Saving Maple

Delicate little eater

 

I've never been one to shy away from a meal, but our darling Violet takes eating very seriously as you can see from the photo above.  This was from today's breakfast.  London & Blu were still asleep and Violet was well into her third course.  "More gogurt mama!"  

When she's done with her meal, she usually finishes off whatever London has left, which is usually quite a bit.  He, on the other hand, picks at his meals and finds at least a thousand other things he wants to do.  To him, eating is so very boring.  That's been the way with both of them since they were born.  (And yes, Violet takes after her mama.  I imagine I've looked exactly the same at a dinner or two.)

 

The many, many good things about an old, walkable neighborhood like W. Maple Ave., Libertyville

Here's a list of things that are good about an old, walkable neighborhood, like the neighborhood around W. Maple Ave. in Libertyville:

• They're green.  You don't have to drive everywhere because you are close to:
  • Downtown retail 
  • Train
  • Schools (high school, middle school)
  • Library
  • Churches 
• Houses and lifestyles associated with these houses may be more affordable:
  • They're often less expensive than more standard-sized houses because they are smaller. What they lack in size can often be made up for in charm.  Achieving that can be hard work, and can cost money, but is ultimately worth it.  In the end, you have a one-of-a-kind house.
  • Especially if you work in Downtown Chicago, in the centralized business district of the Loop or near-Loop, you quite literally might not need to have a second car, with its initial cost and ongoing costs of insurance, repairs, gas, and the additional cost of a two-car garage.  It's true, some people in our neighborhood have done without a second car - comfortably. 
• Character of houses and buildings and the people that inhabit them is infinitely interesting:
  • In an old neighborhood, there is so much housing and building variety.  It's a good place to wake up in the morning, to come home to at night, and to be around on the weekend and holiday times. The boredom factor doesn't set in as much. People tend to stay once they've bought their home in an older neighborhood.
  • As a result of people tending to stay in the neighborhod, you tend to get to know your neighbors better than in a more standard suburban development.  The added interest of neighborhood characters can make an old neighborhood a more interesting and desireable place to live. 

  • There are often cool historical stories associated with the houses and buildings in an old neighborhood.  That's because it's had the time, the occasions to essentially "collect" these stories.  (See the post in this blog: "Dymond House - 130 W. Maple - One of many historic homes/buildings in the neighborhood" for examples.) This history becomes part of what you think about when you are in the neighborhood, making the neighborhood generally more interesting, and, as a consequence, a place you want to stay.

  • As a result of the neighborhood being walkable, your likelihood of having the chance to have a conversation with one of your neighbors or fellow citizens increases. That can add to neighborhod character by adding to the pool of stories you associate with the neighborhood. 

  • If you walk, you become "part of the scene" that adds to the interest of an old, walkable neighborhood. People are intrinsically interested in other people.

• The overall mixed land use character of an old neighborhood, cumulatively, is more interesting, because more varied, and more interesting because more intense (more round-the-clock). On W. Maple Ave., the interesting mixed uses include residential, pre-school, church.

• Old neighborhoods add to the overall character of a town like Libertyville, especially in the case of the W. Maple neighborhood, since it is so close to the downtown. You want to live in a cool town, don't you?

• The neighborhood supports downtown Libertyville. Because of the convenience - including the multiple retail goods and services that are available, and the appeal of the experience - including getting out and walking and the unique charm of the stores, a typical neighborhood family is fairly likely to purchase at least some of its goods and services in downtown Libertyville, even if the cost is somewhat more than at a nearby commercial strip or mega-mall that can sell for less because of traffic volume.

