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July 15, 2010

I arrived home from work today to find that the deed had been done. The entire parkway in front of my house had been mowed to about 2 inches high. It also looks like they raked up all the plant material. It is a terrible sight. Click on the picture to see a before and after. (Sensitive viewers beware.)

I do not like to admit it, but I was wrong. Based on my previous interactions with the Village of Bartlett, I believed that it was represented by intelligent and reasonable people who face the difficult challenge of balancing a wide variety of resident concerns. My recent interactions with Jim Plonczynski, Director of Community Development for the Village of Bartlett have shown that he is not concerned with any such balancing. When I contacted Mr. Plonczynski, he was completely unwilling to participate in any dialog to clarify his position about why my parkway garden was a hazard or a violation of municipal code. It is very disappointing to see that the Village is willing to treat residents, such as myself, in such a rude and inconsiderate manner, while claiming to be acting on the complaints of other residents. Mr. PlonczynskiÕs unwillingness to interact with Bartlett residents in a constructive manner reflects negatively on the village.

Throughout the course of a day, I attempted several times via email to schedule a discussion with Mr. Plonczynski, either by phone or in person. The following is a consolidation of the one line responses I received from him.

Jim Plonczynski, wrote at 2010-07-13 15:39:

Mr. Zouras,

The parkway will be cut on Thursday. You have until then to remove any plant material that you choose. The letter as stated cites the violations of the Municipal Code. You have been offered time to remove any plant material that you would like. I do not wish to argue the fact that it is a violation of the existing code and would respectfully request that you follow through with the removal of the plant material that you deem important to you. The simple fact is that the Village has the right and ability to cut the parkway and that will be done later this week.

Jim Plonczynski

The native plants in question represent a significant amount of time and money. Moving them is not feasible due to their extensive root systems. They are environmentally friendly and provide storm water management benefits. It is a shame that the Village of Bartlett chose to destroy them for no good reason other than fulfilling the wishes of one resident while ignoring the dreams of another.

Once I realized that Mr. Plonczynski was not going to be reasonable, I also reached out to various other officials of the Village of Bartlett, including the President, Michael Kelly. I sent emails, used the online contact form and sent letters via regular mail. I received no responses from any of them.

Once again it is surprising that Bartlett chooses to interact with its residents in this manner. It is disappointing that anonymous complaints will drive village officials to get creative with the interpretation of the municipal code. Just because something is unusual does not make it bad. It would seem that in a world where "green" is becoming the way of the future, those officials might be compelled to understand and inform the complainers about the benefits of native plants.

I want to live in a village that understands that environmental practices are to be encouraged, not persecuted. I will continue to work towards that end.

/native_suburbia | Permalink (16 comments)

Comments

Pat Hill wrote at 2010-07-16 14:00:

Have you considered running for the city council or village board--whatever you call it. Or volunteering for committees that would interact with this area--Elgin has a Sustainability Committee. Could you volunteer for the parks board? Most of my neighbors like my garden, and while more and more people seem to be gardening in our neighborhood, no one is emulating me in spite of giving away lots and lots of plants. At least it will grow back, but then what?

Don Zouras wrote at 2010-07-18 15:17:

I don't really have the time to devote to working for the Village. I doubt that they are ready for someone with ideas like mine anyway. I have to admit that I am not a very good diplomat either.

Mary G wrote at 2010-07-21 14:58:

Yes-your parkway WAS very beautiful.

Gloria wrote at 2010-07-21 18:33:

I am sorry for your loss and the lack of understanding that caused such an action. I have many native plants growing in the front garden but have not had the courage to to try the parkway. Have you ever been to the wildlife gardeners forum? At least everyone there would understand your side of this.

Dj Flex wrote at 2010-07-21 20:33:

I live just a few houses down from you and no it does not look beautiful as you have described it. Also, if you going to show a before and after picture you should have shown it a day before it was cut. I'm glad they cut it and I hoping to see the whole lawn cut down up front.

