GlenEd Citizens

Final vote on Sam's--June 14th.

2011-06-09T10:58:00.004-05:00

The Glen Carbon Board of Trustees is planning to reconsider the Sam's proposal on June 14th at 7 p.m. The tax incentive package that Sam's is asking for has come down from $7.25 million to $6.5 million to help pay for the property and clean up the chemicals at the site. Nothing has changed in terms of traffic improvements. Much of the area at graded at D and F now. The traffic study shows that the area will get worse if Sam's opens there.

Don't let the trustees give away our tax dollars!!! Come to the meeting Tuesday night and show your opposition.

April 26th; Vote on Sam's Club

2011-04-18T06:57:00.002-05:00

The Village Baord will vote April 26th on giving Sam's Club millions of dollars in tax incentives and allowing it to further congest an intersection currently rated as a "D". Please come to that meeting to oppose the vote. It starts at 7 p.m. It's funny how the village board reminds everybody about the CNN/Money list that puts Glen Carbon as one of the top 100 cities to live in. The critieria did not mention anything about access to large retailers from out of state. Could this vote prevent Glen Carbon from getting on the Top 100 list in the future? Worsening traffic, poor supervision on a contaminated site, tax money for corporations, and refusal to listen to citizens don't sound like items that make a place so wonderful to live in. Let's hope that the village board sees how the Sam's will be detrimental to Glen Carbon. But let's also show up to the meeting.

Petition Down

2011-04-18T06:56:00.001-05:00

We are having trouble with the petition but hope to have it fixed soon.

Wal-Mart meeting tonight (April 12th); Curve Ball from the Village

2011-04-12T07:48:00.003-05:00

We thought that the village board would take up the Sam's first. They threw us a curve ball by putting the Wal-Mart expansion on tonight's agenda (Tuesday, April 12th). The crazy thing is (1) Wal-Mart still has not done a traffic study on the proposal and (2) the village is not enforcing the current site plan. Wal-Mart had to do a traffic study four years ago. But for some reason it's not necessary this time. There is more traffic congestion near here copared to four years ago. Wal-Mart continues to take up more than 100 parking spaces to sell garden items. This is not allowed in the current site plan. Shouldn't the village enforce the current site plan before allowing a new one? Please come oppose this vote tonight at the village hall at 7 p.m.

2011-04-07T08:11:00.003-05:00

Please sign our petition. We have more than 1,000 petitions from the effort four years ago but have started a new petition specific to Sam's. Please sign the petition .

Forum on Sam's--March 30th at 7 p.m. at the Village Hall

2011-03-27T20:26:00.004-05:00

Due to pressure from us, Sam's Club has scheduled a forum to discuss its proposed store where the Do It Center and Four Flags Automotive are currently. The Sam's representatives are supposed to be prepared to answer questions. We need to be there to ask: Why should cancer-causing creosote be disturbed on the property? Why does Sam's deserve millions of dollars in tax breaks? Why is the village eager to help the largest retailer in the country put locally owned stores out of business? What goods will Sam's offer to residents that are not currently available in Glen Carbon and Edwardsville? Why isn't the traffic study for the store available to the public? Why is the village content to maintaining a grade of D for the traffic at the site? What's the hurry? Why does the village need to approve this before the new trustees are sworn in? The forum will be held at 7 p.m. at the Village Hall on March 30th.

2011-03-23T08:41:00.002-05:00

We had a good crowd last night in front of the board of trustees. Several people told the trustees why we oppose the plan to allow a Sam's Club to develop and give the developer millions of dollars in tax revenue. I apologize for likely misspellings below.

Gary Graves talked about the problem with the Sam's in O'Fallon and disagreed with giving money to a for-profit organization.
Mike Chamberlain noted that tax breaks given to Lowe's helped Lowe's put the Do It Center (which did not get tax breaks) out of business. Sam's will have the same impact.
Phil Jarsik told the trustees that Glen Carbon should not be in the business of giving money to businesses.
Jeff Corbin mentioned that Wal-Mart has taken huge amounts of money in tax breaks all over the country, making its primary owners very wealthy. He added that Sam's should pay its own way to come to Glen Carbon.
Susan Hamil said that Sam's will not be a benefit to the community.
Steve Strayer questioned the Sam's traffic study that shows the store will have only 33 cars per hour coming to the store.
Grace Garin reminded the trustees that small businesses deserve the same treatment given to big businesses in Glen Carbon.
Kenny Wilhelm asked why Glen Carbon should welcome a company that treats employees so badly and threatens other stores' abilities to survive.
Kathy Starch told the trustees that it doesn't make sense to spend money to bring a store to Glen Carbon that doesn't sell anything not currently available in Glen Carbon.
Mark Martin told them that Glen Carbon doesn't need a Sam's.

You have to be there!

2011-03-19T14:19:00.002-05:00

The Village of Glen Carbon wants to give OUR tax money to THF Realty and their friends at Wal-Mart and Sam’s. We HOPE it doesn’t happen. But the Village Trustees are considering giving OVER SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS to the developer who wants to build a Sam’s Club in Glen Carbon. But if all we do is hope, we won’t stop this waste of tax dollars.

The public hearing is on Tuesday, March 22nd at the Village Hall, 7:00 pm

You need to show up! YOU need to tell the Village what you think! Tell them that sales tax revenue should be spent on the community, NOT GIVEN AWAY to businesses with no loyalty to Glen Carbon.

Just ask yourself; if Glen Carbon is such a great location for a Sam’s Club, why does the Village of Glen Carbon have to pay for it?

Citizens Meeting

2011-03-13T10:12:00.002-05:00

Dear Citizens,

We will be having a meeting to discuss our position and actions in response to the recent proposals to both expand the local WalMart store and to build a Sam's Club at the intersection of 159/Troy Road and Center Grove Road. We will also discuss our potential support for candidates for Village Trustee in the April 5 election.

If you are interested in becoming involved, please join us Monday March 21st at 7:00 pm. We meet in the offices of UCFW 881.
#1 Sunset Hills Executive Drive, Suite 102
Edwardsville, IL 62025-9931
(618) 692-6400

The WalMart proposal has already passed Building and Development, we have a short timeframe for getting our opinions heard by the Village of Glen Carbon. Please contact your Trustees by phone, email or letter and tell them what you think of this new proposal. Do it now.

http://www.glen-carbon.il.us/index.aspx?nid=319

--

Karen Bracki O'Koniewski
GlenEd Citizens
www.GlenEdCitizens.blogspot.com
GlenEdCitizens@gmail.com

Candidate Forum

2011-03-11T08:20:00.002-06:00

Glen Carbon residents,

There will be a forum for the five candidates running for three open positions on the Village Board. Please come to hear about the candidates positions and ideas and ask questions.

Our League of Women's Voters is hosting this event for Library and Village Board candidates. The Meet and Greet will be held March 17th at the Glen Carbon Community Center, beginning at 7:00 pm. Candidates will give a five minute presentation and then be available for questions in an informal setting. Cookies and coffee will be served.

Meeting Summary

2011-03-09T08:21:00.002-06:00

Last night I attended the special meeting of the Building and Development Committee. There was a nearly two hour presentation by THF and the professionals representing the companies involved in the traffic study, the architecture of the proposed building and the proposal to create a Business District. What is a Business District? It's another word for a TIF district.

