Some Kenilworth residents tell group to stick to real estate

The residents this week sent a letter to 427 Realtors, notifying them of what they consider to be the "intrusive" activities of the North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors in hopes that individual Realtors would apply pressure to the group and curtail its involvement at the local level, said Ed Burkhardt, a former Kenilworth trustee who helped organize the letter-writing campaign.

"We'd like to know whether individual Realtors are actually behind this effort or whether their trade group is simply running amok," he said. "I happen to think it's the latter."

Howard Handler, North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors government affairs director, said Realtors have a long history of advocating for private property rights, and his group's involvement in local issues has been driven by its 4,500 members. The residents' letter will make no difference, he said.