Dear EHOA,

As an Englewood resident, I’m concerned about property taxes. When the mayor and council come up with a plan that they say will lower taxes, I’m interested. Unfortunately, there is no hard evidence that their current scheme-the redevelopment of the Englewood South Industrial area-will be the tax boon they’ve promised. If it isn’t, as Englewood residents, we will endure the additional burdens, both physical and financial.

The plan involves the condemnation of buildings occupied by businesses that now contribute over a million dollars in taxes each year. In their place, the city proposes to build a mixed-use development, with two high-rise office buildings, hotels and conference center, multi-level garages, apartments, townhouses, and retail stores.

We have no hard facts that prove that the plan is feasible. No environmental impact study has been done. No traffic study has been presented. How do we know that such a large project will be good for Englewood? How much will it cost to provide services to such a large development? And, how much more congestion and crowding will Englewood have to tolerate in order to bring this plan to fruition. As it is, downtown Englewood cannot accommodate the vehicular traffic it sees most days; how will it fare with an additional 6000 to 7000 cars a day?

I have lived in Englewood most of my life; I was raised here, and now have returned here to settle down. My grandmother moved the family business from Queens to Nordhoff Place in 1956. My brother runs the business today. Is he going to be driven out of Englewood for a pie-in-the-sky project? It the quality of life that I prize in Englewood going to be sacrificed in the name of possible Progress and Tax Relief?

Sincerely,

(Name Withheld on Request)
A Homeowner on Church Street

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