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Riverside Info » About Riverside

1. MikeT
   Member

   $140 million dollar question.

   It is has been hinted at throughout this debate. The priorities and principles that FLOS supports - preservation of the Olmsted vision, for example, is not a valid priority anymore. It is an 'old guard' thing. A throwback to the ecology minded '60s' and 70s when the society was formed.

   I have heard that there are new people in town, a new demographic, who think other things such as a more vibrant CBD, or more EAV or for more revenue, for example, are more important than this. These new class of people don't really 'get' what is so important with the Olmsted ideas.

   Here is the 10-06 Tribune article that distilled this question, too.

   http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=119&replies=1

   Posted Monday Feb 19, 2007 00:23 #

2. Elisa
   Member

   I think that we do need to pay close attention to where we came from (which is essentially the mission of the Olmsted Society). I also think that they have been more progressive in recent years than perhaps before that. The problem that the Olmsted Society has, as I see it, is that they are the historical group in our fair town. They are charged with being the "moral compass" when it comes to enacting major changes to the structure of the town and so sometimes get a bad rap. But if they don't speak up on something that threatens the reasons why we all live here, then what unified group does? No one listens to lone voices chirping up here and there. Organized groups have a better chance at being heard. But by them speaking up, they are characterized as not wanting anything new in town and for things to be stuck in the past. No one I actually know who is in the FLOS feels that way. They want to protect the Village so that in the future, our grandkids can have a similar place to live (if they so choose). I think that they are valid - because (again) if not them, then who?

   This does not mean that no one else gets to speak their minds! Obviously there are many opinions and voices out there. I am not saying that the Olmsted Society is the only one who should be heard and heeded. It is just that they NEED to be here - as well as everyone else.

   Additionally, they also do many valuable things to help out the community - donating trees, cleaning up the common areas, offering lectures to citizens,...

   Posted Monday Feb 19, 2007 00:42 #

3. MikeT
   Member

   I myself agree tremendously with the value this group and the values it supports. I agree wholeheartedly with Lonnie's assertion in this space that FLOS arguably has done more for this town than any other entity. Without this group, and without their support of the preservation ethic, absolutetly the developers would have cut up and ruined Riverside even more than they have already done throughout Riverside's life.

   Also, all you guys come clean: isn't it a great source of pride that Riverside is a National Historic Landmark? I say this phraseology all the time. Peas in the pod, they go together. That designation is all the work of this fine group. That designation will be the ground of all things EAV, too, as well as a sense of pride for us and our kids ("I grew up in Riverside. You know is it a National Historic Landmark").

   The militant petunias thing of the '90s is more of a red herring, a distraction, smoke and fog in the sensibility that I am trying to tease out. The sensbility that I am wondering to what extent has left Riverside is not a sense to militantly plant a particular type of flower, but, more generally, the value of revenue spawned by developers not necessarily in tune with the semi rural 'charming' nature of Riverside.

   Some examples of not caring about the real Riverside 'charming' cachet over time off hand...

   *those high density multi family monstrosities in the center of town - Pine, West, Forest, Groveland through Kimbark (hey, I live there, I can say this, :) ;

   [it is not so much the non single family detached-ness that seems wrong, but it is the people warehouse look and feel of them and the lack of architectural detail that tells the user that he or she is in this disctinctive town of Riverside;

   the 1920s multi family units on south Longcommon and the Wirtz buildings on Riverside have the look and the architectural details such as building materials and windows, for example, that seems to be more 'in place'; the townhomes on the south side of burlington also have a nice earth coordinated scaled look that is in keeping with the riverside essence ]

   *the lack of curvilinear space properly integrating into the Olmsted space in that area;

   *The selling off of the Babson estate in 1960 to make Westchester - East;

   *the Harlem and Ogden apartments/condos? that look exactly like Berwyn/Lyons, (however, good examples of proper Riverside distinction on Harlem are those dwellings on Harlem near the chicken place)

   *the cladding and the 'de-charming' of the 1st american or driver building

   *the removal of the cobblestone gutters, the raising of the street level from originally how it was, the recent removal of some of the lot sub division requirements,

   *the increase to the bulk limitation in the cbd that would actually ALLOW a monstrocities like the VC and a TJ MAX to be built.

