By: Diane Benjamin
Some people are more special than others. If Koos appoints you to a Board or Commission it’s because your ideology aligns with his. That is why one Normal seat on the Connect Transit Board is still empty. Koos must have run out of people who think like him.
On the agenda for Monday night is something you aren’t supposed to understand. The documentation starting on PDF page 80 details what a special place One Normal Plaza is. (https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3621)
Here’s the agenda item:
What they want approved is looking at a microbrewery inside one of the existing buildings, of course you need to read everything to find that out.
The Town Council is not charged with “Initiating” Zoning text Amendments. They wouldn’t be asked to initiate anything if “average Joe” was the guy involved. Things are different if you are a “special friend” of Koos and company. (Sounds reminiscent of all the below market leases)
Remember Julie Hile who shows up everywhere, especially to usurp the processes in place for the Connect Transit Working Group? This time it’s her husband, Bob Broad.
Normal people have to take their case to the Planning Commission, it’s their job to make recommendations to the Council. PUD is mentioned frequently in the documentation.
The Planning Commission also:
Mr. Broad just happens to be on the Planning Commission: http://normal.org/401/Planning-Commission
The Planning Commission should be looking at the plans and holding public hearings. Instead the documentation claims “staff” talked to neighbors and held meetings. Those meetings were not public meetings requiring agendas and minutes, so whatever “staff” wants to say happened did happen.
Mr. Broad could easily recuse himself from discussion at the Planning Commission. PDF page 83:
Is he afraid the rest of Planning Commission won’t approve so he wants pre-approval?
“Staff” appears to have spent a lot of time gathering information that “average Joe” would have to gather himself when requesting a text amendment. “Joe” would probably have to hire a lawyer to walk him through the process.
I wonder if the proposed microbrewery will want a liquor license too? Will they also want to serve their brew? The microbrewery would be attached to Happy Splashes swimming pool with lots of kids around. Is that why Koos wants pre-approval by the Council so he can slide it by later?
Regardless of details, the Council should tell Koos and Broad to pound sand. Follow the procedures everybody else has to follow. Being best buds doesn’t make you superior to the rest of Normal’s citizens.
Koos’ Friends and Family plan needs terminated. If the Council won’t do it, the voters will early next year.
Are you kidding me? Both property owners are boards appointees hand selected by Koos. This smells as corrupt as when Koos gave Shields, who is another planning board appointee, $200k of taxpayer owned property. I would be so much wealthier if I could tolerate Koos as a friend.
I honestly can not believe this is even legal. The “Good Old Boys Club” is alive and well in Normal.
Isn’t there already a microbrewery being built, subsidized with tax abatement, on Beauford Steet?
Not to mention Destihl
Normal elites must think beer and marijuana are the magic savior from the fiscal disaster they created. The irony is, the only hope for taxpayers is to drink or smoke the past 20 years out of their memory.
I actually laughed in the face of a IWU economics professor that was a buddy of Renner who really thought marijuana production and sales would be a major industry in town that would rival the local insurance industry.
The Broads are just another out-of-state pox that have been scamming this community since they got here from Connecticut. Bob is a know-it-all lifetime academic that is an expert on everything. His wife charges exhorbitent consulting fees for her services which are basically used to benefit government. Both are ultra East Coast liberals who are local busy bodies trying to change this community into their image and likeness. They are biding their time for the right moments to get both of their kids on taxpayer-supported payrolls.
The bus used to stop at here until last year when Connect took the entire route away. I remember the protests at city hall. Julie Hile is queen bee on the CT board. Maybe she doesn’t want likes of people who ride the bus to mess up their idyllic vision of their property. I expect this is just another step in their “master plan”.
Great idea! Put a microbrew in an area where kids can walk to get a beer after they swim? Or before ? Or during? HAPPY SPLASH will take on a whole new meaning!
Tari got a microbrew now his man love wants one too!
Too late on the whole new meaning of Happy Splashes. The owner was charged several years ago for smoking the happy weed, but now it’s legal to use it for medicinal purposes, as he was doing at the time, so I guess it doesn’t matter if we put a brewery next to the place.
It’s important to note Julie Hile has her consulting business out there. I think they have some wild plans for developing the location, probably going to be pushing from some type of incentive from Normal. I’m sure that’s in the mix of all this somewhere. If not now, certainly later.
If anyone knows someone who’s children play Pewee football they should know ASAP Normal wants to route drinkers through the park where they play. Also if you know parents who’s kids go to the daycare there they should be concerned, their fenced playground is along that road.
I don’t get it. Government elites will shut down an economy in the name of safety, but if they can personally make a few bucks then the safety of children is irrelevant. Why am I not surprised.