http://robertsonneighbor.home.comcast.net We strongly disagree with the proposal to rezone 104 Robertson Avenue (Nestlerest Park) and the related Planned Unit Development (PUD) condominium project proposal for the following reasons: 1. Poor use of land - Lake Zurich currently has no less than 12 multi-family residence developments plus the 23 planned units that will be a part of the Grandview Gateway Building. The current real estate market, including the downtown area, has an excess number of townhomes and condos for sale, adding more may depress housing values further. There is no need to add any more condominiums. This land should remain zoned R-4 for single-family residential use or turned into green space. Lake Zurich is becoming a town of malls, many of which are closing, of condominiums, many of which are not being sold, and of fast fixes, many of which are backfiring. We need to preserve the areas that are still majestic, beautiful and appealing to the townspeople and spread that success to other areas in Lake Zurich. Lake Zurich should not be designed like an Arlington Heights or a Palatine but designed with the passion of the Lake in mind and its natural amenities surrounding it in mind. 2.Safety - Robertson Road currently dead ends at South Shore Lane. With the addition of 110 condominium units resulting in at least 220 vehicles, traffic will become extremely congested. The 200% increase in the number of cars causes grave concerns about the safety of our children as they ride bikes, play about the neighborhood or even wait at a bus stop in our small neighborhood. This not only impacts the local residents but also the year-round exercise enthusiasts who favor our lake for its quiet beauty. Robertson Road has been part of the annual Alpine Race course for 30 years. Safety on the lake is also an issue. With potential additional boat traffic will the tax payers have to employ a full time boat officer instead of the part time one we have now 3. Long-term benefits/Historic Preservation - Although it may at first appear to the Planning Commission that putting this PUD project on Nestlerest Park is a good idea, it is not a good long-term solution. If the Planning Commission and Village Board members look at the big picture, rather than a quick fix that will make a fast buck for the developer, they will realize that their reputations (and that of the City of Lake Zurich) and re-election will depend upon their decisions regarding appropriate land use for the future of Lake Zurich, as well as its current and future residents. There are some members of the board that were elected on a controlled environment ticket and this use of Nestlerest doesn\'t meet that definition. The TIF district has already seen one sweetheart deal fail; there is no guarantee this will be any better. The current absentee owner of Nestlerest has let the property go and the village has failed to enforce building code. Instead of rewarding the owner by allowing this PUD, the village should force him to bring the property up to code. With the Lake Zurich Inn razed and other properties like the Robertson house in danger, the Nestlerest property has historic value to the village and should be preserved. 4. Impact on Village Services - additional high density, lower value residences in Lake Zurich will put an additional burden on our schools and tax-base. The increased property taxes will most likely not cover the increase in students. This is already being seen in the TIF district. It is also an inappropriate use of village resources\' time and efforts to approve this development when more pressing issues concerning the downtown legal situation remain unresolved and new and planned housing there is unsold. 5. Environmental Impacts - There are numerous 100+ year old oak trees on the property that will have to be removed. As you enter the city of Lake Zurich, one sign states Lake Zurich is a member of the Arbor Foundation. As we have already removed significant amounts of old tree growth with the Route 22 expansion, it does not make sense to remove more. Lake Zurich doesn\'t seem to take pride in being a member of the Arbor Foundation. We also have concerns on the impact to the lake environment during and after construction. For example, the Route 22 construction run-off went in to the lake, untreated, and has completely changed the quality of the water. 6. Quality of Life - Two of the top ten problems facing the United States today are costly oil due to over usage, and global warming. These problems are what people in the United States want to change. Building a condominium complex in the Nestlerest Park area where there is a stunning display of natural habitat, would be contrary to what the people are yearning to change. The noise levels on Robertson Road would increase due to the increase in service vehicles (and oil usage) needed to help the people living in the condominium complex. The noise levels down Rand Road have increased exponentially because of the increase in traffic. Do we need this same kind of chaos on Robertson Road This petition will be sent to the Planning Commission and Lake Zurich Village Board.