Young Vs. Old In Clarendon Hills Battle?

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – The Clarendon Hills Village Board met at Christ Lutheran Church on Monday.

A large cross hovered over the officials. "Love" and "Peace" signs hung on the walls.

The trustees needed a bigger venue to discuss the issue of a controversial plaza downtown.

For some, the divisions over the plaza, which would replace a traffic triangle, came down to a generational divide – young vs. old.

Under that theory, the young welcome a plaza, making downtown more inviting and modern. The old want to keep things as is, promoting traffic safety – or so the theory goes.

During public comments, resident Taps Gallagher, a critic of the board, scoffed at the theory. He asked why more young people weren't in the audience if they were so interested in a plaza.

Most of the crowd, he said, was over 60.

Trustee John Weicher interrupted.

"Are you going to babysit their kids?" he said. "Don't criticize working parents for not being here."

Gallagher bristled.

"Don't come at me telling me what I'm saying," he said.

"I will," Weicher shot back.

Gallager said he has been involved in village affairs for decades, when he was a lot younger.

Speaking after Gallagher was resident Laura Donnelly. She said she had to get a babysitter to attend the meeting.

In the last decade, Donnelly said, Westmont and Hinsdale have updated their downtowns. Calling herself a plaza supporter, Donnelly said Clarendon Hills should do the same.

Resident Alex Blair said he, too, wanted to push back on the notion that young families don't want to get involved, saying he and his wife also had to hire a babysitter.

He also rejected the idea of a young-old split. He counted himself and his wife as supporters of keeping the triangle as is.

For months, the debate has weighed on village trustees.

Trustee Chris Lang expressed his frustration that some in town are portraying local elected officials as "monsters" who seek to ruin downtown. He said they wanted to make Clarendon Hills even better.

"I hope you don't think we're here to destroy it and appease one or two businesses," he said.