I would respectfully like to express my strong opposition to the variance petition by the Village of Downers Grove regarding the Brookbank Road right-of-way, south of 59th Street and north of 60th Place.

Concerned citizens and neighbors have spoken out at village council meetings about their opposition to this variance.  There is little doubt that granting such a variance would go against not only the intent of the provisions that are currently in place, but would put much of the neighborhood in great jeopardy.  The variance is actually a shocking request by the our village.  Allowing 18" standing water on the roadway is TRIPLE the current standard.  How often do you drive through water 1 1/2 feet deep?  And do you think of it as NORMAL?  Would you accept that much water standing in front of your house?  Of course, that is just the impact on the traffic, and the water doesn't just stay on the roadway.  As you are fully aware, the impact on other aspects, such as flood conveyance capacity, degradation of surface or ground water quality, the negative impact on environmental stream uses and functions, and the significant impact and personal expense to affected neighbors when their basements flood, can be much more dramatic.  In fact, you could quite literally say that it is a crime!  Unless of course, you grant the request to legalize this extreme action.

There is little doubt that such a variance would violate the protective clauses set forth in the current regulations.  Granting a variance should be based on unnecessary and undue hardship.  The only demonstrated hardship is that the developer wants to increase profits by inappropriately increasing density on acereage that is clearly unable to support the development.

All too often, the Downers Grove Village Council fails to lead with a strong hand in regards to redevelopment, and in my opinion, this is an example.  I strongly urge you to reject the proposed variance by the Village, and demonstrate the leadership that our citizens deserve.

Respectfully, Charley Smart
Downers Grove Coalition for Managed Redevelopment
Downers Grove Citizen

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