Hello Wilmette! We hope you all enjoyed a special Thanksgiving with those near and dear. Now that leftovers are gone (and the turkey tryptophan has worn off) we’d like to share some additional food for thought via the local fare and insights below. Special thanks to all who have contributed their ideas and priorities as part of Community Poll #1, the first in a series focused on the Village’s Comprehensive Plan. We are also monitoring the stellar feedback being posted to the interactive comment map and ideas wall. To this we say — keep it coming… read on, share on, engage today.
Local Insights
- Oh 4th and Linden…You need some real long term help and beautification . Why is there no sandwich/ice cream place, Wilmette tourist shop for T-Shirts, or swim/surf shop with things to pick up before a beach day? Why no photo-op mural to stand in front of to pull people from the Bahai Temple or Lake? I would love to see some serious long term goals here… and yes, maybe more visible police presence in the form of an outpost, so that we might feel safer and make a connection with police?
- Clearly need to make Wilmette more inclusive and appealing to people of various ethnic and racial backgrounds. We must make Wilmette someplace that a wider range of people feel comfortable and want to live, work, play.
- Diversity and range of housing are important but those do NOT exist currently.
- Arts, culture, and entertainment is lacking in Wilmette.
- A pedestrian/bike overpass would help connect West Wilmette to the rest of the Village and finally provide a safer routs for students going to/from Avoca, Loyola, and new Trier West. Could be a possibility with the new infrastructure bill?
- The Green Bay Road corridor is a prime thoroughfare through the village, and a prime opportunity for enhancing the character of Wilmette. A vision for this linear axis is currently lacking. A clear vision is needed to provide direction for the development of properties to each side of Green Bay.
- Would like to see more bike access to Forest Preserve or Green Bay Trail from west Wilmette. Access that is not on the main roads, but is a series of paths that make getting to those trails part of the journey, not something that needs to be ‘gotten thru’ before you get to one of those trails.
- Keay Nature Learning Center is a favorite spot in Wilmette.
- A soundwall along the Edens could give Wilmette a clean/modern/caring good impression from the highway, and reduce both the highway noise and particulate matter in our neighborhoods. Some soundwalls in the Chicago area are decorative, with etched flowers/prairie grasses, and natural foliage can be retained on the neighborhood side.
- The latest thinking in traffic is roundabouts. I think that there are a number of problem intersections in Wilmette that could benefit from being redeveloped into roundabouts. Specifically, the five way intersection at Lake and Wilmette Ave/10th St. Roundabouts save gas, reduce serious accidents and smooth traffic flow.
- Love the recent changes to downtown Wilmette (eg expanded sidewalks to allow more al fresco dining, better lighting, area for musicians to perform in the evenings). Makes downtown feel more vibrant and creates a sense of community – and makes downtown Wilmette an attractive destination for dining on the North Shore.
Ready Set Wilmette 