• They're more convenient:

• • Friends tend to come to your place because you've got the interesting house and neighborhood. Your house becomes the gathering place - instead of needing to gather some place else. 
  • You can easily walk to: 
    • Entertainment: Theater, lots of restaurants, coffee shops, summer Fridays in Cook Park, parades, Libertyville Days 
    • Retail services: Dry cleaner/tailor, ATM machine at the bank, drug store, jeweler, cobbler, orthodontist, shoe store, bike shop, dance studio, gourmet retail food
    • Churches (Catholic, and (3) of the (4) mainline Protestant denominations are in or very close to downtown.)
  • Your kids can get a lot of places without you chauffering them everywhere:
    • To the theater to hang out with their friends, or to the dance studio to take classes, or to an eatery with their friends
    • Downtown to generally hang out with their friends in an intrinsically interesting part of their town
    • Schools
    • Library
    • Church
• They're good for you physically, in this hyper-sedentary age, because they encouage you to walk to obtain services and save money by not running your car in so doing. Being outdoors can give your spirits a lift too.
• They're a good place to raise kids:
  • There tend to be more kids in the neighborhood because the neighborhood is more compact because the lots are small. As any experienced parent knows, more kids increases the likelihood that you as a parent don't have to generate_all_the excitement in your kids' lives - kids love to be with kids. This helps you, as a parent, to "keep all of the balls in the air."
  • Stability of a neighborhood and having established relationships with your neighbors helps to provide a safer neighborhood for kids to grow up in.  Kids can be freer to experience more of the joy of being and playing outdoors, seeing all of the interesting things there are to see in your non-cookie-cutter neighborhood, and of independence. You want this for your child, as long as it is safe. Again, this makes the job of parenting easier - you don't have to be with your children_all_of the time.
  • Friends of your kids like hanging out in an interesting, non-cookie cutter, old neighborhood close to town. Often, they'll come to your old house and neighborhood a lot instead of your kids having to go to their's.  They also use your home as a rendez-vous point for further kid escapades, to the many easy points of destination your house affords, as a result of being located where it is - in the heart of the action.  Your kids get to be more social, because they live in a focal point area. And, again, it's just easier on you as a parent, as a result, making the tough job of parenting a little more doable.

Map of Maple Avenue

During the village meeting, Todd Mcdermott shared a map of the evolution of Maple Avenue.  Click the links below to see the map.

View this photo - 1929

View this photo - 1961

View this photo - 1987

View this photo - 2009

SUCCESS, FOR NOW! AT 4/14 VILLAGE BOARD MEETING, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP STOPS CHURCH FROM TEARING DOWN HISTORIC 212 W. MAPLE HOME! BIG TURNOUT AND GROUP TESTIMONY FORCE CHURCH TO TAKE MATTER OFF TABLE

Press links

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/1528581,5_1_WA16_LIBVB_S1.article

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/libertyville/news/1527727,Li-home-041509-s1.article

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=286666&src=3

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=286046

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/libertyville/news/1521342,Li-home-041609-s1.article

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/opinions/letters/1520639,5_4_WA10_LETTERS_S1.article

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=286289&src

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/opinions/letters/1528582,5_4_WA16_LETTERS_S1.article

 

Village Board to Vote on Tuesday, April 14th

Please join us at the Libertyville Village Board of Trustees meeting this Tuesday in a show of support to the families who want to keep the charm and history of Libertyville alive. 

Village of Libertyville Board of Trustees
Agenda
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
8:00 p.m.
118 W Cook Street

Legal brief to Village in support of neighborhood position (as identified in post immediately below)

Download MapleAve[1].BoardLetter- Vince Palmieri, Atty

Neighborhood position on 1st Presbyterian Church's request to Village to tear down historic 212 W. Maple for church parking lot

April 8, 2009

Mayor Jeffrey Harger

And Members of the Board of Trustees

Of the Village of Libertyville

Dear Mayor Harger and Members of the Board of Trustees,

The First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville has recently requested a special use permit from the Village of Libertyville that will allow it to tear down the historic 212 W. Maple Ave. house and pave the land on which that house currently sits with a parking lot to provide approximately (25) additional off-street parking spaces, to help meet the overall Village parking requirement, required by ordinance, to support the church’s current plans to renovate and expand its institutional building.

