FOX RIVER GROVE - Village officials became developers, angry residents, and
members of the media Tuesday night for a workshop that simulated a public
hearing on a development proposal.
The workshop centered on a plan for "downtown Smallville," a fictional
community with a Metra station. The plan - similar to the village's
downtown-redevelopment plan - would add retail, offices and condominiums.
Village officials used a workbook developed by the Metropolitan Mayors
Caucus, the Campaign for Sensible Growth, and the
Metropolitan Planning Council to learn what makes a good plan
and what questions they should ask developers going forward.
"We hope in the future to have some redevelopment going on, so it's really a
dry run for us," Village Administrator Art Osten said.
The Campaign for Sensible Growth's Ellen Shubart led
the workshop. She said she chose a real-life proposal from downtown Bartlett
because it was similar to Fox River Grove's plan and had obvious flaws.