A proposal for a senior citizens housing complex has been bounced back to the Burr Ridge Plan Commission by Village Board members, who had questions about the site plan and special-use zoning required for the project.
The complex proposed by Massachusetts developer Care Matrix Corp. would feature a three-story congregate-care building and 48 townhouses.
Chancellor Park of Burr Ridge would occupy 20 acres in Corporate Park, a long-vacant 85-acre property along Interstate Highway 55.
Care Matrix officials said they are frustrated about being bounced between the board and commission.
“It’s not looking as good as we wanted, but we’ll try as hard as we can,” said Ron DeCola, vice president of development.
“Everything they’ve asked of us we’ve done,” attorney John George said. “We’ve added more green space, reduced the number of units, increased age restrictions, addressed traffic questions. This development would be a catalyst to activity at a site that has been dormant for a long time.”
Several trustees wondered if the village was pushing things too far on the proposed $150 million complex.
“What are we going to gain by sending the proposal back to the Plan Commission?” said Trustee Dan Pallat.
“What are they supposed to do, redesign the whole thing?” said Trustee Dolores Cizek.
“I have a problem with the look of the area,” countered Trustee Bob Sodikoff. The villas make the area “too residential-looking,” he said of the site, which is designated for light industrial use in the village’s comprehensive plan.
“It is incumbent on this board to follow the comprehensive plan,” said Trustee Amy Rohner. “Office is the appropriate use.”
Care Matrix, by making density and age-ownership concessions, tried to overcome objections to the proposal for a 120-unit apartment and 48 villas. The developer reduced the congregate-care units to 104 and increased to 60 from 55 its age requirement for ownership.
Resident Marvin Sass, a critic of the proposal, said Care Matrix will have “zero control” over ownership of the townhouses once they are sold by the original owners.