Sam's Club would receive half a percent of sales tax until they make 7 1/2 million dollars above and beyond their sales revenue. This is 7 1/2 million dollars out of the Glen Carbon Village budget.

Last night was the first formal presentation of the site plan to the Village of Glen Carbon. A number of concerns were raised by members of the committee as well as the public. Unfortunately, the meeting was adjourned before all questions could be addressed, as the Village Board meeting required the presence of the committee members. The issue is tabled by Building and Development until their next scheduled meeting, March 28th at 7:15 pm. Until then, you can hear their proposal for three variances at the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on March 16.

I will request of both our Village Building and Zoning Director Wil Shashak and Alan Bornstein of THF Realty that site plans be available for review online. I would also like to see detailed plans for site remediation. The site and surrounding area used to house the American Creosoting Factory. THF has plans in place for soil testing; however we should be able to see what areas are being tested and to what depth. Work on site will create a new level of contamination for the area.

Trustee and Building and Development Chairman Ron Slemer directs property owners and concerned area citizens to contact Wil Shashak with any questions or concerns regarding the proposed development. He can be contacted at 288-7502 between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. His email is wshashak@glen-carbon.il.gov

Guess What They Want to Build in Glen Carbon

2011-03-07T09:05:00.002-06:00

A Sam's Club AND an expansion of the WalMart! That's right, folks. We avoided the Walton Corporation's previous attempt to fill our town with more traffic from their proposed SuperCenter expansion of WalMart. But Sam's descendants are back again. They presented a new WalMart expansion proposal to our Building and Development Committee in February*. And now they want to put a Sam's Club at the corner of 159 and Goshen/Center Grove Road. The old Goshen Do-It Center building and Four Flags are up for grabs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm tired of seeing an abandoned building as much as the next resident. But a Sam's Club? Imagine the traffic piling up at that intersection from 270 and points South as well as Governor's Parkway.

Our Village has a set of FOUR meetings scheduled for March; the final meeting potentially approving the project. That seems like a pretty quick process, doesn't it?

The Village home page announces a "special" Building and Development meeting coming up TOMORROW. But you have to look up the Agenda to find out what this meeting addresses; it is devoted solely to consideration of the Sam's Club proposal. In additon, the meeting nights for both the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning and Zoning Commission have been changed. Interestingly, they are now being held in the proper order for having a propsal passed.

The agendas have yet to be published for March meetings of Planning and Zoning, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Village Board's second meeting.

Two sources, however, have shared the following with us:

March 8, 5:00 pm Special Meeting of Building and Development, one item of business: propsed Sam's Club (published information)
March 16th, DATE CHANGE, Zoning Board of appeals will consider the Sam's proposal
March 17th, DATE CHANGE, Planning and Zoning will consider the Sam's proposal
March 22, Village Board will consider and potentially vote on the Sam's proposal

Citizens, if you have an opinion on the proposals for the WalMart expansion and/or Sam's Club, you know what you need to do. Go to these meetings to be heard. Send letters, emails and call your Commission members and Village Board members.

And you better do it now, because they could start building in April at the rate this is being rammed through the system.

*www.glen-carbon.il.us/archives/53/BldgDevCommAge022811.pdf

April Meeting

2010-04-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

Happy Spring, everyone! Hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather this past weekend. I was enjoying it so much I didn't get this information out until today.

Wednesday April 7 will be our monthly meeting. We will meet at 6:30 pm at St. Cecilia's Family Life Center. This is the building to the left on the Parish campus, located at 155 N. Main St in Glen Carbon, IL.

May will be our last meeting until Fall. Summer vacation!

Karen Bracki O'Koniewski
GlenEd Citizens
GlenEdCitizens@gmail.com
GlenEdCitizens.blogspot.com

No March Meeting

2010-03-03T12:19:00.001-06:00

Due to a lack of agenda at this time, we are cancelling the March meeting. If there are any significant developments regarding University Town Center or other issues, we will meet as scheduled in April. As always, if you have any issues you feel are not being addressed by your government, please contact us.

Did you vote?

2010-02-02T16:29:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone voted today! Every election is a privilege and responsibility of citizens of the United States of America.

And then there are activist citizens, like you and I. And you and I are meeting for our monthly gathering tomorrow night. If you have concerns about local government and politics, please join us on Wednesday February 3 at 6:30 pm. We will be at St. Cecilia's Family Life Center at 155 N. Main Street in Glen Carbon. The Family Life Center is the building to the left as you enter the church campus.

Hope to see you there.

Karen Bracki O'Koniewski
GlenEd Citizens

To make democracy work, we must be a notion of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.--Louis L'Amour

First Meeting of 2010

2010-01-03T19:13:00.000-06:00

Happy 2010 to everyone!

The first meeting of the New Year will be this Wednesday at 6:30 pm, lasting no more than one and a half hours. We will meet at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Glen Carbon. The meeting takes place in the Family Life Center, the building to the left on the church campus, located at 155 N. Main Street.

We will discuss the recent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) meetings regarding flood plain development and what impact this information may have on the proposed University Town Center. If you have other concerns in and around the area, please join us and let us know what's going on in your corner of town. A bit of email business.

Recently, spam has been reported on the GlenEd Citizens list. Please DO NOT add the GlenEd Citizens to any of your email lists. This list is strictly used for GlenEd Citizens business, members having been assured they would receive no more than one or two communications a month. Please help us keep this email list useful and efficient. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

November Meeting

2009-11-03T19:10:00.001-06:00

November 4th is the first Wednesday of the month and that means a meeting of the GlenEd Citizens. We will be meeting at 6:30 pm in the Family Life Center of St. Cecilia's Parish in Glen Carbon. The church is located at 155 N. Main Street and the FLC is the building to your left as you enter the campus.

We will be discussing updates of the University Town Center funding (STAR bond legislation) and proposals. Twice now, Bruce Holland, Master Developer, has had to reschedule his meeting with the public regarding the development. We are waiting to hear when he will be available. This meeting will be announced as soon as it is scheduled.

If you have an opinion about the University Town Center development or other issues in and around our community (Edwardsville and Glen Carbon) please join us!

Contact the GlenEd Citizens at GlenEdCitizens@gmail.com

University Town Center Meeting CANCELLED

2009-10-10T10:24:00.003-05:00

Attention:

The University Town Center Open House

scheduled for Tuesday October 13

has been CANCELLED.

Mr. Bruce Holland, the UTC Master Developer, has informed us that he is needed in Springfield, Illinois attending to the Amendatory Veto session. He apologizes for the need to reschedule.

We have tentatively rescheduled for Wednesday October 28. Once details are finalized, we will send out official notification of the new meeting date, time and location.

Please share this information with anyone who planned to attend Tuesday's meeting.

Meeting with Master Developer Bruce Holland

2009-10-02T12:33:00.004-05:00

Have you heard about the University Town Center development to be built in Glen Carbon? The 900+ acre retail development proposed for the space between I270 and 162, 157 and I255? Do you have questions? Concerns? Suggestions? Then this is the event for you.

