6000 W Touhy Ave, Or, How A North Edgebrook Community Is Fighting An Injustice
show·down / [shoh-doun]
-noun
1. the laying down of one’s cards, face upward, in a card game, esp. poker.
2. a conclusive settlement of an issue, difference, etc., in which all resources, power, or the like, are used; decisive confrontation: An international showdown was inevitable.
-Synonyms 2. crisis, climax, encounter, clash.
Source: dictionary.com
Although the showdown we’re about to witness is limited to Chicago’s North Edgebrook neighborhood, it is indeed inevitable. It evolves around the building at 6000 W. Touhy Ave. which houses the Frozen Ropes baseball training center, Edgebrook Bank, and Athletico Rehab Center. This building was newly constructed a couple of years ago, and has been the subject of a highly poisoned relationship between the residents of a 94 home subdivision encompassing Meade, McVicker, and Sherwin Avenues and the owner of 6000 W. Touhy, Gus Tountas (Full disclosure: My family and I are residents of this subdivision). Below, is an aerial photo of the site in question.
History
The original zoning designation of this property was B2-1, when it housed medical offices which were eventually torn down. In 2003, the property was up-zoned to B4-1, in order to accommodate the current owner’s request to build a structure that would be able to house a baseball academy. Actually, the owner had sought a C-zoning (a higher zone than the baseball academy required), but the residents fought hard to limit the zoning change to B4-1. At the time, the owner’s representatives (architects, developers, attorneys) gave numerous presentations during meetings with the residents of the affected community, Ald. Doherty, and the 41st Ward Zoning Advisory Board at the Olympia Park Fieldhouse, assuring everybody that no further development would be proposed for this site once the structure for the baseball academy was built. The preparation of traffic studies was promised to the residents and to the Alderman. The residents never saw any of these traffic studies. The parking requirements were pegged at approx. 75 cars which were noted as adequate and sufficient, per the developer himself. Moreover, maintenance of “open space” between this property and its residential neighbors was promised. In return for having been granted B4-1 zoning rights, the owner had to agree to abide by certain restrictive covenants. The 78,000 sqft. structure was eventually built, but in late 2004, when the Chicago Zoning Ordinance was revised from the ground up, 6000 W Touhy was automatically re-classified as a B3-1 zone (Community Shopping Center).
Three Years Later
Gus Tountas, the owner of 6000 W Touhy, has been renting office space to Edgebrook Bank, and to Athletico. At the east end of the building, he himself operates the Frozen Ropes Baseball Academy. In 2007, the residents of the subdivision north of Touhy were informed that Mr. Tountas had applied for a permit to construct a 300-car garage on his property, consisting of an underground level, and two stories above grade. This garage was to be built on the part of the property which is currently designated the outdoor parking area for approx. 75 vehicles. Residents of the subdivision met with Ald. Doherty several times last year to discuss this situation which is unacceptable to the residents. Ald. Doherty had explained during one of these meetings that Mr. Tountas had approached him with an inquiry about the possibility of building a 300-car garage at 6050 W. Touhy, were Mr. Tountas to purchase that property. 6050 W Touhy is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Touhy and Meade Avenues and is owned by a church (Evangelical Students Fellowship). Ald. Doherty made it clear to Mr. Tountas that he would not allow him to build a garage on that property, were he to purchase it.
Mr. Tountas subsequently went to Plan B, and applied for a permit for the garage on his own property. Problems crept up with his application because apparently the rear setback requirements mandated by the zoning ordinance could not be met. Throughout this, Mr. Tountas has been consulting with the venerable Jim Banks, whom he had presumably hired to take care of the “problem”.
Why The Need For A 300-Car Garage?
This is the question residents have been asking themselves and Alderman Doherty, but nobody has had an answer. The businesses that are currently operating at 6000 W Touhy sure would not have a need for that many parking spaces. Mr. Tountas’ lips have been sealed, and the attorney that he has been sending to the Zoning Advisory Board meetings with the residents, hasn’t had any answers either. Finally, a few weeks ago, the residents of the subdivision decided to organize a petition to have 6000 W Touhy downzoned to B1-1 (Neighborhood Shopping Center). Over 90 signatures were collected and forwarded to Ald. Doherty. The ball has been in the court of the Zoning Advisory board ever since, which first held a meeting on May 7, 2008 to discuss this petition with the residents. At the conclusion of that meeting, Ald. Doherty promised to contact the City Zoning Administrator to inquire whether a 300-car garage would be permitted under any of the B-zoning classifications. That meeting also brought to light the Alderman’s hesitation to downzone the property to B1-1. He’d much rather downzone it to B2-1, arguing that [sic] he’d hate to take away people’s property rights.
