149 Unit Housing Project Gets Go-Ahead at Glen

After final tweaking by developer Pulte Homes to reduce density and train noise, the Glenview Board of Trustees unanimously at The Glen at its regularly scheduled meeting last week. 

At its July 19 meeting, the Board rejected a to approve the project for 151 units consisting of town homes and row houses at 2101 Saipan Drive because of noise and the development’s density. 

During the earlier meeting, made its concerns clear to Mark Mastrucco of Pulte. Pulte reduced the size of the project to 149 units from 151 and revised its site plan to reduce density and noise stemming from the nearby railroad tracks. 

“We moved 15 town home units away from the eastern part of the site,” Mastrucco said. “We raised the permanent berm between the units and the railroad tracks. It is aesthetically pleasing and reduces the noise.” Building materials to reduce noise were also upgraded. 

Village President Kerry Cummings was delighted with the outcome. Her words set the tone for the 6-0 vote to approve the project. 

“You have done a tremendous amount of work to address the concerns we had last time,” Cummings told Mastrucco. “We’re very pleased. It doesn’t seem so pushed up against the railroad tracks.” 

Trustee Paul Detlefs recognized the risk any developer is taking in He is happy to see the project go ahead in Glenview. 

"I appreciate, in this economic climate, your willingness to risk your capital in this," Detlefs said. “You are to be commended.” 

Trustee Deborah Karton has some lingering concerns but appreciated Pulte’s effort. “This has been one of the most responsive changes since we’ve been here,” she said. “It’s not perfect. I’m not comfortable with everything.” 

In other news

Earlier in the evening, the Board learned seven entities bid for the opportunity to sell $11.275 million of Glenview bonds to refinance existing obligations surrounding . PNC Capital Markets had the best effort with an interest rate able to save the Village $233,000 according to Steve Larson of Ehlers, Inc., Glenview’s financial consultant. 

“We were lower than Lake Forest,” Larson said, pleased Glenview had the best municipal offering of the day. The news came on the heels of Moody’s Investors Services renewing the Village’s AAA bond rating. The Board voted 6-0 to allow the sale to go forward. 

In other action, Cummings, acting as Glenview’s liquor commissioner, awarded a license to the owner of Ko Chi Jib, a new Korean restaurant at 773 Milwaukee Avenue. She also approved a license for the owner of a Thai eatery Montira Thai, 1845 Tower Drive.

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