City officials in Wheaton narrowly approved a downtown redevelopment proposal Monday, but late changes reignited a debate over downtown parking problems the project is expected to aggravate.
The 4-3 vote to create a planned unit development means the Dusek family of Wheaton can proceed with plans to raze four buildings from 117 to 131 W. Wesley St. to construct a 40,000-square-foot, three-story building with ground floor retail space and offices above.
The city gave preliminary approval earlier this month, even though the project failed to meet city standards by 66 parking spaces.
The council rehashed much of that debate after the developers made late changes that modified its agreement with the adjacent Gary Memorial United Methodist Church to lease parking in the church lot.
Developers originally had told the city that the 17 church spaces would be used for shoppers, but the church, in an effort to reduce traffic in its lot, has since said it wanted its spaces used only by employees at the new commercial space, said Scott Pointner, attorney for the developer.
