Low-cost and quick street beautification: The village dropped a bundle on the west end of North Avenue to enhance the attractiveness of Oak Park and help some real estate speculators. That obstructed traffic and restricted parking. It is considering butchering another through-street to enhance business and justify expanding the Ike. To make Oak Park less inviting, the village dropped a pile of ugly, ill-conceived and now untended flower pots in front of the Fresh Market [on Madison] and seems to be adding more as other merchants want them moved. They need to be relocated.
My suggestion is to build the “Tower of Oak Park” in front of or behind village hall. A single stack of large round pots could be topped with more small round ones. The trustees and manager would be required to visit it when considering new proposed expenditures, especially those with continuing expense.
The Fresh Market building has an interesting history. Jewel squeezed an undersized grocery store there, which eventually included an Osco. They later complained that they needed a liquor license to remain viable and were granted it. They then removed the groceries, leaving only an Osco with a liquor department which still could not survive, leaving a vacant store.
Fresh Market came in and after dealing with some problems became a good neighbor. It lacks some of the polish that the bigger chains have and carries a single brand of most items.
I am nosy about what goes on in my precinct. I have wandered the parking lot looking at vehicle stickers and found only a few from Oak Park. Many people catch the eastbound bus with sacks of groceries. It brings in out-of-town sales tax. It is in a food desert from Fullerton to Lake and from Harlem to Central.
Lewis Carmichael
Oak Park
