Cops post November activity
Buffalo Grove Police listed 132 incidents for November on its transparency site where many interactions are listed.
Of the incidents reported during November, there were two reports of battery including one that, a report summary noted, was “Aggravated Battery - Peace Officer, Policing Volunteer, Fireman, Security Officer”, four reports of criminal damage to property, two reports of criminal trespassing, two reports of disorderly conduct, which includes harassment by electronic devices, 13 assorted driving violations, five reports of DUI, 10 reported thefts, and one report of a vehicle theft. The largest category are calls listed under “local codes” which includes dog bites, public service calls and well-being checks. The department’s “incident map” reported 88 local code calls during November.
The listed November activity does not include special holiday enforcements that the department participates in. During the “Click It or Ticket” enforcement from Nov. 12to Dec. 2, the department reported 77 traffic citations including 8 speeding citations, 27 occupant restraint citations, five electronic device use citations, 37 other traffic citations and three traffic arrests.
Recently police activity
Buffalo Grove police listed these incidents:
· Package thefts. Police report the following thefts of delivered packages:
o The theft of one package from the common area at an apartment on Oak Creek Dive.
o Three packages from the front door of a residence in the 600 block of Grove Drive.
o Two packages were stolen from the vestibule area of a housing complex in the 100 block of south Buffalo Grove Rd.
o A man reportedly stole worth of merchandise from Woodman’s Market, 1550 E Deerfield Pkwy
· A 23-year-old man is due in court on Dec. 19 facing domestic battery charges after a November incident in the 800 block of Trace Drive
· The theft of a catalytic converter was removed from the victim’s Hyundai, in the 1100 block of Johnson Drive.
· A 27-year-old Kenosha man was due in court Dec. 3 to face charges of Aggravated DUI, Unlawful possession of a controlled substance, Disobeyed a traffic control device, Improper lane usage, Failure to signal when required.
· A 40-year-old man from Seattle is due in court Dec. 17 to face charges of fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, leaving the scene of an accident, unsafe backing on a roadway, operating an uninsured motor vehicle after an incident Nov. 30 at the intersection of Dundee Road and Ellen Drive.
· A 48-year-old Wheeling man was arrested and charged with domestic battery and criminal damage to property after an incident in the 0-10 block of University Drive on Dec. .
· A box truck in the 1300 block of N. Barclay Boulevard was vandalized and the steering column was damaged.
· Police report that “a subject” stole a can of Red Bull from a store in the 700 block of east Lake-Cook Road without paying. Police report that this investigation is ongoing. No bull.
News in Review
Board OKs first step for new facilities
The Village Board last week approved a “Purchase and Sale Agreement” (PSA) for the building and property at 1100 Lake-Cook Rd. which could possibly be the site of a new village hall and police station. The 8.3-acre site includes a 96,731-square-foot building.
The keyword is could. While the Board approved the PSA along with $140,000 in consultant fees, the actions do not commit the village to purchasing and developing the site. The purchase price tag is $6.25 million.
According to a background memo to the Board, Village Manager Dane Bragg emphasized that “The PSA authorizes a 90-day due diligence period, allowing the Village to evaluate the site’s physical, structural, environmental, and operational suitability before determining whether to proceed to closing.”
The village is eyeing updated and upgraded facilities because both the village hall and police station are older facilities, village hall being built in 1970 and the police station in 1988, and need, according to staff, substantial renovations.
Plans for a revamped or new village hall and police station would fit into the village’s facility upgrade program. A new public works building, renovating fire stations (Nos. 25 and 26) have all dotted the village’s facility landscape recently. The public works building on Leider Lane opened last year while work on fire station No. 25 on Dundee Road also began in 2024. Work on fire station No. 26 on Highland Grove is expected to start in 2026.
The projects, along with plans for a new village hall and police station, were identified in 2017 space needs study, which was updated earlier this year, and according to a village press release, identified a need for a “minimum of 75,000 square feet to support a combined municipal facility, offering the flexibility required for modern collaborative workspaces, public meeting areas, and secure police operations.”
The focus of the plan right now, besides a $100,000 initial earnest deposit, is a 90-day due diligence period during which, according to reporting in the Daily Herald, will be used “…The agreement calls for a 90-day due diligence period to evaluate the site’s physical, structural, environmental, and operational suitability, after which the village board will decide on whether to close.”
And while staff and some made passionate statements in favor of new facilities, not all Village Board Members share their enthusiasm. The most vocal opponent to the project is Trustee Dave Weidenfeld who said the contract presented to the Board is “not a good deal at all.” Weidenfeld questioned the plan saying he is “Not sure we need all the grandiose stuff.”
Weidenfeld said he is concerned about the overall benefits to residents. He said the village needs to look at “infrastructure improvements that are more of a benefit to our residents.” He also warned of future financial implications. “Everyone who sits up here, myself included, and talks about keeping taxes low shouldn’t be voting for this,” adding that “You can’t claim to be protecting residents financially when you breech your fiduciary duties.”
