Neighbors furious over removal of trees in Glenview
A pile of wood chips and a stack of logs are all that remains of what had been about 80 trees at the site of retail development in Glenview, and neighbors are upset by their removal.
Adam Sidoti, who lives nearby on Miller Drive, was alerted by a neighbor that trees at site, near Willow and Pfingsten roads, were being removed by a subcontractor. They tried to stop the work, even producing plans for the site that indicated the wrong trees were being taken out. But the subcontractor working at the site refused to stop, he said.
“It was clear when we looked at the mapping, because the trees were numbered, that one of the trees that was numbered to stay was clearly taken out,” Sidoti said. Further study of the map indicated that other trees, including those along the western border of the property, had also been removed, he added.
After a phone call to the developer also didn't halt the work, Sidoti and his neighbor called the police and, within an hour, an arborist from the Village of Glenview arrived at the site.
Jeff Rogers, planning division manager for the Village of Glenview, said the developer received a permit for tree removal on the property, and work started Friday, July 17. When the subcontractors continued the work Monday morning, they exceeded the scope of the approved work on that permit. Monday was when Sidoti and his neighbor attempted to stop the tree removal.
About three dozen trees that were supposed to be retained were instead removed, Rogers said.
“That's a violation that we're going to follow up with a fine, and require the replacement of trees,” Rogers said. “The subcontractor was working off the wrong plan set.”
Among the numerous trees that were removed, many of them were buckthorn, and the permit allowed them to be removed, Rogers said. Buckthorn is generally regarded as invasive and is often removed by forest preserves and prairie restoration groups.
Sidoti said people in the neighborhood understood the need to remove buckthorn and unhealthy trees. But part of the concern for people in the neighborhood is the density of the project, and that now is compounded by the removal of trees that would otherwise shield nearby homes from the retail development, he said.
“They put in something that's going to be more dense, and within the first week they take away the stuff that shields us from this monstrosity,” Sidoti said.
The property is part of a large area that is within the Village of Glenview, but has a Northbrook mailing address and zip code, 60062, Rogers said.
GW Property Group owns the property commonly known as the Hart Estate, an 8.55-acre site at 2660 Pfingsten Road, according to information provided by the Village of Glenview.
The single-story retail development includes 3 multi-tenant retail buildings and a grocery store, which Rogers said is a speculative development.