Updated 01-01-06
Background: Wicked Park, Wicked Park 2, Association House 2, Association House 3, Association House 4, WPC's P&D Subcommittee and Wicked Lexicon.
Wicked Problem: NIMBY's or SOP's?
Association House 5
Wicked Problem: NIMBY's or SOP's?
Wicked problems, "have four defining characteristics" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem).
Starting with WPC's December 1, 2004 election (2005 WPC Board Race), Wicker Park has had a number of 'wicked problems' (See Wicked Park and Wicked Park 2).
The November 16, 2005 secret (private) letter faxed on November 18, 2005 to CLC was in direct conflict with the resolutions passed by the Board of Directors on November 7, 2005 (8-0 vote) and on November 17, 2005 (7-1 vote).
The letter appears to be contrary to WPC's P & D Subcommittee's own SOP's as it was sent secretly (as prviate citizens) to CLC. Copies were not provided to the WPC's Board of Directors nor to other members of the Subcommittee.
Diabolical (http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/diabolical.html)? Perhaps. Wicked problem? One in a series of wicked problems over the past year.
WPC's Preservation and Development Subcommittee operation is not responsive to the WPC's elected board. The letter sent to CLC refers to, "a take-over of the Board," and fails to mention that an election was held November 2, 2005.
Membership on the Subcommittee appears to assume a life-time appointment such as Supreme Court appointments. Instead, it has led to so-called expert nepotism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepotism).
The (now-former) President and four current members of WPC's P & D Subcommittee signed the November 16, 2005 letter.
The community trust was broken. It needs to be fixed--this year.
As monitors of members actions, WPC's Board of Directors should demand the immediate resignation of these five members from WPC's Preservation and Development Subcommittee. .
Joe Lake December 12, 2005
December 15, 2005 Wicker Park Committee Board of Directors Regular Meeting
WPC's Board Votes 7-0: Blows Whistle on Six P&D Subcommittee Members"
"Moved..... that Ziegenhager and Norsman may not serve on the P&D Subcommittee at this time.....Carries 7-0-0.
"Moved..... that the 5 [DuciBella, Neverez, Skylar, Sutherland and Ziegenhagen] signing the November 16, 2005 letter faxed [to CLC] on November 18 are no longer members of the P&D Subcommittee.... Carries 7-0-0."
Motions are from extensive draft minutes completed December 18, 2005.
The president and all current Board members were present except John Joyce who choose not to attend.
December 14-20, 2005 Inside Publications
"President of Wicker Park organization resigns as group continues internal battle"
By Peter von Buol Special to Inside http://www.insideonline.com/site/epage/30683_162.htm
December 14, 2005 Chicago Journal
"WPC President steps down"
See Message Board-General December 16, 2005 at: Wicker Park Message Board or
http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=258&subsectionID=55&articleID=1130.
December 12, 2005 John Joyce Email
"John Joyce: This slandering of the subcommittee is unwarranted..."
No specifics are stated in the "slandering" charge. (Slander-Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slander)
See Message Board-General December 13, 2005 at: Wicker Park Message Board.
December 11, 2005 John Joyce Email
"John Joyce: Brent Norsman and Gordon Ziegenhagen Still on P&D List"
See Message Board-General December 16, 2005 at: Wicker Park Message Board
Association House 2140-2150 W. North Ave. Nov. 16, 2005 FAX/Letter by 5 WPC Members
"It was Wicker Park Committee president Gordon Ziegenhagen asserts, just one letter." begins a December 8, 2005 article in the Chicago Journal entitled, " Wicker Park president in the doghouse; faces removal" (http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=25&subsectionID=55&articleID=1097).
Gordon Ziegenhagen resigned as WPC's president at the December 7, 2005 general membership meeting.
The letter was faxed to and received by "Ben Weese, Chicago Landmarks Commission," by "Gordon Ziegenhagen, President, Wicker Park Committee" on November 18, 2005, according to documents received from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Chicago Landmarks Commission by a WPC Board member. The letter was addressed to Dijaua Cuvalo.