In coordination with the GlenEd Citizens, the University Town Center (UTC) Master Developer, Bruce Holland, is presenting a public open house to exhibit plans for the UTC development. Bruce Holland is the President of Holland Construction. He and members of his team will be on hand to familiarize citizens with the proposed development and answer questions.

The Open House will take place on Tuesday October 13 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. We will meet in the Glen Carbon Public Safety building, located behind Village Hall at 151 North Main Street, Glen Carbon. For directions, please call the Village of Glen Carbon at 618-288-1200 or follow this link: http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Glen+Carbon&state=il&address=151+N+Main&zipcode=62034

Tell your neighbors and mark the time on your calendar. This is an incredible opportunity to learn first hand about this major development that will impact our community. Meeting attendees will be able to ask questions directly of the development team.

August - Replacement Meeting

2009-08-03T19:45:00.000-05:00

Dear GlenEd Citizens,

The August meeting of our group is cancelled, in favor of asking you to attend a very important Village Board workshop.

The Village Board is meeting with the Master Developer, Bruce Holland, of the proposed University Town Center development. This is the development of 900 acres of land in Glen Carbon to be funded through STAR (Sales Tax and Revenue) bonds. The developer will make a presentation and answer questions from Trustees regarding both the development and STAR bond financing.

I encourage all concerned citizens to attend this workshop and learn more about this proposed development. Please join us at 7:00 pm on Wednesday August 5th a the Village Hall. I know I will be there.

New Meeting Location

2009-03-10T15:03:00.002-05:00

The monthly meeting, held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm, will be held at St. Cecilia's Family Life Center. The church is located at 155 North Main Street in Glen Carbon. The Family Life Center is the building on your left as you pull into the parking lot.

See you in April!

New Meeting Location

2008-11-28T11:18:00.002-06:00

In order to prevent the numerous cancellations we have had in the past, we have secured a new meeting location. We will continue to meet on the first Wednesday each month, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Starting with the December 3rd meeting, we will assemble at the Glen Carbon Public Safety Facility. The building is located next to the Community Center directly behind the Glen Carbon Village Hall.

The December 3rd agenda includes an update on the Village V street issue, a review of last week's candidate training and any new business. It is not too late to get on the ballot for the Spring 2009 elections. Anyone interested in running for public office in Glen Carbon, Edwardsville and the surrounding area is encouraged to attend our December meeting for more information.

Please contact us directly at GlenEdCitizens@gmail.com with any questions.

Candidate Training Program Announced

2008-11-14T16:13:00.002-06:00

Whereas one of the goals of the GlenEd Citizens is to “Encourage members and interested citizens to get involved in local government, in volunteer roles or elected positions,” the GlenEd Citizens is providing the program Running for Local Office. Training for potential candidates for elected office in Glen Carbon/Edwardsville and the surrounding area is provided free of charge.

When:
Wednesday November 19
6:30 to 8:00 pm

Where:
St Cecilia’s Catholic Church
Family Life Center
155 North Main Street
Glen Carbon, Illinois

The Program:
Deciding to Run
Getting on the Ballot
Running a Successful Campaign

The first two topics will be addressed in depth on November 19th, with future training sessions covering the campaign itself. In addition, each session will include the topic What I Can Do to Help, for those who wish to support their local candidates.

Whether you are interested in running for office yourself, know someone who would be perfect for the job or wish to support those who will serve based on our group Mission and Goals, please attend the training meeting and bring a friend. We need to build an army to win office!

Gear Up for 2009!

2008-08-07T20:45:00.006-05:00

That's right, everyone. Now that summer is over and the Presidential election is right around the corner, it's time for us to start stumping! No, not for our favorite candidate for President. We're gathering our forces and getting ready to jump into local politics full force. Norma Mendoza's article in today's Edwardsville Intelligencer says it all:

http://www.goedwardsville.com/articles/2008/08/07/local_news/doc489b197e0068f376897641.txt

The GlenEd Citizens are seeking candidates for Trustee and Mayor of Glen Carbon. Could you be the next Mayor? A new Trustee? Please come find out! We will provide training for candidacy as well as elected officials and provide campaign support. The GlenEd Citizens plan to put forth a slate for the Spring 2009 elections. The Mayor is up for re-election, as are three of the six Trustees.

The September meeting will be exciting, to put it mildy. Please join us as we prepare to make more changes in "business as usual" in the Glen Carbon and Edwardsville community.

Next meeting, Wednesday September 3rd, 6:00 to 7:30 pm.
UFCW Union Offices
#1 Sunset Hills Executive Drive
Suite 102
Edwardsville, IL

Link to map:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Edwardsville&state=IL&address=1+Sunset+Hills+Executive+Dr&zipcode=62025-3711&country=US&latitude=38.766101&longitude=-90.003438&geocode=ADDRESS

Steinmeyer Neighborhood and GlenEd Citizens

2008-03-28T13:59:00.004-05:00

I have just been talking to a member of the Steinmeyer neighborhood group. If you haven't been following the local news scene, here it is in a nutshell: The Sunshine Law has been ignored in Edwardsville.

The Sunshine Law is the nickname for two pieces of Illinois legislation designed to provide full access to units of local government in Illinois. These are the Illinois Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

The general purpose of the Open Meetings Act is to provide public access to meetings of public officials, and input into and review of decisions made at such meetings. The Freedom of Information Act, on the other hand, is designed to insure public access to records assembled, gathered, produced and disseminated by public bodies.

A decision has been made to put in a new residential area; the developers are happy, the city gov't is happy, the P&Z and Zoning Board of Appeals had a JOINT meeting to approve the development. But curiously, they waited until two weeks ago to notify the neighborhood within 300 feet of the development. Edwardsville did NOT notify the school district, despite its proximity to Woodland Elementary School.

Links to articles:
http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19415130&BRD=2291&PAG=461&dept_id=473648&rfi=8 http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19421287&BRD=2291&PAG=461&dept_id=473648&rfi=8 http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/FAFB6EC9CAA9EA978625741700170B35?OpenDocument

Despite a meeting room bursting with protestors, two unanimous votes sent the proposal on its way up the chain. Sound familiar? It should, this is how the WalMart Supercenter issue was handled in Glen Carbon.

I have invited a representative from the Steinmeyer group to come to our next meeting, so we can discuss what GlenEd Citizens can do to get involved with this situation. If any of you live near this development (Timberland Place) or know someone who lives near or have children in the ECUSD 7, please keep up with our efforts. We may be knocking on doors and getting signatures at the school as well. We will need as many people as possible so we can gather many signatures without asking too much of our members.

If you have any thoughts or ideas or information on this issue, please let us know.

GlenEd Citizens
mailto:CitizensGlenEdCitizens@gmail.com

April 2, 2008 Meeting Announcement

2008-03-23T17:14:00.000-05:00

If you did not receive your email, here is the announcement sent out for our next meeting.

Dear Members and Supporters,

Our next meeting is scheduled for, as always, the first Wednesday of the month. The meeting is on April 2, starting at 6:00 pm. We will be meeting at the Union offices located at #1 Sunset Hills Executive Park, Edwardsville. The meeting follows an agenda and does not run over one and a half hours.

At our last meeting, we identified two situations in Glen Carbon that have been ignored by our government. Despite repeated attempts by citizens to get adequate answers and services due tax-paying citizens, no action has been taken by the Village of Glen Carbon. The GlenEd Citizens do not sit idly by while their government ignores its citizens.

