07/26/2004MINUTES
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
July 26, 2004
The village board met at 7:00 p.m as a committee of the whole in the board room of the village hall
on Monday, July 26, 2004. In attendance were:
Villa a Board
Steven Harris, Mayor
Robert Benton, Trustee
Jerry Kayne, Trustee
Harriet Rosenthal, Trustee
William Seiden, Trustee
Vernon Swanson, Trustee
Matthew Wylie, Trustee
Comprehensive Plan
Staff
Robert D. Franz, Village Manager
Barbara Little, Director of Public Works/Engineering
Jeff Ryckaert, Principal Planner
The committee of the whole meeting was scheduled to discuss reports and recommendations updating
the comprehensive plan. Mayor Harris opened the meeting thanking everyone involved in this two
year project, especially the steering committee, plan commission and village center development
commission. He recognized Michael Swartz, Chairman of the Plan Commission, and Alan Garfield,
Chairman of the Village Center Development Commission, who were specifically invited to participate
in these discussions. He also thanked the library, park district and township for their participation,
acknowledging representatives of those governmental units in attendance at the meeting.
Mayor Harris then turned the meeting over to Trustee Wylie who had chaired the comprehensive plan
steering committee. Trustee Wylie commented that, among the various groups, there have been
several public meetings on the plan, and that this meeting was intended for the village board to discuss
the final content of the document. He reminded the audience that no final decisions would be made
this evening since the comprehensive plan can be amended only by ordinance which must be acted on
at a future village board meeting.
It was agreed that since most people in the audience were concerned with the subsection of the plan
relating to the village center, that portion of the plan would be discussed first. Using the matrix
prepared to show the specific recommendations of each group, board members expressed their
opinions on the various proposals for guiding future development and related public improvements.
They then reviewed the text proposed by the task force and the edited changes made by the plan
commission.
The basic difference between the proposals was that the plan commission and VCDC believed the
document should be more general in its direction for future changes in the community. In their
opinions, too much specificity will discourage creativity and imagination in future planning. The task
force, 'on the other hand, wanted to be more proactive in order to strengthen the position of the village
in dealing with future developers. Trustee Wylie emphasized that everyone knows that the
comprehensive plan is not a binding legal document, so the village should attempt to convey its
planning objectives to guide development proposals rather than simply react to them. After further
discussion, the board agreed almost entirely with the language recommended by the plan commission.
Committee of the Whole
July 26, 2004
Page 2
Following a brief recess, the board discussed the subsection on the Lake Cook/Waukegan Business
District. Again, there was consensus that the changes made by the plan commission were the best
approach for guiding redevelopment of that area. The majority opinion was that the drawings and
pictures should be removed from the document so as not to convey the wrong message.
The board agreed to meet again following the August 2nd board meeting to complete its review of the
document.
The meeting adjourned at 10:14 p.m.
Minutes prepared by:
Ko-bKt D. Franz, Village M er