And what about the rights of the neighboring residents, Mr. Alderman, who would have to endure a massive clogging of their subdivision, due to 300 cars attempting to exit the subdivision with a traffic light on Meade Ave. that has a 2-minute red/20-second green cycle? And please remember, Meade Ave. is the only legitimate ingress/egress point for this shopping center. The east gate entrance of the center faces an easement on Center Point Road that is leased by Mr. Tountas. We have witnessed in the past that the owner of the easement has barricaded the east entrance of the center for one reason or another, leaving Meade Ave. as the only ingress/egress points. Take a look at 
the picture below. It shows a 5-car backup on Meade Ave., waiting at the red light, at a time when we don’t even have the 300-car garage yet. Now, allow me to paint a picture here: Imagine about 80 cars attempting to exit from the center on to Meade Ave., all at the same time, with a 2-minute red light. Mayhem? You bet! And I’m not even talking about the noise and the exhaust fumes of the idling engines that would pollute the lungs of dozens of children that live in our subdivision. How ’bout a traffic study?
The Smoking Gun
The second meeting of the residents with Ald. Doherty and the Zoning Advisory Board regarding this issue was scheduled for June 4, 2008. Ald. Doherty reported that he had contacted the office of Chicago’s zoning administrator Patty Scudiero with an inquiry as to whether or not a 300-car parking garage on the site at 6000 W Touhy Ave. would be permissible, in terms of the zoning ordinance. Alas, he hadn’t received an answer yet.
One of the residents of the subdivision, had been proactive though and had done a little research of her own on the cityofchicago.org website, prior to the second meeting. And what she found there, was a big piece of the puzzle. Take a look at this:
Mr. Tountas has been quietly filing a permit for the operation of a health club at 6000 W Touhy, apparently to replace the Frozen Ropes Baseball Academy operation. Rumors are, it’s for “L A Fitness”. However, if you look at the status of the permit, you’ll notice that it was denied on May 29, 2008. No one knows why. But the revelation of this piece of news angered Ald. Doherty to no end, particularly, because he had spoken with Mr. Tountas’ attorney Jim Banks in the morning, who never mentioned anything to the Alderman about these plans. Tountas’ attorney present at the meeting didn’t know anything about this either (at least, so he claims).
Ald. Doherty throws down the gauntlet
This is not the first time that Mr. Tountas has shown nothing but contempt for Ald. Doherty, let alone the residents of the adjacent community. Apparently, the construction of the building was supposed to be done with the help of union workers, but Mr. Tountas ended up hiring non-union labor. Certainly less expensive for him, but major headaches for the Alderman who had to respond to angry union phone calls afterwards. For months on end, residents had to listen to picketing union workers voicing their discontent with loud bullhorns, as early as 7:00 am.
In the winter of 2006/2007, Mr. Tountas hired a company that drilled a hole in his parking lot close to Meade Ave., and subsequently pierced a gas main. About 30 Peoples Energy trucks, along with an army of Peoples Energy field technicians were on the scene, trying to repair the damage throughout the day. Of course, the gas supply to the entire subdivision had to be suspended for a whole day. In the winter. Some residents’ front yards had to be completely dug up. The company that pierced the gas line disappeared from the scene, as quickly as they had shown up. Peoples Energy certainly doesn’t fix problems that are caused by their customers, for free, so they turned to Mr. Tountas. He pointed the finger at his contractor who in turn told Peoples Energy that they merely dug a hole where they were told by Mr. Tountas. Not sure where they stand on that discussion, at the moment. But the main travesty is that the residents who were left without heat and other gas-driven necessities in the middle of the winter, didn’t even receive as much as a letter of apology from Mr. Tountas.
So, Ald. Doherty, threw down the gauntlet last Wednesday night, and instructed Mr. Tountas’ attorney in no uncertain terms to let his client know that the Advisory Board expects to see Mr. Tountas in person at the next Advisory Board meeting on July 2, 2008, in order to hear what his plans are for 6000 W Touhy. Should Mr. Tountas fail to show up, Mr. Doherty will downzone the property to B1-1.