Please join us if you would like to get involved in our activities or have issues in the Glen Carbon/Edwardsville area that need our attention.

If you are not on our email list, please send a message to GlenEdCitizens@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line.

March 2008 Meeting Minutes

2008-03-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

The following are the meeting minutes from March.

GlenEd Citizens for Fair Growth
March 5, 2008 Meeting Agenda

Introductions and roll call
Eight people present for meeting
Two new members
Obtain contact information from all present
New contact info added to file.
Discuss future goals
Review and critique the Comprehensive Plan proposal for Glen Carbon
Comprehensive Plan was passed unanimously by the Village Board (Moggio was absent for vote). The plan is worded vaguely; maps are not explained with verbage, only legends; little or no citizen input was taken into consideration.
Very disappointing
Will request that new administration revise the 2007 CP upon taking office; include intense citizen survey.
Research the Edwardsville Comprehensive Planning Process
Date(s), process, citizen involvement
Anyone with information on the E-ville or any other communities CP, please email the information to GlenEdCitizens@gmail.com
Begin planning for the Glen Carbon 2009 elections, up for re-election are:
Mayor
Clerk
Trustees, three
4-yr terms
Volunteers and recommended nominees
Several names were discussed; our members will approach these individuals to discuss the possibility. Names will not be circulated outside of meetings at this time.
Campaign manager
Anyone with experience and/or an interest in this activity, please let us know and join us for the next meeting.
Other community election cycles not discussed
Edwardsville
Troy? Maryville? Pontoon Beach?
Other citizen positions available
Resident’s Advisory Board in Glen Carbon, 3rd Wednesday
Five areas, each with one representative
Terms end April 30, 2008
Applications still not available from Mayor’s office. We encourage all members and concerned citizens to apply for these positions so we can have more access to the Mayor.
We will email everyone when the applications are available.
Commitment is one meeting a month
Disaster Preparedness
We would like to see members of our group get involved with this activity. Jenny Hinckle is the head of the Resident’s Advisory Board and will be working with Chief Bradford to create a series of disaster preparedness seminars to present in the GC/E area. Please contact Ms. Hinckle directly if interested, her phone is 288-4312.
Fundraising
Monetary needs
Business cards announcing meeting dates, times, web info
This is needed immediately. Are members willing to donate $1 to $3 per person to help print these?
Money for ads in papers regarding our actions
Campaign funds
Monetary goal
We will determine a goal after discussing our future action in GC with an attorney; attorneys fees will be our biggest expense at this time.
Fundraising ideas
Please share any ideas you have. Some thoughts are T-shirt sales, benefit concert, chicken and beer dinner…
Need a dedicated webmaster
Still need this position filled. If you are interested or know of someone who would be appropriate, please contact us (email)
Google website or blogspot.com
No programming needed
Update info periodically
Keep track of emails and subscriber list.
Other actions or issues to consider
Lou Juan Hills
Brought to our attention was a situation in Lou Juan Hills. Many properties have been increasingly affected by storm runoff eroding land. The result is a former creek now nicknamed the Glen Carbon River, massive erosion, death of vegetation and trees.
The issue was addressed at the P&Z meeting in November 2007. The presenter was ridiculed by Terry Bruckert and blown off by Will Shashak and the P&Z commission. Joe Hagerty insisted that the Comp Plan would not affect private property, as they would never approve a plan with less than adequate run-off protection. Joe didn’t seem to see the irony that obviously a great deal of building had been done in just such a manner.
Cottonwood
Two residents of the Cottonwood Village V area informed us of a reprehensible situation that is being ignored, if not exacerbated, by Village of Glen Carbon officials. While last on the agenda, this was our most discussed issue and is likely to be our next action.
This section of Cottonwood contains 38 homes. The Village claims that although the area is annexed to Glen Carbon, the Village is not responsible for street maintenance.
As such, the streets are not paved regularly, are not swept, are not plowed except for one section of the main road, potholes are not repaired.
These residents pay the same tax rate as any citizen of Glen Carbon, yet are expected to pay for their own street maintenance.
We created a list of action items to accomplish. After we have gathered enough facts to address the issue properly, the GlenEd Citizens will be taking this issue to the Village Board, Mayor and other appropriate officials.
Regarding the new car wash on 159 in Maryville. A rather significant number of trees were cut down and green space decreased in order to build the car wash. The developer, Osbourne, has a history of lack of concern for aesthetics, environment and community. It is recommended that we not support this business.

Victory is ours!

2007-12-10T21:00:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to the residents of the Village of Glen Carbon. You made your opinions known and your voices heard. And as a result, WalMart has WITHDRAWN their proposal to turn our store into a SuperCenter.

The Village of Glen Carbon has received a letter from the WalMart Corporation stating their intention to withdraw the proposed SuperCenter plan. The Village government will now make the accompanying parking lot and sign variances null and void. Once that is official, the GlenEd Citizens will withdraw the lawsuit against the Village with pleasure.

The Mayor insists, of course, that our community action and petition of 1000+ signatures and lawsuit had NOTHING to do with the decision. We obviously disagree. While WalMart has been taking SuperCenters off the table across the nation, one can hardly believe that the intense controversy surrounding our particular store had "nothing" to do with the decision.

What is a shame is that our community action had nothing to do with the Village Board decision. I hope we all remember that in early 2009 when we elect a new Mayor and replace several members of the Village Board.

Comprehensive Plan...

2007-12-10T20:37:00.000-06:00

or lack thereof. The allustrious Planning and Zoning Commission, that's right, the same folks who brought you the FAILED WalMart SuperCenter proposal, have all but approved the 2007 Comprehensive Plan.

They claim they have done "all they can" to encourage resident participation in this vital process. Did you get your two sentence notice on your water bill earlier this year? Oh, you saw that but didn't know what it was about? You may safely assume that the response from Mr. Hagerty, Chairman of P&Z is "so what." That's about all he had to say about the numerous deficincies in the proposed plan at the hearing December 4th. Impressive.

We will be presenting issues regarding this proposal in the near future. In the meantime, according to the company preparing the plan, there are six copies available at the Village for residents to view. Now, of course the Village hasn't informed you of this, but don't forget they're doing all they can to keep you informed.

If going in to the Village Hall to view the proposed plan is inconvenient, please ask Will Shashack to make the proposal available online. His Village phone is 288-2613, email wshashack@glen-carbon.il.us. This request has been made repeatedly by members of our organization and completely ignored.

If you don't like what you hear and see, you must speak up. The commission plans to approve this plan at their next meeting. Tuesday December 18, 7:00 pm at the Village Hall. Please contact Will Shashack with any issues you wish to see addressed.

Lawsuit Filed

2007-09-10T20:36:00.000-05:00

August 28, 2007

Current Action: Sue the Village of Glen Carbon

It is official; the GlenEd Citizens for Fair Growth have filed suit against the Village of Glen Carbon on behalf of five named plaintiffs. The Village Board of Glen Carbon broke their own laws when they approved the variance request made by THF Realty on behalf of WalMart’s interests. Our plaintiffs are seeking a judicial review of this decision, which will be found to be in conflict with the Ordinances and procedures dictated by the Village of Glen Carbon.

