In response to a Patch inquiry, Village Administrator Evan Walter produced the list of committee members. Grasso did not return a message for comment.

Given the situation, Tepler said she likely would not participate.

Grasso has picked Trustee Tony Schiappa as chairman.

The other committee members are Trzupek, Tepler, trustees Guy Franzese and Russell Smith, Steve Albert (Fieldstone), Geri Fauth (Chestnut Hills), Mary Bradley (Carriage Way), Colleen McCormack (near 87th Street), Bob Grela (near 79th Street and Wolf Road) and Candace Singer (Burr Ridge Club).

In October, Patch revealed emails from Village Administrator Evan Walter in which he said Costco must be a part of any development.

Also, an email to Patch in April showed Walter denying any knowledge of the possibility of a Costco on the CNH site. Yet for months, he repeatedly emailed a Costco consultant, who is also a village plan commissioner, about the chain's interest in the property.

The village was pressed to reveal the truth in early August. That was shortly after a Burr Ridge Park District official apparently released information about the Costco development she learned in a closed session of the park board.

The attorney general is looking into whether the park board could legally discuss such a matter behind closed doors.