Tonight (Mon., July 6) the Park Ridge City Council is set to give its final approval to changing the zoning of two long-standing “B” (business) parcels to multi-family residential (R-3) for no apparent reason other than a couple/few handfuls of those properties’ neighbors want it that way, and Fifth Ward Ald. Robert Ryan (along with a majority of his fellow aldermen) is trying to give it to them.

We don’t fault the neighbors of the former Napleton Cadillac parking lot (NW corner of Northwest Hwy and Meacham) or Audrey’s (SE corner of Northwest Hwy. and Elm) for wanting to keep potential commercial buildings – and whatever traffic they might generate – out of their neighborhoods.  We think that kind of NIMBY mentality is useful in bringing issues to the attention of the rest of the community.

And we don’t expect a huge outcry from the mass of ordinary Park Ridge residents, who probably haven’t given the matter a whole lot of thought; and, if they have, probably side with the neighbors for the same reasons.

But why is the Park Ridge business community so strangely and deafeningly silent on this issue? 

Our City went millions of dollars into hock helping finance “Uptown Redevelopment” because of pie-in-the-sky assurances that retail, retail and more retail would keep Park Ridge consumer dollars here, while at the same time drawing in consumers from outside the community, thereby raising our sales tax base and providing property tax relief.  And one of the loudest advocates of that plan was none other than Robert Ryan, who back then was a member of both the now (mercifully) defunct Economic Development Corporation and the Uptown Advisory Task Force.

This is the same Ald. Ryan who happily voted to give Bill Napleton as much as $2.4 million of our tax dollars before General Motors pulled the plug on his dealership.  But just 18 months later he wants to convert “B” property – including Napleton’s parking lot – into “R” property.  What’s up with that?

We have the oddest feeling that we’re missing something here – the same kind of feeling we have about the secretive Taste, Inc. situation – but we just can’t quite put our finger on it.  Any thoughts from you out there in the audience?

But the really strange thing to us is why we haven’t heard so much as a a “boo” or a whimper from that local bastion of capitalism, the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce.  According to its website, “the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce continually strives to help business develop and grow.”  Hey, Chamber president Karen Anderson and Exec. Director Gail Haller…how does converting “B”-zoned property to multi-family “help business develop and grow”? 

And what about the City’s Economic Development Director, Kim Uhlig?  She gets paid a pretty darn decent salary and benefits to get businesses to come to Park Ridge, and to retain the ones already here.  Hey, Kim…how “welcoming” can you make Park Ridge look to the regional business community when we strip business sites from one of our more traveled thoroughfares that has been home to a variety of retail establishments and business offices for decades?

Kim?  Anybody?  Bueller?

We realize this re-zoning and map amendment are probably a “done deal,” given that both of the required two readings have been pushed through in what appears to be the record time of a mere seven days.  But when the votes are counted this evening and the City Council has chosen to boost multi-family residential over business, again, we hope you will make a note of each and every one of the aldermen who support this action.

That way, the next time Ald. Ryan or his Council buddies brag about how “pro-business” they are, or tell us how we need to spend more of our tax dollars on “business-friendly” boondoggles like façade improvements and the like, we can remind ourselves of who voted to reduce the number of available business sites in Park Ridge.

That way, we’ll know which of them are lying through their teeth.  Again. 

Update (7/7/09)

“Each and every one of the aldermen” who voted to change the zoning on three “B-1” properties to “R-3” are: Allegretti (4th Ward), Bach (3rd Ward), Ryan (5th Ward) and Wsol (7th Ward).  

Not surprisingly, the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce and its individual local merchant members were MIA.  What was surprising (and dismaying), however, is that not one of the four Alder-dunces who voted for the changes asked the City’s retail “czarina,” Kim Uhlig, about how those changes might impact her never-ending quest for more retailers.  But, then again, with “done deals,” anything beyond knowing what to do and when to do it is superfluous.    

Finally, we give a shout-out to Alds. Carey, DiPietro and Sweeney for voting against mindless multi-family residential re-zoning.  Too bad they’re outnumbered by the Alder-dunces.