Throughout this process, our Village Trustees almost unanimously indicated their fear of a lawsuit from THF Realty if the variance was not granted. However, they are now going to be answering to OUR attorney. They have failed in their fulfilling their responsibilities to the citizens of this Village and its visitors.

Had the Village Trustees, Mayor and Village Attorney done their jobs and followed the laws of our Village, this lawsuit would not be necessary.

Lawsuit filed, press conference tonight.

2007-08-28T08:42:00.000-05:00

We urge all our supporters to please join the GlenEd Citizens for Fair Growth at the Glen Carbon Village Hall this evening, Tuesday August 28th. We will be holding a press conference at 6:30 pm regarding the lawsuit filed today against the Village Trustees and Mayor.

The following is a copy of the press release issued this morning:

Glen Carbon, IL -- Today in the Circuit Court of Madison County, several citizens of Glen Carbon filed suit to stop the proposed expansion of Wal-Mart in Glen Carbon. The lawsuit asks the court to nullify the controversial vote to approve several variances related to the potential Wal-Mart expansion at the Cottonwood Mall on Route 159 in Glen Carbon.

In June, over the objection of more than one hundred residents that packed the Village Board meeting chambers as well as the nearly one thousand residents that signed petitions against the expansion, the Village Board illegally voted to approve the site plan and its attached variance requests. Today, that action has been challenged.

“Residents of Glen Carbon are not going to sit idly by while the laws that govern our community are tossed aside because our elected officials place a higher priority on tax revenue and corporate interests than the well-being of their constituents,” said Karen Bracki O’Koniewski, Spokeswoman for the GlenEd Citizens For Fair Growth, the community group leading the charge against the expansion. “Elected officials in Glen Carbon should first consider the best interests of our residents and balance that against the corporation’s request. The THF/WalMart request was invalid at best and the fact it was granted is illegal, irresponsible and unethical.”

The lawsuit states that the variances granted to THF Realty on behalf of Wal-Mart were done so illegally, as THF failed to state a hardship as to why they should be exempt from following existing requirements. In order to have a variance granted, an applicant must file a variance request that states what hardship it will suffer if the variance is not granted. The claimed hardship must meet six requirements in order for a variance to considered, let alone approved. In addition, hardship cannot be of the applicant’s own making.

Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world today, would certainly have a hard time convincing anyone that it suffers any hardship. Perhaps that is the reason that THF Realty left this section of the application blank. As such, there is no hardship facing THF/WalMart. Furthermore, there can be absolutely no subsequent finding by Glen Carbon officials that such hardship has been established. Thus a variance can NOT be granted legally by the Village of Glen Carbon.

“I spoke at the Village Board meeting where this application was improperly considered and illegally granted, and I told them then and there that they could not legally grant it based on several omissions in the application,” said Penni Livingston, attorney for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed today. “I enlarged the application to a poster-board sized exhibit, showing the Board and the rest of the Village that THF/Wal-Mart failed to state a hardship,” related Livingston. “They should have played by the rules during this process. Instead they decided that catering to Wal-Mart was more important than honoring the commitment they made to the citizens of Glen Carbon who trusted them to fairly exercise their public duties.”

Glen Carbon citizens cleaned house in the 2005 election because of just such decisions. Many residents are disappointed in the recent actions of their elected officials. Members of the GlenEd Citizens for Fair Growth see this lawsuit as a necessary message to send to the current administration. “Putting the desires of Corporate America above the safety and well-being of the Village of Glen Carbon is unacceptable.”states O’Koniewski

Karen Bracki O’Koniewki, Attorney Penni Livingston, and other concerned citizens will make statements regarding this lawsuit outside of the Glen Carbon Village Hall tonight at 6:30 p.m. Immediately following , all will attend the Glen Carbon Village Board meeting and formally present the Mayor and Trustees with the lawsuit. The press are invited to attend, at which time copies of the lawsuit will be distributed.

June 6, 2007

2007-06-06T10:33:00.000-05:00

Update from GlenEd Citizens for Fair Growth.

You may have noticed it has been quite a while since we've updated everyone on the process. The reason for this delay is simple: WalMart and THF Realty have repeatedly REMOVED their petition from the Village Board Meeting agenda. Why? Perhaps they realize how weak their position has become. Perhaps they realize the fact that they don't have an actual hardship to claim (required for a variance in Glen Carbon) might actually keep them from taking advantage of our village.

Apparently WalMart and THF feel ready to take on our Village Board and the citizens of this town. We say, it's about time. The Village Attorney has assured us that on TUESDAY JUNE 12 AT 7:00 pm, this issue WILL be addressed. We need you to come as well and make your voice heard. The more citizens who show their strong concern for this issue, the more our Board will listen!

Rally before the Village Board Meeting!

2007-06-06T09:38:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday June 12 at 5:00 pm we will be hosting a Lookout For Glen Carbon, Cookout for Glen Carbon.

Please join us at Miner Park in Glen Carbon (behind the library on Main Street) in Pavillion 1. We will have free hot dogs, chips and soft drinks for everyone; plus buttons and t-shirts.

We will still be collecting signatures from anyone who hasn't had a chance to join the list yet. We will then head over to the Village Board meeting en masse and show THF and WalMart who has the power in this town, the people!

Response to Flyer Distribution

2007-06-06T09:05:00.001-05:00

The recent flyer distributed in Glen Carbon was not officially sponsored by the GlenEd Citizens for Fair Growth. Please note the flyer indicates "For more information, visit GlenEdCitizens.blogspot.com"

We appreciate the flyer's message and encourage everyone to attend the Village Board meeting on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:00 pm. We also encourage anyone who would like more information on the issue to browse the topics on our website.

If you feel this expansion is not appropriate for our community, sign your name to our petition at www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthesupercenter/

Update April 4, 2007

2007-04-04T20:58:00.000-05:00

We must be getting to them! The Village has decided to commission a third and independent analysis of the parking and traffic issues at Cottonwood Mall. This is not the FULL IMPACT TRAFFIC STUDY we would like to see, but it's a step in the right direction.

The Wal-Mart expansion proposal has been taken off the agenda for the April 10th Village Board meeting. This is a good sign and indicates that the Trustees and Mayor are taking the concerns of their residents very seriously. Each Trustee has been asked to review a large packet of information and submit questions to the Mayor.

Give them the questions to ask. Contact your Village Officials and tell them your concerns. Make sure they address each one of them.

We will notify every resident when the proposal is back on the agenda and the meeting date and time so we can show the Board how we feel in person.

THIS is the power of people; use it and make it strong. We can say no to Wal-Mart, we will show them that the Village of Glen Carbon has more power than a giant corporation with no concern for our community.

What Can I Do?

2007-03-30T13:14:00.000-05:00

It is time for you and I to act. Our Village officials must understand how stongly we feel about this issue. Do as many of the following as you can and get your neighbors to do the same.

Contact your Village Officials Their names and contact info can be found at the bottom of this page.

Sign our e-petition. Follow this link and then forward the link to others: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthesupercenter/

Attend the Village Board meeting when the expansion is addressed. We will notify you by email if you wish, we will post the date on this website and we will send out a flyer to each residence. Whether you address the board yourself or just show your support for those who do, let your voice be heard.

