Community Corner
Letter to the Editor: Marriott Will Bring in Hotel Taxes, But Cost Residents
A Wilmette resident shares his views on the proposed construction.
The following is a letter to the editor from Larry Rogers of 213 Lockerbie Lane.
It has been enlightening to attend the Village hearings relating to a to be located at 3201 Old Glenview Road.
In order to permit the severe cramming of this development on to available land, the Village has agreed to extraordinary relaxation of the many development standards applicable to such land. The material modification of some 60 percent or more of such standards has been endorsed and approved by the Board.
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Examples of such modifications include but by no means are limited to
- The maximum allowable surface impermeability has been almost doubled from 45 percent to 87 percent
- The required side yards have been reduced -- one by 133 percent
- The allowable building height has been increased by 66 percent
Compare the extraordinary permitted hotel variances agreed to by the with a requested variance on the same night by Village residents for a tree house in their back yard. The Board, in all its wisdom, okayed the tree house provided the tree houseʼs maximum distance from the ground was reduced by 18 inches.
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The objections, legal and economic, of the to the hotel project have been totally disregarded. Why? Because of the Villageʼs desire to increase its tax base via a hotel tax, 77 percent of which doesnʼt accrue to the village for some 10 years. It is interesting to note that the ordinance creating such a tax has been passed months before the scheduled final hearing on the hotel. Kind of a cart before the horse?
I enclose a rendering, prepared by a neighbor, of how the finished hotel will appear from a backyard of a Lockerbie residence. Despite its outlandish size and and obvious adverse effect on such residents, the Village powers that be have ruled it will have no effect on such residential ownersʼ property.
I urge all Village residents to be aware of the lengths that our Village officials are willing to go to increase the tax base, irrespective of any adverse effect on residents and their property. I further urge all residents to drive by this site and to picture in their minds the proposed 75 foot, 130 room hotel, which the Village is promoting to be constructed there. I guarantee the trip will be an eye opener.
Larry Rogers
213 Lockerbie Lane