Bartlett Resident wrote at 2010-07-22 09:00:

My heart goes out to your neighbors. I live in Bartlett and as I read your letter to the editor in the Examiner, I knew exactly which house was in question. Your yard looks terrible. If want such a garden, why not choose a contained area in your backyard? Like your neighbor posted, I also hope you are forced to cut down your whole yard. You claim seeking balance with the village, but you are taking it to the extreme. Hurray for your neighbors for going through all this to get even the parkway mowed. It has been an eyesore for the entire town.

Gloria wrote at 2010-07-22 14:13:

So where do you go from here. Is the ordinace for the parkway just a height thing or are certain plants listed as not allowed. I know that you have put much time and money into this garden. I have been watching this site for a couple of years, checking progress on occasion. Don't give up, Breath deep and fiqure out what would accomplish your goals and keep the lemmings at bay.

Benia Zouras wrote at 2010-07-22 16:32:

Dj Flex: The photo DOES show it the day before it was cut. Don took the camera out and photographed it before the mow was done, for posterity's sake.

Benia Zouras wrote at 2010-07-22 16:47:

Bartlett Resident: I'm sorry your opinion of our yard is that it "looks terrible". Don and I, the wonderful native wildlife we attract, and our native gardening friends ALL disagree with you.
Native gardening the greenest, most eco-friendly way to garden and I hoped that our garden would serve as an example to our neighbors to help save the planet. Learning of the complaints about the way the yard looks is disheartening because it shows that many of my neighbors are stuck in their old ways and refuse to progress to the next level.
The sterile lawns and alien plant gardens that you may think of as pretty today are part of the problem, as they contribute to water waste, flooding, and pollution. Natives are the best alternative and have a beauty all their own.
This is not crazy-neighbor talk or anything new, this is all based on proven facts and more and more people are realizing that natives are the smart way to go. Search "benefits of native gardening" to learn more.

Michelle Clay wrote at 2010-07-22 16:52:

Gloria asks: "have you ever been to the wildlife gardeners forum?"
How ironic. As a direct result of publishing an article about Don's yard at Garden Rant, at I was banned from Wildlife Gardeners.

Don Zouras wrote at 2010-07-22 19:32:

Michelle wrote: "As a direct result of publishing an article about Don's yard at Garden Rant, at I was banned from Wildlife Gardeners."
What was this article? Is it online? I am curious.

Bartlett Resident - North Side wrote at 2010-07-23 19:14:

I applaud you for transforming your parkway with the native plants. How unfortunate that your neighbors do not understand the importance of native plants for water control and as a habitat for wildlife. I am one of two houses on the block that have a rain barrel out front - I never have to use water from a hose to water my plants and shrubs. Not only do I save money, but my plants look much healthier with rain water. I hope the village idiots will allow you to resume your native planting after they realize the error of their ways.

Michelle Clay wrote at 2010-07-23 23:20:

Hi Don. The article was the one I wrote for Garden Rant. The link is attached. . .

Benia wrote at 2010-07-26 11:55:

Why in the world would you be banned for writing that article?
P.S. That's a lovely photo of our backyard you selected. ;)

j miaso wrote at 2010-07-26 12:19:

It is very disappointing the lack of understanding displayed by our village officials. I always thought of Jim Plonczynski as a dedicated and caring public servant. I can now see the village is behind the times in going green. Perhaps there should be a seminar for government officials to not just keep up with the times but learn how to be a trend setter.

Dave wrote at 2010-07-28 11:06:

I propose a drinking contest to settle the debate!!! Native Suburbia can drink a concoction of whatever they put down on their yard (probably just a little bit of water), while people who are opposed to letting someone manage their own yard and find their own serenity can drink a concoction of what they put on their lawns (yum - herbicide, pesticide, fertilizer.. simply delicious). Humor aside, we all see life differently. A natural yard is not a haven for weeds; thus, those who prefer turf grass will not see an attack of weed seeds from this yard. You may not agree with the "look" or even the stated values, and that is fine. But, you should really be directing your energy towards the people that do not spend any time maintaining their yards. Natural is different, but keep in mind it is what God created.

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