Sandy Frum Still Debating Walmart Decision

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Frum said she did not attend the public input meetings held by Northbrook's Plan Commission, but she has kept an eye on the statements being made and the decorum Northbrook has seen during the conversation.

"People are very passionate and I understand that perfectly," she said. "We're one community and I hope we remain one community."

Some residents have even contacted Frum directly, to share their thoughts on the store. 

"I'm getting opinions for and against," she said. "Mostly against."

The Village President says this is probably the biggest zoning decision she has seen in the 20-plus years she has been on the village board. 

"It's not just Walmart, it's the development along Skokie," she said. "I would equate it to the decision to build Northbrook Court, but Northbrook Court didn't go into a developed community," she said. 

One of the most important angles for Frum has been the traffic conditions in the Dundee and Skokie area, which numerous residents have mentioned throughout the public input meetings.

"I said originally, traffic is a major concern, but there will always be traffic," Frum said. "[Walmart] had to to provide traffic experts, but that's why we brought in our own experts, to broaden the scope."

"The biggest problem with that intersection is actually the Edens, so there's a certain limitation to what we can do," she added. "The train tracks is another [limitation], but that doesn't mean development shouldn't happen."

Another concern some people raised at the public input meetings has been the possibility of Walmart breaking promises it makes to the village if development is approved. 

For instance, if the proposal is brought to Northbrook's village board and it is approved under the condition that Walmart only operates as late as 10:00 p.m., could they turn around and run a 24-hour store once it is build.

However, Frum says the village attorneys would be responsible with preparing a legal agreement to keep Walmart accountable to its development promises.

"If there's one thing our attorneys are good at is getting all that into a signed document," she said. "That's the point of our attorneys."
  
The next Walmart public input meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the Center for the Performing Arts at Glenbrook North High School.