Opposed to the 7428 Franklin townhouse project

I am requesting that the following commentary be incorporated into reporting in the Forest Park Review about the Aug. 24 village council approval of a 7428 Franklin St. three-unit townhouse proposal.

The approval by the village council of the 7428 Franklin townhouse proposal represents the sanctioning of predatory building upon unfortunate individual Forest Park residents such as myself.

The approval made a mockery of the requirements of harmony and compatibility set forth in the site plan zoning code.

The village council simply ignored the presentation of well researched commentary on my part of the huge adverse impact posed by the proposed and now approved three-unit project. Clearly presented by me was the willful, deliberate, and knowing concealment of this devastating impact by omission of certain documentation in the developer’s submission packet. Also concealed by the withholding of plans to split the 7428 site into six lots was a series of zoning code violations. Also discussed by me was the fact that such conduct was not an isolated event but was part of a larger pattern of wrongdoing.

Given the facts of this situation, it appears that members of the village council are in serious need of remedial training in ethics and aesthetics.  They approved in effect the cramming together of three large, tall, ultra-modern, metallic-like boxes into a small space between existing residences on Franklin Street. They in effect disregarded and condoned serious malfeasance and corruption identified in my commentary. Such conduct calls out for an independent external investigation of the zoning/building related activities of the Forest Park municipal government.

My three decades long professional federal career was devoted to combating white collar real estate related civil and criminal wrongdoing.  And now well into my retirement golden years I am confronted with municipal government malfeasance. Which based on what is proposed for 7428 Franklin will result in the devastation of my life, enjoyment and use of my home at 7432 Franklin.

My larger future concern is with regard to what will happen to the eleven-acre Altenheim property.

I fear that Mayor Rory Hoskins and the other council members will allow well connected “prominent” developers and contractors, driven by greed, to completely ravage this rare expanse of green space.