Go ahead and stop me
That’s it, I’ve had it, I’m done. Our building-zoning complex is a joke, a farce and a lie.
The Review reports the unsurprising news that the owner of Gaetano’s ignores our building and zoning laws, too. Village officials, once again, confirm that following our laws is for chumps.
For the past year or so we have read story after story of privileged folks ignoring our laws, dangerous un-enforcement of basic safety measures and crazily inconsistent zoning rulings from our village council. In every situation, village officials don’t want to talk about it. We need to acknowledge a deeply flawed system which generates incompetence, chaos and favoritism. The jig is up.
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Robert Marani’s developmental wreck at Circle and Madison has left the condo owners steeped in rubble and debt. For two years these folks have pleaded with officials for help, but the village calls the situation a “Catch 22.”
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Residents were left to stew as both Commissioner Mark Hosty and Commissioner Mike Curry significantly expanded their homes without proper building and zoning permits.
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The village plans to hire a police officer to combat renter crime, but at the same time our council voted to allow enormous expansions of two rental properties at 927 Circle and 532 Thomas, among others.
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In a rare move, the council overruled the recommendations of their expert bodies and voted to deny a parking pad at my home, 447 Marengo.
As Mike Curry tells us, safety and good intentions are the new bedrock of his department’s enforcement and I’m fine with that. What I am not fine with is being the only one playing by the rules, the only one acting in good faith, the only one with good intentions.
Curry explains his process to divine the true intentions of property owners. I have a similar process for our council members. When they voted to deny my parking, their true intentions were: Two members voted “no” to indulge in political retaliation, one member voted “no” to buy political inclusion, one member voted “no” on principles he cannot state publicly because they are illegal, and one member voted “yes” in accordance with the recommendations of our expert bodies.
Enough. I am building my parking exactly according to the approved plans of the building department and the zoning board of appeals. Expect all sorts of official outrage that parking two cars at 447 Marengo is a terrible, but unspeakable threat to the health and safety of all Forest Parkers. Expect them to say a curb cut threatens our values. Expect them to say they will not tolerate scofflaws.
I trust I will not be persecuted, prosecuted, punished, sanctioned or fined, but instead issued proper permits. I expect the full support of both Mike Curry and Tim Gillian. I am innocent, I have acted in good faith and my intentions are pure.
Sharon Daly
Forest Park
Upon retirement
To my customers and friends in Forest Park and Oak Park:
I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for such an overwhelming outpouring of congratulations and kind words given to me in person, by phone and by mail upon my retirement.
It has been my privilege to be your pharmacist and friend for 39-and-a-half years. My 25 years at Golden Drugs and 14-and-a-half years at Osco/CVS have given me the opportunity to see the families that I started out with, grow, and to make many new friends.
I will truly miss and treasure always the relationships I have been blessed with, and look forward to seeing you in or around the villages.
Marv Goeke
Oak Park
