THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2006
Critics Lash Out Against Baldacchino
Two Park Ridge residents, Mayor Howard Frimark, and one alderman publicly commented this week on the latest lawsuit filed by Charles Baldacchino, calling upon him to drop the complaints and suggesting that the city consider legal sanctions against him, his attorneys, and his supporters.
Pat Livensparger, a frequent critic of the city's zoning and financial policies and initiatives, criticized Baldacchino for "inappropriate actions" and urged the city to do something to stop the flow of litigation. "No one else in the city supports him," she said.
Here is the text of remarks by the others:
* Ald. James Radermacher (4th) -- "Before the weather turned bad this weekend, I spent some time with my daughter at a park here in town. I had an opportunity to hear what my neighbors have been thinking about during the long cold winter months.
"Well, let me tell you what they're thinking. They're angry. They're angry about these lawsuits and they're angry with the person responsible for them. I can't speak for the rest of you, but in my area, if this were the 1800's, they would be gathering at Hodges Park with pitchforks, torches, and ropes.
"Now we have another in a long line of nuisance suits filed by Mr. Baldacchino. Mr. Mayor, this has gone on long enough. The taxpayers of this community have been forced to pay to defend themselves against a groundless lawsuit at a time of rising expenses and increasing taxes. The city staff and all the elected officials' time and attention has been distracted from important city business and the Uptown redevelopment project has been delayed and disrupted, to the detriment of the citizens and businesses of Park Ridge.
"I therefore request that the city attorney review the newest unfounded and frivolous suit brought about by Mr. Baldacchino, his attorney, and all who have aided and abetted his actions, and seek any and all sanctions available to secure remedies for the residents and taxpayers of Park Ridge."
* Mayor Frimark - "In another attempt to delay and derail the city council's plans to redevelop Uptown, Charles Baldacchino has filed a new lawsuit. He originally filed a suit against tie city in June of 2005. In that action, the judge found that he attempted to manufacture standing by conveniently moving to an address closer to the project after he filed the lawsuit. Wisely, the court didn't buy into his blatant misuse of the system and dismissed Baldacchino from that suit. He didn't like the trial court's ruling, so he is appealing it.
"Lenders to developers are not inclined to loan money on projects that are burdened by an appeal,. Therefore, in response to Baldacchino's pending appeal, the city agreed to "guarantee" a portion of the developer's construction loan. The "guarantee" was structured in such a way as to present the l east risk to the city.
"It is highly unlikely that the city will ever be called upon to fund the guarantee. The city council, after lengthy debate, balanced this minimal risk against the huge cost of delay if the Uptown development could not proceed as planned. Baldacchino, by virtue of the lawsuit from which he was dismissed, caused the lender to require the guarantee. Now, he has sued the city over the very guarantee that was established to deal with that lawsuit.
"The city has been assured that it is on solid legal ground in moving the development forward by approving the guarantee. Our city attorney has been instructed to move quickly to defend against this new action, including exploration of a counter-claim against Baldacchino.
"I wish to assure our residents that we will do everything in our power to keep the Uptown project on schedule despite Baldacchino's attempts to derail it by a lawsuit that serves nothing but his personal agenda"
* Judy Barclay, spokeswoman for CURBB, or Citizens United to Retain Residential Balance - "We would like to voice our opposition to (Baldacchino's) action. We realize mistakes may have been made and CURBB,, together with many other residents, have expressed well-documented opposition to certain aspects of Uptown's proposed redevelopment.
"However, this issue has been through the process, now it's time to move forward. These lawsuits and continued stoppages are counter-productive. Part of staff's time is taken up by these lawsuits, when there are many pressing issues that require their attention. This is costing the city money at a time when we have a deficit budget.
"Residents don't deserve to have to continue to look at an ugly mud and water hole cavity in the heart of our once beautiful Uptown. We fail to understand Mr. Baldacchino's motives for these lawsuits, perhaps it is a personal vendetta or political agenda. In the process, he is punishing the residents, not only monetarily, but with the continued inconvenience of delayed construction and visual unpleasantness.
"We do understand his frustration and desire to do something. We appeal to him to stop pursuing these lawsuits, they are not good for our town.
"Instead, we ask him, as well as residents, to channel their energies on what lies ahead - Executive Plaza, Target Area three in Uptown, and other projects. These will be presenting the very same issues - building height, density, parking, traffic, and open space - just as we faced in Target Area 2. Perhaps we have all learned from the mistakes that may have been made, and we can work together to insure that every forthcoming project is done correctly and in the best interests of Park Ridge and its residents."