November 16, 2005 Letter and Some Comments
"16 November 2005 Via Fax and Email
Dijana Cuvalo, Preservation Architect, Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division, 33 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60602 FAX (312) 744-9140 dcuvalo@cityofcgucago.org"
"Dear Ms. Cuvalo:
(Paragraph #) refers to letter sent to CLC dated November 16, 2005. Remarks in Red were not contained in the letter.
(1)
(2) "You have received a letter from the Wicker Park Committee dated November 7, 2005 signed by WPC President Gondon Ziegenhagen, on behalf of WPC's Board of Directors. ("Letter to Chicago Landmark Commission from WPC," see Message Board-General Pts 1-4 of 4 and Pt 4a, November 8, 2005 at: Wicker Park Message Board.) The letter was authorized (at a Special Meeting called for November 7, 2005 with President Gordon Ziegenhagen on speaker phone in Washington, D.C. The vote was 8-0 to approve the letter) by the newly elected (on November 2, 2005) WPC Board of Directors, in conflict (The letter was approved with a normal resolution in accordance with WPC's Bylaws.) with the normal (standard) operating procedures (SOP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_operating_procedure ) of the Wicker Park Committee. Traditionally, all communications regarding a specific project under review is performed by the Preservation & Development subcommittee chair or the assigned project manager. Several newly-elected board members have conspired (http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/conspire.html) to exaggerate (http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/exaggerate.html) the true intentions of the residents of the Wicker Park neighborhood, primarily for the purposes of rejecting the proposal. (The proposal was rejected by WPC's General Membership by a vote of 34-11 on November 2, 2005. The November 16, 2005 letter does not note the vote of the General Membership. See Association House 4.)
(3) -- (12)
(13) "While the appearance put forth by the opposition has been that there is overwhelming neighborhood opposition to this project, this is simply not true. This takeover of the WPC Board of Directors (President Ziegenhagen served on the nominating committee appointed by the past president, Alvin Joyner. All but two of the positions were unopposed.) threatens to undo all that has been accomplished over the years to engender an unbiased and fair review of neighborhood development projects. Instead the WPC is dangerously close to becoming yet another Not-In-My Backyard (NIMBY) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIMBY) neighborhood organization or worse, a quasi-political lobbyist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/lobbyist) organization. We will dedicate ourselves to make sure this scenario dosen't become reality. (WPC's 2005 Board of directors failed to file the Annual Report February 1, 2005. WPC became, "dangerously close to becoming," dissolved as a not-for-profit organization by the Illinois Secretary of State. Until that happens, WPC is not allowed to participate in political or lobbying activities. WPC's 2006 Board of Directors has filed the proper Annual Report with the Illinois Secretary of State.)
(14)
(15) "..... neighborhood"
Sincerely,
(Signed)
Gordon P. Ziegenhagen
President, Wicker Park Committee
Member, WPC Preservation & Development Subcommittee
Real Estate Asset manger, Draper and Kramer (http://www.draperkramer.com)
(Signed)
Aracely Nevarez
Member, WPC Preservation & Development Subcommittee
Former Chair, WPC Preservation & Development Subcommittee
Architect, Hartshorne & Plunkard Architects (http://www.hparchitecture.com)
(Signed)
Mark Sutherland
Member, WPC Preservation & Development Subcommittee
2005, Chair, WPC Cultural Affairs
Principle, Sutherland Pearsall Development Corp. (http://www.sutherlandpearsall.com)
(Signed)
Joseph DuciBella, ASID (http://www.asid.org)
Member, WPC Preservation & Development Subcommittee
Community Leader, Wicker Park Landmark District (Known as the Wicker Park District at: http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/W/WickerParkDistrict.html)
Interior Designer
(Signed)
Claudia Skylar
Member, WPC Preservation & Development Subcommittee
Former Chair, WPC Preservation & Development Subcommittee
Architect, Mastro & Skylar Architects (http://www.architectsusa.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=infopage&accountID=1003070)
CC: David Mosena, Chairman, CLC; Ben Weese, CLC; Ald. Ted Matlak, 32nd Ward
