I thought we were broke? Now the idea from the Planning Commission is to spend $50K for Camiros to tell us what would be good businesses on Harlem Avenue? This gets more absurd all the time. The Camiros rezone for that area is awful, so how can we even contemplate hiring them for more of this garbage. Don't forget, they are the ones that made it possible to have that great success - the Village Center - and also the zoning variance process that allowed the Board to OK building it as it now stands. After this we will need a TIF to allow them to peddle the properties to a developer and we'll have a whole row of them down there - along with lots of kids for our already full schools. Better watch this one.
Riverside Info » About Riverside
$50,000. for a study by Camiros?
(11 posts)-
Posted Saturday Jan 26, 2008 21:26 #
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Are you talking about the "Camiros B1 District Revisions" under resources on this websites home page? Is this something different? Is this in addition to the previous report?
Posted Sunday Jan 27, 2008 08:00 # -
Yes. "The Riverside Village Board is trying to decide if it should hire a consultant at a cost of $50,000. to the village to help determine what businesses would be a good fit along Harlem Avenue." So says the Suburban Life of Sun. Jan 27/08. Moe from same article: "David Lesniak, Plan Commission Chaiarman, approached the Board asking for the trustee's consideration of hiring the consultant fiirm Camiros to help determine what type of business would be most viable along Harlem Avenue..... If Plan Commission feels they need a comprehensive scope we need to respond to that," Shields said. "And understand the financial contraints." One hand washes the other,but this could not possibly be of value commensurate with its cost.
Posted Sunday Jan 27, 2008 13:46 # -
Posted Sunday Jan 27, 2008 15:15 #
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Thanks Chris. I should learn how to do that.
Posted Sunday Jan 27, 2008 17:52 # -
I hate to be negative but this study is just pissing money away. Jeff Cermak the broker for Starbucks lives in this town. He is an expert on retail site selection. Someone from the plan commission should invite him to speak.
I could give them a list for $25,000 - a half off sale. I would then go to this website: www.CSGDataIntel.com put in the parameters, they would charge me around $2000 for the data, I have my secretary type it up real nice another $100.00 plus my time $500/hour for about 5 hours, a little overhead and I could still have $20,000 profit.
This is a little bit of the cart before the horse. You need a project or a site plan/floor plan the retailer can review. If there is nothing available in the town what is the point of contacting them?
If the retail space on Harlem does not have parking you will not get retailers.
If you really want to see what this new plan would look like drive North on Harlem between Grand and Irving Park Road. The retailers or buildings with parking do OK and the ones with no parking are vacant or have hairdressers and insurance brokers.
I am not adverse to the plan of building and more density on Harlem if it is upscale, has larger unit sizes and adequate parking. I would love to see some of the 1950's residential go and be replaced with retail.
Posted Monday Jan 28, 2008 11:07 # -
Mike Flight knows what he is talking about. This is what he does. This consultant garbage is absurd and just shows where this Board's priorities are. They wouldn't spend $2500 to pay for a consultant to get the CBD planting done right, and then talk about $50K for their favorite consultant for this idiotic pap. People need to be constantly reminded of what is happening here and how much has been squandered on this kind of folly by the people that are running this place. It's sad that so few people object to this foolishness or bother to get involved, but that just means that those who take the time to delve into what is really going on just need to dig it up all the more. Thanks for putting that, Michael.
Posted Monday Jan 28, 2008 12:32 # -
I take it this flag was raised to the Board but no one saluted it. Thanks be, I hope that proves so. But when did the Planning Commission raise this "idea", because I deduce from the minutes posted on the website as required by the Open Meetings Act that they have not met since September?
I certainly think it is more rational to look to Harlem for traffic and revenue than the center of town, although we would all like to have businesses in the center for our own pleasure. I am not up to speed on what is offensive about the Harlem plan, if anything.
Flight, I think it would be great if you and this gentleman were to offer your expert opinions to the Board in this matter anyway.
Posted Tuesday Jan 29, 2008 10:39 # -
They've met since then. Minutes must be undergoing scrutiny.
I'll give them a list for $5.! But it will be just as worthless as the one they are contemplating because there is no site to offer, and no solution to the lack of parking. It doesn't take a genius to understand that retailers are not looking for locations with no parking and no pedestrian traffic. But at least they would save $49, 995. The reason they build malls is to make a place for anchor stores that will draw traffic, and to have plenty of parking for seasonal selling. What does it take to convince our Village Manager that Riverside at 9,000 is not Naperville at 120,000, or that just because a lot of cars drive down Harlem they aren't necessarily going to park along a state route and try to get out of their cars.
Posted Tuesday Jan 29, 2008 22:18 # -
Well, yes, there would have to be some parking. But the businesses on Harlem do quite well, and certainly better than anything in the center of Riverside.
Posted Wednesday Jan 30, 2008 09:50 #
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