Over a (50) year period, the First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville has torn down at least (8) homes, and probably more, to serve its own needs, as well as the needs of others, as typically befits the role of a church in a community. Now, however, the Maple/Brainerd/Jackson/Douglas/Stewart neighborhood that is not affiliated with the church has had enough of this kind of tear-down activity. The neighborhood believes its own needs supercede the institutional needs of the church. The neighborhood believes it is at a tipping point, towards an institutional neighborhood, away from the existing character of its old, walkable, and therefore relatively rare, residential neighborhood. The members of the neighborhood also believe their property values are at stake, that there will be an “adverse impact” on those property values. The neighborhood is therefore contesting the church’s request for the assignment of a special use permit by the Village Board of Trustees to allow the house that stands at 212 W. Maple Ave. to be torn down for the subsequent, proposed development of a parking lot in its place. There are very few, if any, members of our neighborhood, unaffiliated with the church, who disagree with this position.

The neighborhood is contesting the church’s request for the special use permit on the basis the church has not demonstrated, with relevant evidence, that it has met all of the standards for a special use permit. More specifically, there are other reasonable means available for the church to meet the approximately (50) additional off-street parking space requirements for the church’s planned renovation/expansion.

To meet the Village’s parking requirements for the church’s renovation and expansion plan, the church is required to provide a total of (179) off-street parking spaces over the long-term. Currently, before the destruction of the 212 W. Maple Ave. house and subsequent parking lot development, it can only provide approximately (129) parking spaces. With the destruction of the 212 W. Maple house, the church can provide approximately (25) additional parking spaces, for a total of (154) parking spaces. The church is still, therefore, approximately (25) spaces short of the number of spaces it needs to meet the Village’s parking space requirements for its renovation/expansion. Based on the immediate above analysis, and the general analysis of the value of its neighborhood, the neighborhood therefore recommends the church and the Village of Libertyville consider the following option:

A) Enter into a long-term agreement with Libertyville High School OR the Village of Libertyville, respectively, to obtain and share, on Sunday, the (50) additional parking spaces required at either the main high school parking lot or the new city parking garage, currently under construction, at Lake and Brainerd, and bus church members from one or both of these parking facilities.

In fact, at the March 23 Plan Commission Meeting, John Jepsen, 1^st Presbyterian Church elder and representative for the church’s current renovation/expansion plan, under questioning by Plan Commissioner Howard, admitted the church is already considering approaching the Libertyville High School to help it meet some of its off-street parking requirements for its renovation/expansion.

Furthermore, the Libertyville Comprehensive Plan supports the neighborhood’s position about not tearing down the 212 W. Maple Ave house and replacing it with a parking lot. Replacement of this house with a parking lot is in violation of the vision of the Comprehensive Plan. This Plan designates large portions of the Maple/Brainer/Douglas/Jackson/Stewart neighborhood residential. The Plan was instituted to help protect the character of the existing neighborhood, including the residential portions of the neighborhood. The Planning Commission discussed this problem with the Plan at the December 8, 2008 meeting at the Village Hall, and expressed its concern about the violation of the intent of the Plan with respect to this neighborhood and the church’s current plan to destroy existing houses to help it to renovate/expand its property.

Finally, if the church and Board of Trustees fails to seriously consider and act upon the alternatives to tearing down the 212 W. Maple Ave. house, as outlined above, and to communicate their findings regarding these alternatives to the neighborhood in an open, candid, reasonable manner, the neighborhood will conclude neither the church nor the Village Board of Trustees is concerned about protecting the character and corresponding real estate value of its neighborhood, since there are, in fact, probable suitable alternatives. Refusal to consider reasonable alternatives to the destruction of the 212 W. Maple house, will, in the neighborhood’s opinion, constitute a serious breach of faith, on the part of both the church and Village, with our Libertyville neighborhood and its associated residents and property owners.

