Backing For Plaza? Clarendon Hills Showcases Family's Support

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – A Clarendon Hills trustee last week read a letter of support for doing away with the downtown triangle that officials want to replace with a plaza.

But no trustee noted last month's letter from a key local group that opposes eliminating the J. Kenneth Sloan Memorial Triangle.

Officials have said they are considering replacing the triangle with a plaza, which they said would make downtown more inviting.

But critics argued at public meetings that the triangle's removal would reduce safety and cause traffic congestion.

The triangle includes a special lane from Prospect Avenue to Park Avenue.

At last week's Village Board meeting, Trustee Mark Peterson read the letter from David Taggart, an engineer and the grandson of Sloan.

In the letter, Taggart said he was "frankly disappointed" with the look of the triangle, with its caution tape, barricades and barriers. It resembles a construction site more than a place of honor, he said.

Speaking about the proposed plaza, Taggart said, "I'm perplexed by the continued resistance to moving this forward."

Citing his professional experience, Taggart, who does not live in Clarendon Hills, said a unified community space would not diminish downtown's traffic flow.

"Arguments regarding safety concerns are baseless," he said. "Furthermore, arguments rooted in mere convenience prioritizing a few seconds of travel time over creation of a community space and preservation of a memorial are disrespectful to the community's heritage."

For the last couple of years, residents and officials have debated over whether to replace the plaza.

On Jan. 21, the Clarendon Hills Historical Society's board wrote a letter to the Village Board, revealing its opposition to the plaza.

At last week's meeting, trustees heard from residents about the plaza.

Resident Jon McCabe told the board that a majority of residents were against it. He noted money has already been spent on the idea.

"Can we stop spending money on projects that don't have a future and that represent the goals of literally, as I see it, only two people?" McCabe said. "If you go to the meetings ... the sentiment is overwhelming against keeping this (plaza) going forward."

Earlier this month, Clarendon Hills revealed a proposed downtown plan during an open house.