Friday, February 16, 2024 | |
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Dear River Forest residents,
During Monday night’s Village Board meeting, the Village Board of Trustees unanimously voted to declare February as Black History Month in the Village. This month recognizes the important contributions, resilience and achievements of Black Americans and historic events - both locally and nationally. You can read the full proclamation on page 123 here.
The Village Board voted unanimously in November to seek input from residents and businesses regarding proposed changes to the Village’s zoning code, related to the Village’s Commercial Zoning Districts. The proposed changes were discussed by the Economic Development Commission and referred to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The ZBA will resume discussion on the topic at its March 14 meeting, and the Village welcomes additional resident input. You can read more about the proposed changes in an article below.
Please keep in mind that Village offices will be closed on Monday, February 19 in observance of Presidents’ Day and will reopen on Tuesday, February 20 at 8 a.m. Refuse collection next week will not be impacted.
Lastly, make sure to save the date for this year’s State of the Village Address scheduled for Monday, March 11 during our Village Board meeting at 7 p.m.
Sincerely,
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Cathy Adduci, Village President
Village of River Forest
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Commercial Zoning Districts | |
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The Village is currently exploring amendments to the Zoning Code relating to commercial zoning districts. These districts are along North Avenue, Madison Street, Harlem Avenue and Lake Street. The proposed changes are intended to simplify the code in an effort to attract appropriate and appealing economic development to River Forest.
Discussions about commercial zoning began with the Economic Development Commission in early 2023. You can read about the proposed changes here and review frequently asked questions here. The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) began discussing the potential changes at its January 11 meeting, and will resume the discussion at its March 14 meeting. Residents are encouraged to attend and provide public comment. Once the ZBA discusses and votes on any amendments, which the Village Board is seeking, the Board will then have final approval of any changes to zoning codes. That meeting is expected to take place this spring.
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Township TOI Scholarships | The Township Officials of Illinois (TOI) 2024 scholarship applications are open now through Friday, March 1. TOI will be awarding $2,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors this year who plan to attend Illinois colleges or universities. Applications must either be mailed or submitted online. For more information or to download an application, click here. | |  |
OPRFHS Community Service Hours | To commemorate their 150th anniversary, Oak Park River Forest High School is asking students, staff, parents, alumni, retirees and other supporters to help them complete 150,000 hours of community service by Sunday, June 30 of this year! The form will only take one minute of your time and asks community members to log any volunteer hours they complete. Find the form here. | | |
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The Cook County Treasurer's Office has mailed out the first installment of 2023 property tax bills with payments due Friday, March 1, 2024. Please remember exemptions are only applied to second installment property tax bills. The deadline for the Senior Citizen Tax Deferral Program is also on March 1. Homeowners that qualify were 65 years old on, or before June 1, 2023 and the total household income must be $65,000 or less. The Senior Citizen Tax Deferral Program is administered by the Cook County Treasurer's Office. This is NOT the same as the Senior Freeze Exemption. Learn more here.
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Dance the night away for a great cause! The Heart of Gold Ball, the biggest fundraiser of the year for Hephzibah Children’s Association, will take place Friday, March 8 from 6:30-11:30 p.m. at Rockwell on the River in Chicago! Funds raised will be used to improve the lives of children in our community. Purchase tickets here. | | |
Triton’s Health Services Department has partnered with Vitalant to host a blood drive on Wednesday, February 21 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. in their Student Center, Room B-102. Make sure to bring a valid ID with you, eat and drink plenty of water before making a donation! To make an appointment, call 877-258-4825 or visit vitalant.org and use code ORD0RG62. | | |
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The River Forest Park District and the Village are offering residents the opportunity to rent 4' x 10' garden plots. Registration for a single garden plot will open Monday, February 26 and will only be accepted in person at The Depot. Please note there is no online registration. Registration hours are Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Participants are required to complete a registration form, sign a waiver, and make the full payment before a garden plot will be assigned. An ID and a copy of a water bill for proof of residency is required. Garden plots are not transferable and will be assigned on Monday, March 25. Previous year participants will have the opportunity to garden in the same plot(s) as they did last year. Learn more here.
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Reduce Paper Consumption by Going Digital | |
Think sustainably about newspapers! Many of them offer digital subscriptions, and not only do you reduce paper usage, but you'll save money compared to having them delivered to your home. Digital subscribers who enjoy the comics, puzzles, and the feel of a physical newspaper can register for a package with digital content six days a week - and get a physical paper delivered on Sundays. The same can be done for magazines. Think of all the paper you’ll save!
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River Forest Business Spotlight! | |
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Cassidy Tire & Service has been a family-owned and operated business since 1914! The location services passenger and commercial vehicles for tires, alignments, brakes, and more. For more information, call 708-290-1349 or visit cassidytire.com.
Please support local businesses whenever possible! If you have a business located in River Forest with a valid business license, it can be featured in the Village’s business spotlight. If you’d like your business to be featured, please send us an email. You can find a listing of River Forest businesses on the Village’s Shop River Forest website.
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