The Hound continues to be puzzled by Waukeganites' reaction to the proposal to turn Orchard Hills Golf Course into a sports/soccer complex. It must be something in the air that keeps residents from letting go of the past and moving into the future.
Some years back, park district officials floated the idea of a water park at Hinkston Park. The same complaints were heard: The city already has swimming pools, the kids won't be able to get there, they're going to wreck the park. Sound familiar? Sounded then like a lot of selfish, NIMBY folks back.
Fast-forward a few years and the district builds a nice new facility, The Fieldhouse at Hinkson Park, and already folks are complaining. The city redoes the Genesee Theatre and people are complaining. The state resurfaces Grand Avenue and the Amstutz and people are complaining.
The Hound is beginning to think that Waukegan is composed of a bunch of complainers. Maybe they would like the city slogan of: "Waukegan, city of whiners." Anytime somebody wants to build something new, push the city forward, there's these grousers in the back row yelling, "It's too expensive! We don't need it! We've already got one! Our taxes are too high!"
These are the same people who gripe about luring new business or new residents to Waukegan. You don't attract people with a tired, 20th century mentality, or an old infrastructure. Come on folks, there's got to be something positive in the city. If not, why stay?
And for those looking for a Friday fish fry after Orchard Hills has closed, try Russ' on Glen Flora, west of Jackson Street, in Waukegan; The Shanty in Wadsworth; and if you're really adventurous, the Little Big Horn in Mundelein, where it's an all-you-can-eat extravaganza. Down the hatch!
People are upset with the closing of Orchard Hills because it was a surprise decision made with very little, to no public input. The commission only held public hearings after the initial outcry. They cited lack of revenue from the course as being a driver in the decision-making process. I find that hard to believe - those of us who frequented the golf course and restaurant know there is a loyal golf following, and often crowded due to the reasonable pricing. The maintenance costs were very low relative to any golf course, and the restaurant was largely profitable. So how does investing a couple million dollars in a new sports complex help generate revenue? When will the complex be profitable - profitable to the point where we forget about the dollars the golf course could have been generating during the years it takes the new complex to break-even?
The commission cited a need for more soccer fields. Come on. The golf course isn't exactly in a populus area of Waukegan, surronded by an airport and some farm fields. Lets not make those new soccer fields too easily accessible.
It really pains me that the Waukegan officials are so ignorant, and stupid - makes me wonder how they were voted in, and how long will it take to end the good old boys network that exists there. Glad I don't live there.
THE HOUND SEZ: Well, Horatio, you certainly aren't at the gates on this one. You've managed to convey what park district officials contend: That most of those using Orchard Hills don't even live in Waukegan. Soccer or sports complexes don't make money, they serve a purpose. It will be a place to play games, like most parks. Does Bowen Park make any money? Of course not, Einstein. It's a park.
I think the hound has lost his sniffer. I haven't seen the any of the supporters react about O.H., in such significant numbers as the so called 'whiners'. There is nothing as non-forward looking as how the park district railroaded the decision. Democracy is not supposed to function that way. As for nimby I have the hound's nimby on bone for him to chew. Chew on this - Waukegan has lost lost lost on it's failure to keep or lure ma and pa business's. Do these names sound familiar; Ted's, Parkway, Pepper, Madison Avenue. Orchard Hills will be another of those Waukegan failured memories, as the city strives to 'grow' at the expense of all of the whiners. You ain't nuthin but a hound dog.
THE HOUND SEZ: Most of the businesses being opened in Waukegan are ma and pas, if you'd open your eyes. You mention four restaurants as "proof" of failure. It's a known fact restaurants fail all the time. The Parkway is now an auto parts store and probably bringing in more tax revenue to the city than when it was a restaurant. The Pepper morphed into the San Miguel and they have a large banquet hall. Besides, when the park district bought Orchard Hills more than a decade ago --- saving it from being turned into a housing development --- commissioners said it could eventually be turned into sports fields. That's history. Besides, bet you don't even live in Waukegan.
Orchard Hills has worked so hard to become a class act golf course. You can play soccer in any park near you. Why take a beautiful golf course that is not easily accessed by Waukegan residents who play soccer and designate it as a "sports complex". What are they thinking? If it isn't broken, don't fix it.