Joining Weidenfeld in his opposition to the purchase was Denise Bocek. While both village hall and existing police station “are in need of substantial grades or replacement,” she said she wasn’t sure how well the property at 1100 Lake-Cook Road would function as a village hall and police station. She expressed concern that the “uncertainty of the cost” since the village hall and police station are not “typical office spaces and have specific construction needs.”
Comments from other trustees cited the need for improved facilities for village administration and the police department and emphasized that the approval of the PSA was not the approval for the project by a long shot.
Trustee Joanne Johnson said the reality is “we need to invest millions of dollars in this building (village hall). There is no commitment for purchase.” She said the PSA was “fiscally the most responsible next step to take, before we invest millions on repairs, or consider new construction which will be probably double the cost of adapting this building (1100 Lake-Cook). I think we need to get solid information to see if 1100 Lake-Cook is a better long-term solution.”
Trustees did not discuss what would happen to the existing village hall property if the village decides to purchase the property at 1100 Lake-Cook Road. One village official told the Buffalo Grove Report that the future development or reuse of the existing village hall property would be consistent with plans of the Lake-Cook corridor.
The 90-day due diligence period will run through, noted Bragg’s memo March 10, 2026 after which the Board has 45 days, or, notes the memo “or until its next regular meeting to authorize action.” The Board memo also notes that “If the Board takes no action, the contract automatically terminates with all earnest money refunded.”
If the Board decides to proceed, closing would take, as indicated in the memo “shortly after Board authorization.” The purchase is “anticipated to be funded through existing revenues.”
Additional reporting can be found in this Daily Herald report.
Plan commissioners scheduled to consider proposed Chase Plaza redevelopment
The Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to learn about plans to redevelop the Chase Plaza, 1160 Lake-Cook Rd., at a scheduled meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
The plaza has been largely vacant since Dominick’s Food Stores closed in 2013.
According to village officials, Shorewood Development Group has the former Dominick’s property and the adjacent out lot parcel in Chase Plaza under contract
The plan, notes reporting in the Daily Herald, is anchored by a “Club Studio,” a 34,000 square foot “fitness and wellness center and 27,000 square feet of what village officials say will be “..flexible retail space designed to accommodate local and national tenants.”
Club Studio is based in Irvine, California and is planning clubs in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood and Wilmette. Club Studio’s parent company is Fitness International, LLC, which also owns L.A. Fitness.
The redevelopment is being spearheaded by the Shorewood Development Group, which is developing Bison Crossing adjacent to the Tesla dealership on Dundee Road. The focus of its proposal is the existing structure that housed Dominick’s and other retail venues.
Shorewood’s main focus is to revamp the plaza’s facade and other improvements to enhance the plaza. Redevelopment of the out lot that is the site of the shuttered Buffalo restaurant is not part of the plans set to be presented to the PZC at the scheduled Dec. 17 meeting.
In Brief
Survey: Residents are safe and like the cops
A survey mailed to 1,500 residents and business owners found that most feel safe walking in their neighborhoods and the police department does a good job. -- Coverage from the Daily Herald.
Lake water coming soon
Residents in the Pekara, Inverrary and Horatio Gardens areas will start getting Lake Michigan water soon as the Lake County Department of Public Works has started the process of transitioning the water supply.
The water changeover process involves operational adjustments and flushing the water system to remove the remaining well water, ensuring a clean transition to Lake Michigan water.
Another holiday, another crackdown
Buffalo Grove police officers are taking part in the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Drive High. Get a DUI,” and “Click It or Ticket” campaigns through Jan. 5, 2026. These enforcement efforts are supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)’s statewide outreach media program, “It’s Not a Game,” which reminds motorists that driving is serious business.
Park District gets kudos
The Buffalo Grove Park District has been recognized as an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency by the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA).
The two statewide associations administer the Illinois Distinguished Accreditation program with the goal of improving the delivery of park and recreation services to Illinois residents.
Discover ‘Winter Around the World’
The Raupp Museum will be featuring free walk-in activities during winter vacation to give children a chance to learn about holiday celebrations around the world. The program is from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 22-23, Dec. 29-31 and Jan. 2 at the Raupp Museum, 901 Dunham Lane.
Preregistration is not required. All children must be accompanied by an adult caregiver. For more information, visit the Raupp Museum page at bgparks.org.
D21 principals honored
Two District 21 principals have been named North Cook Region award recipients by the Illinois Principals Association (IPA).
Frost Elementary School Principal Catherine Joy was selected as the North Cook Elementary School Principal of the Year, and London Middle School Principal Anastasia Netzel was honored with the region’s Herman Graves Award.
The Elementary School Principal of the Year Award recognizes a school leader who exemplifies outstanding instructional leadership, dedication to students, and a commitment to cultivating a positive school environment.
The Herman Graves Award, named for former IPA Executive Director Herman Graves, recognizes principals whose passion, energy and commitment elevate those around them.
Need a Reason To Celebrate?
Dec. 16
Barbie And Barney Backlash Day
National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
Dec. 17
National Device Appreciation Day
Dec. 18
Answer The Telephone Like Buddy The Elf Day
Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day
Dec. 19
National Heroes and Heroines Day
Dec. 20
Dec. 21
The usual stuff…
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