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.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
June 6, 2007
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!
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!
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!
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
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/
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/
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Update April 4, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, March 30, 2007
What Can I Do?
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
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
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.
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.
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