THE HOUND SEZ: Ah, but it was broken. Ask the people that live around the places currently being used as soccer fields, most of which are in residential neighborhoods. They don't like the crowds, the noise or the mess left behind. If you consider Orchard Hills a class act golf course, there's some swamp land in Florida I'd like you to look at. Next, you're going to tell me the clubhouse should be listed in the Michelin Guide.
So when does it close? Is there still time to try out their fish fry?
Also, is there a more comprehensive list of local fish fries somewhere? Mickey Finn's in Libertyville isn't bad.
And I do live in Waukegan.
THE HOUND SAYS: Curia, where have you been these past weeks. Of course it's closed. It was only open on weekends in the winter to begin with. Geez, do I have to publish a guidebook to Friday fish frys in Lake County? Giorgio's Grille in Zion has an all-you-can-eat fry on Fridays; Stone Creek Grill in Winthrop Harbor has one, including the elusive blue gill; Louie's in Waukegan has a featured Poor Man's Lobster special on Fridays. Try the Little Big Horn in Mundelein, which also is all-you-can eat; Russ's in Waukegan. If anyone has more suggestions, send them in.
Like the area residents that sit in bumper to bumper traffic on Greenbay to drive by the golf course, most of the people complaining are not from Waukegan because Orchard Hills is not in Waukegan, it is in Beach Park and so are the people who will live near the complex site.
If you live in Waukegan and drive up Greenbay road to get to this new complex after work to get you child to a game or practice, it will take you more than a half hour in the summer months.
Poor location when you can get to Libertyville or Pleasant Prarie even faster than a place that is on the ouskirts of you own town.
There was no thought put into this.
If you can sell the land to developers and get up to $10 million, why not take that money and build on a better location?
Unless the city has other (airport) plans for the site.
THE HOUND SAYS: Who says you can sell that land for $10 million? Who's going to buy it? Neumann Homes? Aslo, the city doesn't run the airport; the Waukegan Port District runs the airport and the harbor. Obviously, you haven't driven to Libertyville from Waukegan of late.
I for one like the idea of a sports complex at Orchard Hills. Currently, the park district has 311 of 719 acres (approximately, according to acreage details from www.waukeganparks.org) dedicated to a single sport which only a fraction of Waukegan residents play. Keep in mind that the remaining 408 acres includes maintenance facilities, unimproved land, open land, wooded areas, ravines as well as hosting every other activity that the district supports.
I've heard a lot of people complaining about how Green Bay is congested around Orchard Hills and how there is no public transportation for the kiddies to get there but that’s just a poor justification for resisting change. In my humble opinion, it would be far more productive to complain about why Green Bay is still 2 lanes and why we don't have better bus service but that's just me.
THE HOUND SAYS: I believe, Christopher that you are one of the silent majority when it comes to the Battle of Orchard Hills.
Have you closely read the full page ad published twice in the News-Sun by the park district? Their own numbers clearly show that the youth soccer teams in Waukegan currently do have sufficient room to play on neighborhood fields. Only an estimated 2,200 ADULT soccer players are currently not accommodated, and I would hazard a guess that many, or perhaps most of them are not from Waukegan anyway. At least that was my experience when our daughter was in high school and friends with area soccer players. Does anyone keep track of their hometown affiliations? Has anyone enquired why Mr. Fajardo, who seems to run the soccer programs in the city, as well as Fajardo Sporting Goods, is so interested in expanding adult soccer in Waukegan? What's his pecuniary interest in this and is it appropriate? The News-Sun doesn't seem to see the loss of this established golf course as a serious community issue. That's a sad commentary on what used to be a responsible local newspaper.
THE HOUND SAYS: Who cares if they are adults or kids playing soccer? Park districts are in the business of providing recreation, no matter what the age. Who cares where they're from? Most of the golfers at Orchard Hills probably weren't from Waukegan. Will a small businessman who sells soccer gear make more money? Maybe. Maybe he's a soccer fan who wants to see the game explode in the United States. Maybe others will open soccer gear shops. Losing a golf course isn't a serious community issue, especially one that was subsidized at $20 a round. There's probably more golf courses in Lake County than are needed. Providing recreational facilities for ALL residents is what the sports complex is about. There will be other fields besides soccer at the site. For the record, where do you live?