What's The Rush?': Clarendon Hills OKs No-Bid Deal, Despite Resident Protests

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills trustees on Monday approved a $1.9 million no-bid deal for downtown improvements, with residents protesting the project.

The debate got tense when a village trustee called a leading critic's assertion "dishonest."

The project is going to Rosemont-based Christopher Burke Engineering, which works for many suburbs.

The village scaled back the project from the $3.2 million proposal in July, which a Village Board majority rejected.

The biggest point of contention was retractable bollards. They would serve as barriers for village events at the Sloan Triangle at Prospect and Park avenues.

Opponents say the barriers would cause traffic backups to the railroad tracks.

During public comments, resident Angela Sartori, a leader in the project's opposition, pointed to a traffic study from the Burke firm. She said it showed that traffic backs up to the tracks when the village closes the slip lane next to the triangle.

After she spoke, Trustee John Weicher, who noted the board's policy against trustees responding to comments, invoked "privilege" as a trustee to correct facts.

He said the study showed only two instances of backups – one related to an Amazon truck and another to a school bus. He said it was dishonest to equate the closed slip lane to the backups.

"At least get the facts right," he said. "Dishonesty is not legitimate."

From her seat, Sartori said photos demonstrated otherwise. But village officials declined to let her speak further.

Former Trustee Greg Jordan questioned why the village would not seek bids on the project. He praised Burke's work as an engineering firm, but said it was not a general contractor.

He urged the village to hold off on a decision until after April's election, which he said would serve as a referendum on the downtown project.

Another former trustee, Taps Gallagher, said he had only one thing to say: "What is the rush?"

"I would like an answer," he said.

Trustees stayed silent.

Resident Erika Jones said the village appeared to be rushing the project.

"The pared-down plan still sounds expensive," she said. "The more you take parking away, the more people like me won't go downtown."

Meanwhile, resident Andrea Magee, who spoke to the board remotely, said she and other younger residents didn't move to Clarendon Hills for a "picturesque version of the past."

A supporter of the project, Magee said it's important to respect history, but also to recognize that local economics and demographics have changed.

Clarendon Hills, Magee said, "doesn't need to be exactly as someone remembered it decades ago."

In the audience, a woman was heard saying, "Move somewhere else."

The money for the downtown work will come from downtown's tax increment financing district, or TIF. That's where growth in property tax income is reinvested in the district.

During the board's discussion, officials said many residents wonder why more of the district's money wasn't used to improve building facades.

The village has a program that reimburses half of the costs for approved facade projects.

But officials said they cannot force property owners to take part.

"We have begged them to participate," Village President Eric Tech said. "Some have, and you can see the results."

The board's vote for the $1.9 million project was unanimous.