Any citizen can address the board; stand up and simply tell them that you don't want a WalMart SuperCenter and why. The more residents they hear from, the more likely it is they will find a way to "just say no."

However you contact your officials, in person, by phone, email, or letter; you must tell them WHY you don't want the SuperCenter. They will not respond to statements with no back up. So tell them: too much traffic, crowded parking lot, loss of small businesses, too many grocery stores...they will listen when enough of us speak out.

Vote for the following candidates for Village Trustee on April 17:
Phil Morris
Joe Micheletto
Margaret Moggio
John Navin

Update

2007-03-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, March 20, our Planning and Zoning Commission failed to heed concerns regarding parking and traffic issues and voted 5 to 1 to move the WalMart expansion plan forward. It is now up to the Village Board of Trustees and the Zoning Board of Appeals whether or not WalMart and THF Realty destroy Cottonwood Mall, remove small businesses from our community and add to the traffic problems that already exist.

The Village Trustees and Mayor insist that it is not within their power to simply deny the proposal, as it meets all our existing Ordinances. If our Village Board were to deny the proposal, WalMart would have a legal basis to sue our Village.

But the WalMart expansion proposal does NOT meet our Ordinances. WalMart/THF have requested a variance for the parking lot. Do you know that the current WalMart store already has a variance that allows them to provide FEWER spaces than those required by our laws? And now they are requesting a further variance to provide an even lower percentage of the required parking spaces for their new SuperCenter.

Fewer spaces and more cars...

In addition, the traffic report submitted by Crawford, Bunte and Brammeier traffic engineering firm states that the increase in traffic will have minimal impact at any specific entrance. Really? That's amazing, since according to their own report the new SuperCenter will result in a net increase of 4,670 trips daily. An additional 4,670 trips in and out of Cottonwood per day will have minimal impact? This is the traffic report our Planning and Zoning commission used to make the decision to approve WalMart's site plan.

We are demanding that our Village require a FULL TRAFFIC IMPACT study before they even consider voting on the propsed expansion. Please call and email your Trustees and insist that a full traffic impact study be performed to insure the right decision is made for our community.

And the Zoning Board of Appeals can stop this fiasco in its tracks. The parking lot variance does NOT have to be approved! If the Board of Appeals fails to grant the variance, WalMart cannot expand and there is no legal recourse they can take. A business cannot force our community to lower their zoning practices and standards; these laws were established for the good of our citizens. All we need is for our Zoning Board of Appeals to uphold our communities standards and our town keeps out a SuperCenter that will destroy businesses and increase traffic hazards in our Village.

Zoning & Planning Meeting Tuesday!

2007-03-16T10:28:00.000-05:00

We have the momentum. We have the people. And most importantly, we have the the facts on our side! But none of that will matter if we don't show up on Tuesday for the Zoning & Planning Commission's re-hearing of the Wal-Mart expansion on Tuesday. A magically manifested traffic study will be present with some...interesting findings to say the least.

Come and sign up to speak. Get the facts. Let the village know that from now on, they can't just impose their vision of Glen Carbon on us!

Oh, and expect some fireworks. If nothing else, it will be interesting.

Zoning & Planning Meeting
Tuesday, March 20th
7pm
Village Hall, 151 North Main Street

*As a service, we've posted the text of Wal-Mart's "traffic study" below, back-dated to 1/1/07 to keep it from filling up the page. The date on the report is March 8th.

VICTORY!

2007-03-07T18:01:00.000-06:00

Last night, the Village of Glen Carbon's Planning and Zoning Commission voted to "table" Wal-Mart's and THF development's proposal to add over 80,000 square feet to their Cottonwood Mall location, wiping out parking and neighboring shops.

For media on this victory, follow these links: Edwardsville Intelligencer, Belleville News-Democrat, The Telegraph.

Nobody can accuse Glen Carbonites of forgetfulness: two weeks ago the Planning and Zoning Commission failed to meet a quorom when commissioners declined to show up and face an angry public. They rescheduled the meeting for yesterday, March 6th, and we showed up in force!

Glen-Ed Citizens for Fair Growth showed the Board true people power, and the developer and Wal-Mart wilted under the pressure--they even insisted they had submitted a non-existent traffic report analyzing the impact a huge Wal-Mart expansion would have on an already hectic roadway.

"I have to correct you," Building and Zoning Administrator Will Shashack said. "I don't have a traffic study."

The outpouring of opposition to the expansion being forced on us sent a clear message to Wal-Mart and THF: this is our community.

Glen Carbon resident Phillip Bailey summed it up best:

"I've talked to a lot of people. We don't want your Superstore."

Don't be fooled, though: this isn't the end. Wal-Mart and THF will be back, and we'll have to be vigilant and make sure that every time they try to sneak something through, we're there to say, "We don't want your Superstore!"

MYTHBUSTING: Schools and TIFs

2007-02-28T11:47:00.000-06:00

Many people are sort of shrugging about the proposed Supercenter expansion at Cottonwood Mall because they think the tax revenue it will generate will go to the schools--but that's a MYTH.

In fact, because the Supercenter exists in a TIF district, the tax revenue generated would likely go towards the cost of the expansion itself on infrastructure.

The Neighborhood Capital Budget Group (NCBG) has some good background on TIFs here:

How TIFs Work

We Showed Up--Where Were They?

2007-02-20T22:13:00.000-06:00

If you made it out to village hall for the site plan hearing tonight, then you witnessed the unbelievable: five of the commission's members didn't bother to show up for the meeting, meaning Wal-Mart's potential impact on our lives, communities, and pocketbooks wasn't worth their time.

If they think they can just delay us out of having some input and getting answers, they're wrong. Mark your calendar: March 6th, 7pm. We'll be there, and we hope you'll come, too!

Send us an email at GlenEdCitizens@yahoo.com or sign up by clicking "Sign Up to Receive Information" to the right!

Zoning Hearing Tonight!

2007-02-20T15:48:00.000-06:00

Don't miss the Zoning Commission's Site Plan review tonight at Village Hall, tonight Tuesday February 20th at 7:00pm. The village hall is at 151 North Main Street. Come and make your voice heard!

Text of "Traffic Study"

2007-01-01T10:37:00.000-06:00

Site Overview

The existing store is located within the Cottonwood Plaza shopping center, which is bordered by

Cottonwood Road to the south, Knege Farm Road to the east, Whistle Stop Drive to the north and

Route 159 to the west (a row of outparcels is located between the Plaza and Route 159).

Construction was recently completed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to widen

Route 159 to a five-lane section (two through lanes in each direction plus a center left-turn lane)

adjacent to the site. Route 159 now consists of five lanes from Edwardsville to Fairview Heights

(with the exception of downtown Collinsville).

This site currently has good accessibility from the regional road network, and the improvements to

Route 159 have eased congestion on that roadway and further enhanced access for patrons of

Cottonwood Plaza. Primary access to the site is provided via a signalized entrance on Route 159

opposite Junction Dnve, though the intersection of the Plaza's ring road with Cottonwood Dnve is

also heavily utilized. A traffic signal has recently been installed at that location to serve both the

ring road and a new grocery store on the south side of Cottonwood Road.