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Tags: 60646, Blog, Chicago, Contract, Edgebrook, Home, House, Neighborhood, Zoning
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Thanks for the history of the 6000 W. Touhy site. The owner’s recent conduct makes it easy to see why he built such an ill-fitting structure on that land in the first place. I would welcome a new health club in the neighborhood (The Y just doesn’t cut it with its dated facilities and sandpapery towels), but if they aren’t able to create additional access to/from Touhy, that facility would be a nightmare of its own. Hopefully the alderman will stand up for your rights in what’s already a difficult situation for you and your neighbors.
I was torn, as to whether or not I ought to write about this story at all, given the fact that I am affected as a resident, myself. But given the magnitude of this shopping center, and the zoning controversies attached to it, let alone the fact that it is located in 60646, I felt compelled to weigh in. I full well realize that the owner of this property has invested a large amount of money in it, and naturally needs a return. However, even in that capacity, there are certain responsibilities that he had previously agreed to shoulder, even before ground was broken, and one of them was that he would not subject the property (and the residents of the adjacent subdivision) to any higher-intensity uses, other than what was proposed, in terms of the baseball academy. He now wants to change the rules, for reasons that only he is aware of. This is unacceptable.
The residents of the subdivision are first and foremost concerned with the protection of their children and themselves from traffic accidents, the chance of which would naturally increase if we allowed the amount of vehicles frequenting Touhy/Meade Ave. to more than triple. As it is, we’ve had five or six traffic accidents at that intersection ever since this building was constructed, one of them involving a fatality. Obviously, a curb cut off of Touhy Ave is out of the question, because the building sits so close to the road (which is one of the factors that explains the high rate of accidents at that intersection – drivers just can’t see around the building well enough, see the last picture). Hence, the only possible ingress/egress point is Meade Ave. The easement on Center Point Road is just that: an easement which could be revoked at the easement owner’s will, and then we’re really just left with Meade Ave.
Thanks for chiming in, JB.
any one notice gus paid no taxes on his building its still listed as a medicial building that is exempted? go to cook county assessor office interactive map still shows pic of old medicial building not the new building. did he commit fraud not paying by claiming its still a medicial building? http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/
Edit, based on reader Steve Krypchinsky’s correct assertion that property tax matters relating to 6000 W Touhy have nothing to do with the issue of the 288-car parking garage: Screenshots of property tax info for 6000 W Touhy were removed.
Nota bene: Property tax info is public information, nonetheless.
all those people complaining about accidents on Meade Street, this can be fixed by putting a simple sign on the light that says “no turn on red”. Second, the light frequency should be changed by the city. By this i mean that it should change from green to red more often, and be green for a little longer duration. This would help if there were a parking garage that was being built that required more cars to exit. Third, to those who are complaining about children in the subdivision; this building is facing a very small portion of the subdivision, and is located near the exit. I don’t see why any parent would let there children walk alone to the exit of the subdivision, which is Touhy Ave. A very high traffic area and busy street. Thats just bad parenting. DON’T LET YOUR KIDS WALK THROUGH BUSY STREETS ALONE! Anyone who is complaining about exhaust fumes…. please…. put your children in a bubble if your going to think about the environment or move out of the chicagoland area and go somewhere rural. The train tracks on lehigh are less than a half mile away, you don’t complain to the government to move that big polluting noisy beast? That is not a valid excuse. And for the people nosing into Gus’s property taxes? This is not your business, nor anyone’s but Gus’s and the city of Chicago. You have no right to snoop around, and even worse, criticize this man based on his property taxes. The parking garage is made for 300 cars, but there is no way 300 cars will ever be there at once or leave at the same time. Get the light fixed and there will be no congestion on Meade.
Hi Steve,
thanks for chiming in with your thoughts on this subject. You bring up a number of good points, and some that I disagree with, but let’s tackle them one-by-one:
>>”No turn on red”-sign. Pure torture, with a 3 min. red-light cycle for Meade, but that’s not the main problem that makes this intersection so accident-prone. The problem is that Touhy traffic (both east and westbound) is so used to speeding on that stretch (because they know they have a long green light) that sometimes they can’t stop on time to avoid collisions with Meade traffic. I’ve personally witnessed this, and when I get a green light on Meade, I make sure to wait an extra 2 or 3 seconds before turning onto Touhy. Now, if you suggested the installation of a red-light camera for Touhy traffic, I’d be all ears.
>> Changes in the traffic light system on Meade. Yes Sir, I’m in full agreement with you on that. Only, it hasn’t been happening for years, and it’s not because it hasn’t been applied for. Btw, the traffic light on Meade was financed by Target around the corner. I wonder if they have any say in the frequency of light changes.