Sincerely and respectfully,

The Maple/Brainerd/Douglas/Jackson/Stewart Neighborhood Group:

Michael and Elise Womack

320 W. Maple Ave.

 

Erik Cook and Jill Dennor

308 W. Maple Ave.

 

James Engdahl

234 W. Maple Ave.

 

Todd McDermott and Mira Hinman

112 Douglas Ave.

 

Nancy McGuire
            206 W. Maple Ave., #2E

 

Barry and Lisa Young

323 W. Maple Ave.

 

            Nancy Dunn
            205 W. Maple Ave.

          

Mike and Marilyn Popp

328 Jackson Ave.

 

Robert and Moira Morris

311 Brainerd Ave.

 

            Brian Anderson and Lorelei Dinou
            208 W. Park Ave.

 

            Randee Clute

            322 Brainerd Ave.

 

            Sharon Starr

            201 N. Stewart Ave.

From the Mcdermott-Hinman Family ...

The moment we drove up to our home, at 112 Doulgas, we knew that it was the house for us.  The charm and history of the house and the neighborhood were just what we were looking for.  We moved to Libertyville from Oak Park and we were looking for a home in a walkable neighborhood with historic homes.  The Maple/Douglas/Stewart/Brainerd neighborhood offered just what we wanted.  We have never regretted that decision. 

Our home was built in 1926, by Turner Wilcox, for his mother.  As you might expect, he put all kinds of lovely little details in this gift of love and we have appreciated many of them.  In addition to the home itself, the location of this neighborhood has also been a great source of pleasure.  In the summer and fall, my girls and I walk over to the farmer’s market every Thursday morning before we head off to school and work.  We all love to walk into downtown for dinner at Mickey Finns, or shopping, or playing in the park.  Our eldest daughter walked to high school from our home every day.  This neighborhood has so much to offer as one of Libertyville’s oldest and most walkable areas.  We cherish our life here and we all need to work together to maintain this unique neighborhood.

Dymond House - 130 W. Maple - One of many historic homes/buildings in the neighborhood

 

• This is the Dymond home on Division St. in 1910. This home still stands at what is now 130 W. Maple Ave. (The street name was changed from Division St.) This is one of the many historic homes in the Maple/Brainerd/Douglas/Jackson/Stewart neighborhood. It is likely Dymond Lake, Mundelein, IL and Dymond Road, Libertyville, respectively, are named for this important and influential family in Libertyville. (Photo used by permission, from p. 122 of Jim Moran's 2006 book, "Images of America: Libertyville." )

• The original Butler house stands at the Maple/Brainerd street terminus.  It was moved to this location from its original location closer to the current Libertyville High School.  Butler was an important early resident of the town of Libertyville, and Butler Lake (behind the high school) and Butler Lake Park (ball and football fields) are named for the family. 

• At 311 Brainerd stands a large Victorian home originally owned by the Butler family.

• Long since gone, the Lake County Courthouse used to stand at 206 W. Maple, now occuped by an apartment building.  Libertyville used to be the county seat, until the seat was moved to Waukegan.

• At 320 W. Maple stands a Victorian farmhouse which may be the oldest house in Libertyville, built in 1850. Huge hand-hewn oak beams line the sill of the "Chicago commons" brick foundation wall which rests on field boulders. True 2x4 hand-sawn floor joists and wall studs are respectively mortised horizontally and vertically into the sill beams for rock solid support.

• The architectural genre of 305 W. Maple is very similar to the 320 W. Maple Ave. house.  It was probably built in roughly the same time period.  Note the raised brick foundation, 1.5 story construction, approximately 45 degree angle roof, simple clapboard siding, central chimney (for centralized stovepipe heating back in the day), and overall building proportions.

• Brainerd High School.  In the opinion of many, one of the greatest actors who ever walked the planet, who heavily influenced other great actors, Marlon Brando attended school here in the 1940s, although he didn't graduate. There are those who still live in our community who were with him when he went here.

• See comments about 212 W. Maple Ave., the Heath house, below.  This is the house the Saving Maple Neighborhood Group helped save from demolition.