In addition, patrons of the site may also access Route 159 via Whistle Stop Drive (which was

restricted to right-dright-out only as part of IDOT's widening project) and at its signalized

intersection with Kettle River Drive via the cross-access connection that was provided when the

adjacent Lowe's store was constructed. Finally, access to the rear of the site (near the Tire & Lube

Express) is provided via a driveway on Cottonwood Road (opposite Depot Drive) and an entrance on

Kriege Farm Road. These two entrances are signed for trucks exiting and entering, respectively, the

Wal-Mart loading dock in the southeast comer of the building.

It should be noted that both IDOT and the Village of Glen Carbon would be responsible for

evaluating potential changes in traffic operations at this site. Specifically, DOT has jurisdiction

over Route 159, while the Village controls Cottonwood Road, Whistle Stop Drive and portions of

Kriege Farm Road. It should be acknowledged that either agency could require the preparation of a

full traffic impact study to specifically analyze the capacity of the external intersections.

Existing Access & Circulation Issues

In general, the availability of multiple points of access to the site provides favorable accessibility to

the existing Wal-Mart from the external roadways. The recent expansion of Route 159 to five lanes

has significantly improved conditions on that roadway and reduced delays associated with accessing

the site from the north, west and south.

In addition, motorists exiting the site onto Cottonwood Road via the Plaza's ring road previously

experienced lengthy delays during peak periods as well. However, the increased capacity on Route

159 along with the recently installed traffic signal at the ring road intersection have substantially

improved conditions at that location and facilitated improved access tolfrom the east.

Although the site's external access constraints have largely been addressed by these recent

improvements, several issues were identified with regards to the existing Wal-Mart store's internal

circulation and parking. For ease of reference, the areas of concern are identified graphically in

Exhibit 1 and described in detail as follows.

A. Access tolfrom West Ring Road

Access to the existing Wal-Mart parking lot is provided via three drives on the three-lane ring

road between Cottonwood Road and Junction Drive. The northernmost entrance to the lot is

located too close to Junction Drive and the "canoe" diverter for incoming motorists, which

results in frequent conflicts between motorists executing northbound left tums onto Junction

Drive and those making southbound left-tum movements into the site parking lot.

In addition, each of the three driveways on the ring road have substantial sight distance

restrictions due to the presence of bushes along the east side of the road. That vegetation

obstructs the sight lines of motorists attempting to exit the lot and forces drivers to pull slightly

into the roadway in order to view oncoming traffic, which is a significant safety concern.

B. Parking Conflicts

A review of a previous study on parking lot crashes at Cottonwood Plaza and several other area

shopping centers (as part of a University research project) revealed that a total of 60 crashes were

reported within the Cottonwood Plaza parking lot in 2001 alone, and the large majority of these

incidents occurred in fiont of Wal-Mart. During recent observations at the store, numerous

conflicts were observed within the parking lot, including activity near the ring road entrances,

near the rear access drive at the southwest comer of the building and within the parking lot itself.

One contributing factor to these conflicts appears to be that there is currently no contiguous

north-south drive aisle within the parking lot, so motorists must utilize the ring road, cut across

the parking aisles or traverse the fiontage of the store in order to circulate within the parking lot.

Motorists were typically observed doing the latter two alternatives, and the 2001 crash records

included numerous incidents &om vehicles cutting across the lot and hitting another moving or

parked car. The prevalence of these collisions is likely due to the expansive parking lot and the

lack of separation or delineated drive aisles throughout the lot.

C. Access Constraints to Cottonwood Road

At the southern end of the ring road, the activation of the signal on Cottonwood Road has

improved conditions for motorists exiting the site. However, inbound motorists fiom the east are

sometimes c'blocked" by westbound queues at the signal. The proposed installation of a

westbound right-turn lane at this location would significantly improve these conditions.

D. Traffic Flows Between Front and Rear of Store

Although they are apparently intended primarily as truck and Tire & Lube Express entrances and

only for secondary customer access, the two entrances near the southeast comer of the site (one

on Cottonwood Road and one on Kriege Farm Road) are used extensively by customers

accessing the front parking bt. This heavy use is likely due in part to the congestion present at

Cottonwood Road's intersection with the ring road and also to the increasing customer

population to the east of the site.

The heavy use of the rear Cottonwood Road entrance by traffic traversing between the fiont and

rear of the store creates motorist confusion and conflicts between entering and exiting

movements. Specifically, that entrance was not designed to carry substantial traffic flows and

the throat depth available for storing exiting motorists is minimaL This issue has qparently

raised concern by the Village, and a "No Turns" sign has been installed at that location.

Aside from conflicts at the rear of the store, these back-to-fiont flows (and vice versa) are

constrained along the south side of the Wal-Mart store where relatively narrow lane widths are

provided. In addition, sight distance is restricted by the comer of the lawn and garden center at

the intersection of that side road with the parking lot, and the west leg of that intersection is

confi,wed at a skew.

E. Truck Access

The existing Wal-Mart store is served by loading docks at the southeast comer of the building.

Signage within this area denotes the Kriege Farm Road driveway as the truck entrance and the

Cottonwood Road drive as the truck exit. Although trucks do seem to follow that circulation

plan, truck operations are constrained due to the lack of a clear turnaround area. Specifically,

trucks were frequently observed maneuvering around vehicles parked near the Tire & Lube

Express as well as backing off of the site onto adjacent parking lots and roadways in order to

access the loading docks.

It was noted that the presence of parking within the center of the lot was not depicted on the

current site plan (or former plans) since that area was apparently designated as a truck

turnaround area. The addition of that parking (presumably to serve the Tire & Lube Express

demands) is contributing to the constrained truck operations.

Anticipated Changes in Site-Generated Traffic Associated with the Supercenter

It is our understanding that the existing 129,175 s.f. Wal-Mart store would be expanded to a 210,569

s.f. Supercenter. In order to accommodate the expansion, approximately 12,768 s.f. of shops and

restaurants immediately adjacent to the store would be removed. In addition, the existing

Cottonwood Mall, which contains a small movie theatre and some office space but is generally

underutilized, would be removed. That two-story facility contains approximately 53,638 s.f., though

much of that space is currently vacant. Finally, an existing shop space near the north of end of the

center (formerly Big Lots) would be reduced fiom 25,000 s.f. to 9,900 s.f. and a small 100 s.f. shop

would be added to the north end of the building.

In total, approximately 8 1,406 s.f. of space would be removed from the Plaza and 81,394 would be

added to Wal-Mart for a slight net decrease in total site square footage. However, many of the stores

that would be eliminated are "specialty retail" facilities (Payless Shoes, Radio Shack, CAT0

clothing store, etc.) that are relatively low traffic generators and, more importantly, the Cottonwood

Mall currently generates only minor peak period traffic activity despite its large square footage.

Conversely, the Wal-Mart addition, which will include groceries, would be expected to generate a

meaningful increase in traffic, though many of those additional trips would be "captured" from the

existing clientele.

