Lifesaving efforts by a local couple during hazmat leak, decisions banning recreational cannabis dispensaries in the village, new faces among elected officials and progress on a massive sports complex were among the top 2019 news events in Lincolnshire.
Lincolnshire says no to marijuana dispensaries
What started as an uncertain, debate over recreational cannabis dispensaries in July at sparsely attended public meetings and becoming a raucous community discussion with more than 80 people expressing opposing views in October, ended with a vote sans argument banning such businesses Dec. 9.
At the July Village Board meeting, trustees said they wanted to see what other communities were doing and learn more themselves about options. When the board had its next discussion in October there were plenty of people from Lincolnshire and surrounding communities ready to share their thoughts.
With a policy of limiting public comment on any issue to 30 minutes, mayor Liz Brandt asked for a show of hands of those in the audience who supported the idea of a dispensary and those who were opposed. Nearly every hand went up in opposition.
Many of those opposing dispensaries were concerned about access to youth despite the law, which becomes effective Jan. 1, limiting sales to persons over 21. Several trustees were worried about the uncertainty over what will happen once recreational marijuana becomes legal. Trustee Mara Grujanac said the community as a whole has a responsibility.
“There will be accessibility to cannabis in our area,” Grujanac said. “The question is not going to be whether or not Lincolnshire allows it but whether or not there is discussion about it in the home and there is discussion about it in the community and the danger of it.”
After the Zoning Board held the requisite public hearing mandated any time the land use ordinances are considered, the trustees passed a ban Dec. 9 as part of a consent agenda without debate. Two members of the public spoke.
New members join Village Board
Though the April 2 elections for village president, village clerk and four seats on the village board were all uncontested, Jill Raizin and Veronica Pantelis became first-time trustees and created a female majority on the board – along with Brandt and Grujanac.
Long involved with different organizations as a volunteer, Raizin said serving on the village board was another way of giving back. Pantelis said she got her start with community activism in the schools.
Brandt and Village Clerk Barbara Mastandrea were also reelected.
Quick action saves lives
A total of 14 people, including four firefighters and four police officers, were treated at area hospitals May 23 after a carbon monoxide leak in the workout room near a condominium swimming pool. The incident also became a story of heroism by a Lincolnshire couple.
Before 15 to 18 ambulances arrived at the Village Green Condominium swimming pool to find two people unconscious on the deck and first responders heard people complain about breathing issues, a retired Deerfield police officer and his wife sprang into action.
On a warm May morning Lincolnshire residents Alicia Anderson and her husband, Ken, a retired policeman, decided to sit by the pool. While there, they saw two teenagers walking into the adjacent workout room and 20 minutes later the male came out asking for help for his female friend who collapsed.
Ken Anderson said he saw the female was breathing. But the male was lying on his back vomiting and having convulsions. Then his police training came into play.
“I turned him on his side so he wouldn’t choke on his vomit,” Ken Anderson said. “I wanted to keep his airway open. She wasn’t vomiting and she was breathing. I wasn’t (as) concerned.”
Before everything was over and the Andersons were on their way to visit family, they got a call telling them there was a hazardous materials leak and they should go to the hospital to get examined.
Police, firefighters and paramedics eventually evacuated residences near the pool to make sure everyone was safe. Eventually they learned it was a carbon monoxide leak. Alicia Anderson was just thankful.
“I’m happy someone much higher than us put us in the right place at the right time,” Alicia Anderson said at the time.
Sprawling sports complex moves forward
Planning continues on The St. James, a 447,526-square foot recreational, health and fitness facility on the site of the 41-acre former campus of Hewitt Associates just north of Half Day Road near the Interstate 294 tollway. Final approval has not had a vote from the trustees.
When done, the center will include a fieldhouse for all turf sports, an ice house with two regulation-size ice hockey rinks, four full-length basketball courts, nine volleyball courts, batting cages and training rooms, among other features.
After giving developers an initial green light last year to proceed with its development plans, TSJ Lincolnshire Property LLC, owners of the property, is refining its plans.
Members of the public expressed concern at a February meeting over the impact on the community and what might eventually be built on the site’s other five lots. Nothing specific has been proposed besides the sports complex.
“We want you to build it here,” resident Rob Weinberg said at the February meeting. “We just don’t want to see it and we don’t want to hear it.”
Lincolnshire holds line on property taxes for eighth straight year
In November, Raizin and Pantelis joined their colleagues passing a $30 million budget and real estate levy that kept the village’s portion of property taxes flat for the eighth consecutive year.
“I am proud that the village hasn’t raised its tax rate in 8 years, has no debt, is one of the top five funded pensions in Illinois, has nine months worth of operating expenses in the bank and is expanding capital improvement projects for 2020. This is financial reality is extremely rare in Illinois,” Brandt said at the time.
Steve Sadin is a freelancer.
