Settled by farmers from New England and upstate New York in the early 1800s, Park Ridge has maintained a genteel, East Coast feel over the years.
This community of 37,075 raves about its mature trees, gaslight-style lamps, stone posts bearing street names and an eclectic mix of home designs.
But increasingly, some residents say, the city’s spacious elegance is being threatened by demolition of its older homes and by developers who have built two or more homes on lots that once contained a single house.
To address concerns about teardowns and the growing density of Park Ridge neighborhoods, a group called Citizens United for Residential Balance (CURB) is pushing for passage of new zoning laws that would protect the Hodges Park neighborhood, where some of the community’s most historic homes can be found.
To CURB, it is a last-ditch effort to thwart the teardown trend.
“Many of us in this area believe we needed to do something to preserve the character of the neighborhood, the open green space and the huge lot sizes,” said Pat Livensparger, a CURB member and 21-year Park Ridge resident.
CURB’s focus is on Hodges Park, a community bordered by Butler Place, and Belle Plaine, Vine and Prospect Avenues.
The group is lobbying the city to enact zoning changes that would require new single-family homes built in Hodges Park to be constructed on lots no smaller than 8,500 square feet, an increase of 2,000 square feet from what is currently required.
CURB is also pushing for passage of an ordinance that would halt density increases within the neighborhood by prohibiting home builders from subdividing large lots.
CURB organizers said they have gathered petition signatures supporting the ordinance from half of the 150 or so households in Hodges Park. The petition will be formally presented to the City Council in the coming weeks.
“We haven’t had one person come up and tell us this is unreasonable,” said CURB spokeswoman Judy Barclay.
Livensparger bemoans some of the new homes being built in Hodges Park that are much larger than nearby structures and leave little room for lawns or landscaping. They’re out of character in a neighborhood admired for its vintage Victorians, Georgians and Dutch Colonials, Livensparger said.
But some real estate agents in Park Ridge suggest that CURB’s efforts may drive down land values and result in less property-tax revenue for the city.
“As soon as you say this lot is not buildable, this part of town can’t have a knockdown, you have stopped the appreciation of that property,” said Paula La Bree, an agent for Re/Max Properties Northwest in Park Ridge.
La Bree also said CURB’s proposed ordinance doesn’t address the more important issue of aesthetics.
“They’re only addressing size,” La Bree said. “They don’t have a clue about how they’re messing with the property values in this town.”
Meanwhile, city officials are trying to keep out of the controversy until the matter comes before the council. Rich Whalen, a Park Ridge councilman who lives in Hodges Park, said he supports CURB’s efforts.
“As a resident, I like what they’re doing,” Whalen said. “This is not a small issue to the people who live here.”
