7 candidates, 7 visions for future of village
All seven candidates running for Village Council love Downers Grove. They live here because of the good schools, good location and great people. But each has ideas where improvements can be made.
The seven - Bruce Beckman, Sean Patrick Durkin, Christopher M. Lavoie, Geoff Neustadt, Richard Rettberg, Mark Thoman and Stan Urban - in the Feb. 27 primary will vie for a chance to make those changes. One will not advance to the April election. Voters will then decide between the six for three council seats.
Where they stand on local issues most likely will determine their success. And residents care about more than a few topics that affect their everyday lives.
Stormwater is not a new problem, but recent rains and the creation of the Stormwater Master Plan have brought the issue to the forefront. With bigger houses making their way into town, the water has to find some place to go - and sometimes it ends up in basements and backyards.
Redevelopment is healthy for the community, but how can Downers Grove make it fit into the rest of the community?
The concept is similar downtown. There the goal is clear: retain old business and attract new ones.
BRUCE BECKMAN
Age: 64
Occupation: Owner of home-based telecommunications consulting business; volleyball referee for IHSA
Family: Married, a daughter, two grandchildren
Home: 33-year resident
On the Web: www.electbrucebeckman.com
SEAN PATRICK DURKIN
Age: 36
Occupation: Vice president of government and not-for-profit banking at Charter One Bank
Family: Married, no children
Home: Five-year resident
Web site: www.DurkinDifference.org
CHRISTOPHER M. LAVOIE
Age: 49
Occupation: President and CEO of civil engineering and surveying firm
Family: Two daughters
Home: 20-year resident
On the Web: www.chrisforcouncil.org
GEOFF NEUSTADT
Age: 31
Occupation: Downers Grove School District 58 maintenance mechanic
Family: Married, no children
Home: 31-year resident
On the Web: www.geoffneustadt.com
RICHARD RETTBERG
Age: 55
Occupation: Partner at a Chicago law firm
Family: Married, two children
Home: 30-year resident
MARK THOMAN
Age: 52
Occupation: President of ST Marketing, based in Downers Grove
Family: Married, two sons
Home: 23-year resident
On the Web: markthoman.googlepages.com
STAN URBAN
Age: 54
Occupation: Owner of Everyday’s a Sundae in Downers Grove
Family: Married, two daughters
Home: 30-year resident
On the Web: www.stanurban-elect.com
"It's not cheap, but over time, it's helpful," he said.
Durkin says the time is now to make changes. "The council has been talking about this for eight years and nothing has been done," Durkin said.
He thinks improvements need to be made in residential areas to sidewalks, curbs and ditches. But, Durkin said, most of the flooding issues are in backyards and that issue needs to be tackled as well.
"All parts of Downers Grove should have the basic amenities," he said.
Lavoie agrees that the plan needs to move ahead. "The Stormwater Master Plan needs to be fine-tuned into a final plan," said Lavoie, who has worked as a consultant for DuPage County Stormwater Management.
As an engineer with an expertise in stormwater management, Lavoie said it would be nice for the council to not have to so heavily rely on consultants for advice.
"We want to make sure it's done right," he said.
Neustadt says to break the huge stormwater issue down. "Start at the bottom of the hill and work your way up. He said the council should start some projects and identify problem areas.
"We need a localized solution," Neustadt said.
Rettberg notes that with development comes problems. "We're building bigger houses and the water has got to have a place to go," Rettberg said.
He said he was surprised the village only recently created a stormwater plan, considering how long flooding has been a problem in Downers Grove.
"We're going to be in some serious trouble if we don't do something now," he said.
But Thoman says the village has to find money first. "We have to have funding locked in," Thoman said.
Thoman said the public works department already has mapped out a long-term plan, now the council needs to commit to it.
"We missed budgeting it in for 2007. We cannot miss it in 2008," he said.
Urban is content with what the Village Board has done to date with the Stormwater Master Plan.
"We're not flying by the seat of our pants," he said.
Urban sees the village working on stormwater projects on a daily basis. He said he knows stormwater is an issue in Downers Grove, and the board is working hard to deal with it.
"Neighborhood character is an issue," Beckman said.
Durkin is concerned there isn't a plan for the future.
"Redevelopment in Downers Grove is critical in the next four years," Durkin said.
He said smaller homes are becoming increasingly expensive and something needs to be done.
"What are we doing to promote redevelopment?" he asks.
Lavoie wants a historic preservation ordinance in Downers Grove to protect older homes from becoming teardowns.
"This is an issue where we want to include residents," he said.
For new construction, Lavoie wants to beef up the staffing on code compliance and enforce rules and regulations.
Neustadt says, "We want to maintain tradition without sacrificing progress."
He also wants to make sure teardowns are done properly, following codes for safety and aesthetics.
"There should be a good mix of new development and homes next to historic dwellings," Neustadt said.
Rettberg said, while some homes are worth preserving, others wear out beyond repair and need to be torn down.
"Teardowns are a healthy sign that the community is viable," Rettberg said. "At the same time, I do hope builders will be sensitive to the character of the homes."
Thoman said there should be an emphasis on local builders in Downers Grove who would be more sensitive to redevelopment issues. Thoman also would like to see revisions to building codes to keep the character of Downers Grove.