   I am sure there are more encroachments to the Charm...

   --Oh, the latest example: the attempt in 2006 and 2007 to do a TIF or a tax insrease to enable even more high density, high congestion build outs in the center of this Van Gogh we all live in in order to accent short sighted EAV instead charm.

   .
   I wondered if there is a significant lessening of people in Riverside who agree with this group's values.

   Posted Monday Feb 19, 2007 11:52 #

4. Elisa
   Member

   "I wondered if there is a significant lessening of people in Riverside who agree with this group's values."

   I often have wondered why our own Village president values the Riverside Historical Landmark program so little that he opposed the designation of his own house. How can he stand up for the status of our town nationally when he won't even put faith in our local landmarks program?

   Posted Monday Feb 19, 2007 12:39 #

5. MikeT
   Member

   It would be nice if all the town leaders would know this 'finer' concept that chris expressed so nicely on this forum.

   http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=57&replies=1#post-576

   i -- a loyal son of winnetka -- ... believe that riverside can assume a position of far greater significance in the mental image of this region than that of my hometown. i think we can develop a "finer," if you will pardon the use of this term in an egaltarian era, experience here than has ever been present where i grew up.

   and no one -- my friend -- can stop us, because in all of the world there is only one riverside. that is, if we don't let the trustees go off half cocked on the tif before all of the elements are in place.

   ... all we need is a little confidence, creativity and courage.

   .............

   FLOS knows the great value of this town, that it is greater than the sum of its EAV.

   m

   Posted Monday Feb 19, 2007 14:48 #

6. MikeT
   Member

   I wanted to add in the list of items that were lost over time due to lack of a vision for the primacy of 'charm' in Riverside...

   *the installation of the electric light in the cbd. They are so different than the gas ones, almost charmless. The glass has a heavy almost non destructible look and the curve of the glass is not as gentle as the gas ones; of course, the light does not have the softness either;

   *the library concrete pad

   *the library ultra bright spot light in front of the library; the former hanging one was just right for the that building

   These kinds of details are really important in giving a sense of charm or quaintness.

   God is in the details.

   My wife was recently in Arlington Heights (the height of charm), and she said she was very impressed with their downtown. She told me about their sidewalks having an old timey look and feel.

   See the sidewalk materials at the bottom of this link on my MAX vision

   http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=159&replies=1

   I am staring at the question I posed for this thread. It better not be the case that FLOS, and the FLO sensibiilty, is passe. I trust it - FLOS and the sensibility it expresses and supports - is not passe. It is alive as when I saw an Oak Parker fleeing from the crazy congestion there to pronounce our cbd 'beautiful', or blighted cbd beautiful.

   However, *IF* that sensibility is eroding, then why would people come here to live? For good schools, vital cbd, and close to dt chicago? Try Oak Park or Lagrange.

   For good schools, quaint cbd that needs a bit of clean up, close to dt chicago, and a national historic district, try Riverside.

   Let's all Vote No in April and show that the value of harmony of rural, urban, and people and a unified landscape prevail in Riverside.

   m

   Posted Monday Feb 19, 2007 14:59 #

7. Tim
   Member

   Much like the DesPlaines, that borders and defines what is Riverside and the Olmsted Vision, The Olmsted Society is constantly flowing, constantly in motion. As the times change, and the needs of Riverside change, so too, the FLOS is changing.

   An organization that sponsors the children of Riverside at RBHS to help restore, preserve and protect our Prairie...is passing on a legacy for future generations, and teaching the important lesson to respect the great gift we have been given here.

   Perhaps the ability to 'preserve what we have and do no harm' has fallen on deaf ears in the heart of our town...but, from 26th to Ogden, from Blythe to Hollywood, the pulse is alive...and it beats stronger every day...

   ...for every tree planted since 1970 there was a man, or a woman, or one of our children who made the sacrifice to keep the Olmsted Vision, their Vision, alive.

   Passe? Au contraire...joie de vivre est Riverside!

   Posted Monday Feb 19, 2007 17:43 #

8. MikeT
   Member

   Vive Le Riverside!

   (cut from Casablanca singing "La Marsellaise"; )

   merci beaucoup, tim, for reminding me that there is a strong pulse here still.

   Posted Monday Feb 19, 2007 20:25 #

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