>>Children playing around the building. Well, Steve, believe it or not, but right around the Meade Ave. entrance of 6000 W Touhy, there are a number of families that have children of varying ages. Where else would they ride their bikes, or hang out with their neighborhood friends other than around their own homes? Now, I do agree with you that parents should always keep an eye on their children. However, keep in mind that this is sort of a cul-de-sac subdivision where you wouldn’t expect the kind of vehicular traffic that you ordinarily see on Chicago side streets.
>>Exhaust fumes. The issue of exhaust fumes is not an issue at the moment. A respectable number of cars (as a result of a 288-car parking garage) waiting at the never-ending Meade Ave. red light though, makes it become one. It’s called carbon-monoxide concentration. Aside from the kids, Steve, I wouldn’t even want you to be subjected to that, sitting in your car, waiting for the green light. Yes, we’re all surrounded by pollution, but does it become an issue only when we’re all dead? Speaking of the train tracks on Lehigh, you have a good point: Those Metra and Amtrak trains are noisy and smelly. But guess what: I’d much rather suffer from their noise and pollution than have to read about people get hit and killed by them, as has happened twice this year in Edgebrook.
>>Mr. Tountas’ property taxes. First off, let me tell you that I agree with you that Mr. Tountas’ property taxes have nothing to do with the dispute between him and the residents of the subdivision, on the subject of the proposed parking garage. And if you noticed, in my response to the comment of McVicker resident, I did disagree with him that Mr. Tountas had anything sinister going on with regard to the property taxes on his building. However, I’m sure you are aware that property tax information about properties in Cook County are not stored in a “secret” black box. They are public information, and anyone has permission/access to this information, simply by visiting the websites of the Cook County Assessor and the Cook County Treasurer, alternatively filing a Freedom of Information Act request.
Steve: You should come and hang out on our block for four or five days in a row (as if you lived there) and you’d see what we mean.
Putting up a sign doesn’t do anything. People going down Touhy blow the light all the time (my husband pulled out onto Touhy on a green light and was t-boned by an elderly man in June 06 and still suffers problems from it), and a red light doesn’t stop people from turning LEFT so I don’t know why a sign would work any better.
The frequency of the light needs to be changed by IDOT, not the city, and several letters have been written to them, but it seems like it will take an act of congress to get this done. And this would not solve all the problems, just ease the congestion a little.
You must not have children or you wouldn’t be telling people to be better parents. We are very good parents, but there are cars speeding down our streets at 40 mph because they realize they are in a dead-end and must go around to go back out onto Touhy. There are also 18 wheelers who mistakenly turn down our streets thinking they can get to Target or Costco or any of the other businesses on Gross Point Road. A child doesn’t have a chance (even a well-behaved, obedient child) against an 18-wheeler!
And no, we don’t think our kids should be in a bubble. They should be free to run and play in their own neighborhood without excess polution and fumes from too many cars in one place.
And I expect any business owner in the area to pay their property taxes JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. It’s just an example of the sneakiness that is going on since this guy came to our neighborhood.
Come to the next advisory board meeting and get yourself informed before you weigh in on something you don’t know much about.
Was it a holiday sugar-induced nightmare, or did I see flags flying in front of 6000 advertising monthly rates for something or other?
I suppose it’s a message promoting memberships for something or another at the Frozen Ropes facility.
On another fly-by, got a closer look at those flags. Some are for Frozen Ropes, but others are for 14.99/mo gym memberships. The URL on the flags is something like cyntenergyfitness.com, although that spelling in particular doesn’t have an active site when I try it on my phone. Hope its not too late to stop him.
I don’t think that it’s about stopping this latest endeavor, rather the subdivision’s residents’ concerns about the construction of the 300-car garage.
It’s http://www.cyntergyfitness.com and the website is currently “off-line”, but the sign says something like “sports training” so while they are promoting it as a gym membership, it doesn’t sound like it’s a typical health club like we were expecting.
Quit all the whinnnnnning you still live in CHICAGO not Wilmette
The tax generated from these buisnesses keep your taxes down
I would suggest that you all move but seeing that your all city workers
most likely on disability you have to stay SO LUMP IT
Thank you for chiming in Mr./Mrs. pigman, but really, the issue has been tabled: The garage is not going to get built. And, we’re all quite comfortable living where we live. Moreover, we were not complaining about our property taxes, rather, about the real possibility that the dozens of children in our subdivision could be endangered by the traffic (and its exhaust fumes) of a 300-car garage.