For historic preservation, Thoman said the council should look to groups such as the Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance, who already are knowledgeable on the issue.
"They're willing to do the work for us," Thoman said.
Urban says change is inevitable, but preserving the past is important, too.
"There are people here who want to live like it's 1958, but we need to grow," Urban said.
Although Urban encourages growth, he also said historical preservation will be important to protect much of the cultural and historical aspects of Downers Grove. A controlled growth will create a good balance, Urban said.
"There needs to be good housing stock or the schools will die," he said.
Beckman wants to balance a strong downtown with a strong residential area.
"Strong business is important for a growing and striving community," he said.
Durkin would like to concentrate on the downtown traffic. At crosswalks, he would like to see the lights turn red at the same time to allow for pedestrians to cross the street.
"There's new people coming downtown for visiting and shopping. It's a new pedestrian town," he said.
Other ways to accommodate the new traffic would be a bike lane, bike racks and synchronization of the streetlights for railroad traffic.
Lavoie wants to bring more commercial business into town.
"Downers Grove desperately needs a food market," he said. He would like to take advantage of the new buildings in downtown to bring more business to the area.
Neustadt says, "Business corridors make a huge difference on taxes."
Neustadt knows keeping downtown revenues up is good for everyone in the community.
"Bring in new business and keep the ones we have," he said.
Rettberg said that 30 years ago, he would brag to friends that he could live in Downers Grove without owning a car.
"The downtown has seen several different phases," he said, including a time when there was a Walgreens and a grocery store downtown. Rettberg wants to bring business like this back.
"There needs to be more residential, everyday services downtown."
Thoman is pretty satisfied with the growth of downtown. The makeover that downtown Downers Grove recently received, complete with a new parking garage, is a step in the right direction, he said.
One improvement Thoman would like to see is money from the downtown TIF district given to the schools.
"Schools are a foundation of the community," he said.
Urban , who owns Every Day's a Sundae in downtown Downers Grove, is pleased with the changes that have been made downtown.
"It's stable at this point," he said. He suggested working on other areas of Downers Grove that need to be developed, such as Ogden Avenue.
"Downers Grove benefits through corporations and the hundreds of employees who will move here and invest money," Urban said.
"People who move here, stay here," Beckman said. "With the elimination of affordable housing, we are at risk of breaking that cycle."
Beckman said starter homes for young families are important in attracting people to settle in the area.
Durkin says about affordable housing: "It's a huge, complex issue. How do you tell someone they can't sell their home for a huge gain?"
Durkin is still looking for an appropriate solution for Downers Grove. Although he has heard many strategies other towns have used, Durkin hasn't seen anything he thinks would translate to Downers Grove.
Lavoie is interested in researching the topic and wants to listen to residents to see what they have in mind. He held a discussion in early February to learn more about how affordable housing fits into Downers Grove.
"Every municipality is different," Lavoie said.
Neustadt said looking at neighboring communities with affordable housing and using a similar model might be a solution in Downers Grove.
"Some homes are expensive, but there's not a lot the village can do about that," he said.
Neustadt is still learning about the issue, and thinks more dialog between the village and affordable-housing advocates could be helpful.
Rettberg says everyone wants affordable housing. "I don't think anyone is going to be against affordable housing, it's about what is going to be done," Rettberg said.
Rettberg thinks a land trust is a very simple idea to make a quality home affordable.
"Many residents or children move away and can't move back because it's too expensive," Rettberg said.
Thoman says the village should learn from others. "We should be looking at other communities and what they've done," Thoman said.
One of his ideas is charging a teardown fee and putting that money back into problems in the village, including affordable housing.
Urban is trying to obtain a clear definition of affordable housing.
"What is the impact of increasing the affordable housing stock on the whole village?" he asks.
Urban said he is not for or against affordable housing until he is clear on the definintion and the impact on the village.
"I would like to see nothing veiled in secret," he said.
Beckman is not accusing anyone of keeping secrets, but he thinks a code would be a symbol of the standards council members should uphold.
Durkin would like to see a leaf and brush pickup service implemented in Downers Grove.
"Everyone is affected by the leaves," he said.
Durkin figures the service would cost less than $10 per household, and it is something the residents want.
On the topic of construction, Lavoie is interested in creating a neighborhood beautification program through grant money.
"We would work with older neighborhoods to prevent them from becoming teardowns," Lavoie said.
Lavoie would like to expand this idea to older buildings in the downtown area.
Neustadt is set on keeping property taxes low.
"Home rule is a great tool for this," he said.
The village gets a small portion of property taxes now for their services, and Neustadt would like to make sure that amount stays small.
Rettberg wants the board to cooperate better.
"I would hope the Village Board could become more consensus oriented," Rettberg said.
One of Rettberg's campaign goals is to keep the village government stable and cooperating with each other.
"Once the decision's been made, you close ranks and move on," he said.
Thoman would like to try out a leaf and brush pickup service.
"We can do it for a year, and if it doesn't work out, we can change it," he said.
Thoman knows people in town want the service and sees no harm in giving it a try.
Urban sat on the tourism board and would like to see the village push for more visitors in Downers Grove.
"We can attract and retain huge corporations with business travels," Urban said.
Tourism also will attract hotel and sales tax, which will then benefit the community, he said.