GLENVIEW, IL – The Village of Glenview has been named “Village of the Year” by the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago (HBAGC), which lauded the culture of cooperation between Village staff, Village review panels and customers seeking planning advice and development permits.
This is only the second time HBAGC has honored a municipality, based on criteria that make few qualify to be considered, according to the association. The award takes into consideration a cooperative atmosphere for development, growth and community planning, the balance between housing and commercial development and the collective goal to have successful, completed projects.
“Glenview is honored to be recognized for our development review process, which takes into account both the community’s goals for growth and the developer’s needs to get through the regulatory review process quickly,” Village President Jim Patterson said.
The association noted Glenview’s efforts to expedite permits, such as through the Same Day Permit Review process. Development reviews are front loaded with prescriptive requirements – such as ordinances and guidelines – so that developers are prepared for the process. A clear and efficient development review process is achieved through continual evaluation and coordination between staff, regulatory Commissions and the Village Board of Trustees.
“Glenview’s extended history of doing much of its review, education and homework on the front end of a development proposal puts it in a league of its own,” stated Pat Coveny, HBAGC president.
The association also took into account the numerous developments throughout Glenview and the resulting variety of residential product types – from single-family cluster homes to row homes and townhouses to mixed use buildings, apartments and senior housing.
“Glenview’s strategic planning, foresight and diversity of housing impressed the judges,” Coveny stated. “The judges saw the community lifestyle and value to residents as unique to Glenview.”
Following a post-World War II housing boom, Glenview’s residential growth was spurred again by the 1995 closing of the Glenview Naval Air Station. The 1,121 acres was redeveloped as The Glen, which included more than 2,000 new residential units.
At about the same time, areas outside the Glen experienced major changes due to the teardown phenomenon of the period. Yet, the new and established single-family homes co-exist harmoniously throughout the Village.
More recently, revitalization of the downtown business district and retail developments on the northwest and southeast corners of the Village have provided major additions to the housing stock, with new product types – such as apartments and single-family homes with master suites on the first floor – and unique architectural styles. In 2014-15 alone, more than 1,000 residential units were added throughout the Village.
“The many villages looking for the right formula need to learn from Glenview that this all takes leadership and cooperation,” HBAGC’s Coveny said.
Glenview received the “Village of the Year” award at the association’s Key Awards dinner on November 13 in Arlington Heights.
The not-for-profit Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago (HBAGC) was founded in 1939 and is a trade association representing more than 2,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other segments of residential construction. It is the oldest affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders whose headquarters are in Washington, D.C.