In an effort to predict how much additional traffic would be generated by the supercenter, we

researched available reports published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) as well as

data provided by Wal-Mart &om independent studies of other facilities. These resources produced

wide-ranging results that underscore the fact that Wal-Mart's trip generation can be heavily

influenced by population, building size and market area (presence of competing uses). However, it

Mr. Theo Stone

March 8,2007

Page 5

may be surmised that due to the "capturing" of existing patrons, the net increase in traffic is not

proportionate to the added floor area. In fact, there is some evidence to suggest that the net trip

generation rate (trips per 1,000 s.f. of floor area) for a Wal-Mart Supercenter is lower than for a

typical Wal-Mart store, though a more conservative approach was used in this analysis.

Based on a composite of the various resources, it was estimated that Wal-Mart Supercenters generate

traffic at a rate of 5.12 trips/l,OOO s.f. during the p.m. peak hour of a weekday and 6.19 trips/1,000

s.f. during the midday peak of a Saturday. These rates were used to forecast the trip generation for

the proposed store, from which traffic for the existing store was deducted using standard ITE rates

(5.06 trips/1,000 s.f. and 7.58 trips/1,000 s.f. for the p.m. and Saturday peak hours, respectively).

For the purposes of these calculations, it was also necessary to estimate the traffic activity that is

currently associated with the uses that would be removed as part of the proposed project. Fbr the

adjacent shops and shop space at the north end of the site, the ITE rates for Specialty Retail uses

were applied over their full square footage. However, in order to account for the hgh vacancy rate

and low activity of Cottonwood Mall, only 25% of its square footage was considered to be currently

"active."

The resulting calculations are summarized in Table 1. As can be seen, the proposed expansion

would be expected to generate a net increase of 315 trips during the p.m. peak hour and 215 trips

during the Saturday peak hour. On a daily basis, it is estimated that the supercenter would generate

an additional 4,670 trips.

It should be noted that these volumes represent total trips (both inbound and outbound). After

allowing for directional splits, the proposed expansion would add a maximum of 160 total vehicles

per hour (vph) either inbound or outbound during the p.m. peak hour. After distributing these trips

between the several primary access drives serving the site, it is likely than the net increase to any

individual movement at those locations would be relatively minor.

Anticipated Deficiencies and the Need for Improvements to Accommodate the Supercenter

Given the recent completion of the improvements to Route 159 and Cottonwood Road, it is

anticipated that sufficient capacity is available to accommodate the proposed expansion without the

need for M e r improvements on these external roadways (aside fi-om a right turn lane on

Cottonwood Road that is already proposed as part of the site plan). However, it is important to note

that the resulting increase in traffic activity would exacerbate the existing internal circulation issues

described above.

Therefore, we have provided several potential modifications to consider in conjunction with the

proposed expansion, as depicted in Exhibit 2 It should be noted that many of these suggestions

could be implemented independently of one another. The deficiencies and recommended corrective

measures are described as follows:

e Access tolfi-om West Ring Road

In order to correct the existing constraints along the west ring road, it is recommended that the

access between that road and the parking lot be modified. Specifically, the northernmost drive is too

close to Junction Drive and needs to be closed. A potential means of accommodating that closure

and facilitating improved access for Wal-Mart and the remainder of Cottonwood Plaza would be to

remove the existing canoe diverter island and facilitate a four-way internal intersection. In addition

to reducing conflicts along the ring road, that configuration would also provide more direct access

&om Route 159 into the parking lot, while accommodating the parking lot circulation changes

suggested below.

In order to address the sight distance constraints along the ring road, it is recommended that the

existing vegetation along the east side of the road be removed. Those bushes currently represent a

significant sight obstruction, and it would be important to address that safety concern as part of the

proposed project.

0 Parking Conflicts

In order to address the existing circulatory constraints within the parking lot, it is recommended that

the lot be reconfigured to provide a delineated, contiguous internal circulation drive along its

western extents. As depicted in Exhibit 2, this drive could be accommodated through the use of

islands (preferably raised) at the end of each parking aisle. Some of the resulting parking losses

could be recaptured along the western edge of the lot.

In addition, it would be appropriate to provide a continuous raised island along at least one of the

parking aisles in fi-ont of the store. This island would prevent motorists from cutting across the

parking lot (an existing factor in the high number of parking lot collisions at this site) and provide

clear direction regarding the appropriate circulatory patterns within the lot. A raised island in this

Mr. Theo Stone

March 8,2007

Page 7

location could also potentially be used as a pedestrian walkway for customers to use between the lot

and the fiont of the store.

Clearly, the recommended modifications would have an impact on the parking yield within this lot.

If all of the potential improvements were implemented as suggested, approximately 40 less parking

spaces would be provided versus the base site plan. However, it was also noted that 9.5-foot wide

spaces are provided in front of Wal-Mart, while only 9-foot wide spaces are required (and are

provided within the rest of the lot to the north). The use of 9-foot parking spaces should allow the

majority of the potential parking losses to be recaptured.

0 Access Constraints to Cottonwood Road

In order to address current constraints and improve access to the Wal-Mart parking lot from the ring

road, it is recommended that the ring road be widened to provide a second northbound lane fiom

Cottonwood Road to the second parking lot entrance where the lane could be dropped a right-turn

lane. The provision of this auxiliary lane would allow motorists to bypass any blockages in the

inside (existing) northbound lane and reduce the potential for spillbacks into the signalized

intersection with Cottonwood Road.

Traffic Flows Between Front and Rear of Store

As previously discussed, the heavy use of the rear site entrances and the resulting flows between the

fiont and back of the store (along the south side of the building) create conflicts currently. These

concerns are likely to worsen with the expansion of the store and ongoing residential growth to the

east of the site. Furthermore, it is our understanding that a lawn and garden pick-up drive is

proposed along the south side of the store as part of the expansion project, and that modification

would further reduce the available width of the drive (which is already constrained).

In order to address these issues, it is recommended that consideration be given to restricting the

south-side access dnve to service only eastbound traffic flows. This modification would

significantly reduce traffic flows utilizing the rear access drives, while still allowing access between

the fiont and rear of the store. In particular, an eastbound configuration of the drive would allow

customers parked within the fiont lot to use the lawn and garden pick-up drive without leaving the

site.

Truck Access

The proposed changes for access between the front and rear of the store would also reduce traffic

activity within the existing loading zone at the southeast comer of the site. However, the presence of

parking within the turnaround area would still constrain truck maneuvers. In order to address that

issue, consideration should be given to removing or reducing the allowed parking within that area,

though alternative locations for parking (should it need to be replaced) are not apparent.

Mr. Theo Stone

March 8,2007

Page 8

Based on the proposed site plan, it appears that a second loading dock area would be constructed to

service the grocery portion of the Supercenter. Unfortunately, the turnaround area depicted for that

truck dock is also within an existing prking field behind Cottonwood Plaza. In order to avoid

duplicating the constraints associated with the existing loading area, it is recommended that a clear

truck turnaround be provided (free of regular parking) to the extent possible.

In closing, it should be reiterated that it is our belief that this site is capable of accommodating the

proposed store expansion &om a traffic engineering perspective. The proposed internal circulation

modifications would ease existing constraints and facilitate safer and more convenient access to and

within the site.

We trust that you will find this assessment useful in evaluating traffic conditions associated with the

proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter expansion in Glen Carbon. Please contact me should you have any

questions or comments concerning this material or if you require any additional information.

Sincerely,

Dustin B. Riechmann, P.E., PTOE

Project Engineer