Letter Regarding City Decision to Purchase Private Highland Park Homes

I have been a Highland Park resident for the past twenty-four years. My wife and children and I have enjoyed our residency in the city and we are very active in the community.

Today I am writing out of a sense of frustration regarding the city's recent purchase of two luxury homes – for $1.5 million - adjacent to the Highland Park Library. The city council’s decision to spend this large amount of taxpayer money was made with limited public input and -as I and numerous neighbors have learned recently - with no clearly defined public purpose.

From conversations that have taken place – subsequent to the purchase - with the Highland Park mayor and city manager we have been informed that the Highland Park city council purchased these properties in order to expand the footprint of the Highland Park Library and to incorporate a new city-owned facility, which would house both the city’s senior and youth services centers. This is an overly-ambitious project that my neighbors, many Highland Park residents, and my family oppose: we strongly believe that increased development in our established, residential neighborhood would have a material adverse impact on our quality of life and on the value of our homes.

In addition to their failure – deliberate or otherwise – to actively consult with community residents further conversations with city officials reveals a disturbing impulsiveness and absence of sound judgement that were involved in this action. Specifically, the city has failed to conduct a detailed city-wide needs assessment and instead has simply solicited wish lists from the three facilities, then used those wishes as justification for the purchase of the properties and for the ongoing construction plans.

Additionally, the city government has acted in less-than good faith by denying residents of Highland Park the opportunity to participate in the planning process; for a project of this magnitude such a decision is inexcusable. The lack of transparency associated with the decision-making and execution process is suggestive of a desire to conceal the evident poor judgement and impulsive actions that have thus far characterized this enterprise. All other public developments that have been undertaken by the city in the past have been subject to lengthy, public review prior to any city funds being committed. It is curious that, in this case, such a decision was not made.

My family and numerous other residents are shocked that our elected officials would purchase these two luxury homes without first consulting the surrounding neighbors who would be most impacted by future development of the site. Clearly, every homeowner on our block, at a minimum, should have been involved in a transparent and public process prior to the purchase of these two privately-owned properties. The decision not to do this flies in the face of modern standards of good government.

Since community members have had –by apparent design - only very limited involvement in this process it seems reasonable to conclude that, having spent $1.5 million of the city’s funds, council members are determined to carry this project forward to completion, community objections notwithstanding. However, a determined group of city residents have already organized to resist this decision and halt this orchestrated process. Our view is that the city should now sell these two homes, recover the funds for its residents, and cease all planning for this poorly-considered project.

In the future, should our city leaders desire to undertake a significant development, or alter any neighborhood’s character and zoning, no funds should be expended without a complete and transparent planning process.

Thank you very much.

Alan Handler

367 Laurel Ave

Highland Park, IL 60035