'The Gated Community Of Burr Ridge'?

BURR RIDGE, IL — Burr Ridge officials last week approved a gate for a small subdivision. But a trustee warned against such a move, saying dozens of others would come forward with the same request.

At a Village Board meeting, the Pinecrest Court subdivision asked for a gate, a request the village rejected when it approved the development in the late 1990s. The subdivision is off Plainfield Road between County Line Road and Interstate 294. It is made up of three houses, worth well more than $1 million each, according to real estate websites.

Resident Aristotle Halikias said he and his neighbors, who are family, want the gate for security. His car has been broken into twice and vandalized once, suspicious cars are constantly driving into the cul-de-sac and big trucks often turn around there, he said.

"We have a sign that says 'private drive,' but that hasn't stopped anyone from coming in here," Halikias told the board.

One time, he said, his sister saw someone sitting in the subdivision for hours, so she went out to see if he was all right. Instead, he said, a car drove up and the driver accosted her, saying she had no right to check who was on the street.

"He started using all sorts of profanity and tried to intimidate and threaten my sister," Halikias said. "It was very upsetting to her as well as me."

Trustee Russell Smith said he liked the idea of a gate.

"When you mention safety, that concerns me, especially on the Cook County side. We've seen a lot of changes in the laws coming up. We have a state's attorney in Cook County that's not exactly tough on crime," Halikias said. "I fully support what you're trying to do."

Mayor Gary Grasso agreed. He said cars have been known to sit in the subdivision and that the trucks turning around there are also an issue.

At the same time, he said the village did not want to set a precedent for allowing gates just because subdivisions cite safety. But he said the police department could see merit for a gate in this case.

Trustee Guy Franzese, a longtime critic of subdivision gates, said the village researched crime reports in the subdivision and could only come up with one since 2016 — an unlocked car was rifled through. All the other crimes, he said, occurred before that.

"Car thefts and break-ins happen in my subdivision. The police do a great job to minimize those things. It's the society we live in," Franzese said.

He suggested Pinecrest Court join the police department's subdivision camera program, which now has license plate readers.

"When you see someone parked out front, don't engage them. Call the police," Franzese said.

Halikias said he has been encouraged to call the police when he sees suspicious cars, but he said he would be calling every day.

"What point do you risk being the guy who cried wolf?" he said.

He also said no cameras could stop trucks from turning around in the subdivision, to which Franzese responded that such maneuvers occur in all neighborhoods.

Franzese said approval of the gate would be precedent-setting.

"According to staff, there are 41 other subdivisions with similar situations to this subdivision, and in the past, we've said 'no' to the subdivisions who requested gates," Franzese said. "My concern is that those other subdivisions will request a gate. And instead of the community of Burr Ridge, we become the gated community of Burr Ridge. All 41 would want a gate once this is approved."

The board voted 4-2 for the gate, with Franzese and Trustee Anita Mital dissenting.

In December 2019, Franzese made a similar argument against a gate for the Cabernet Court subdivision. A resident said many unwanted cars were seen in the neighborhood daily.

In that meeting, Franzese noted his three decades of opposition to gates.

"I think they create isolationism in the village. We are trying to keep connectivity with our pathways," Franzese said.