In the wake of the discussions leading up to the La Grange Village Board’s move to allow the demolition of the historic Jackson Square Antique Mall building and replace it with a large condominium building, a resident wants changes to the administrative process that facilitated the move.
But plans brought to the village’s Plan Commission by longtime La Grange resident Jonathon Robinson to codify changes to La Grange village code regarding planned unit developments were largely rejected at its Jan. 13 meeting.
Robinson’s frustrations with standing procedures are a result of the recently-approved 5-story, 39-unit condo development at 112 E. Burlington Ave., which will be erected next to his single-family residence. Other neighbors of the development also have voiced their concerns at recent Village Board meetings.
“Everything about that 112 Burlington project ran the wrong way,” Robinson said. “Everything fell against the neighbors in that process. … I can’t explain enough that nothing fell our way, nothing was anywhere close to what it should’ve been.”
Among Robinson’s proposals were calls for Plan Commission public hearings to be recorded and broadcast live, with the recordings archived and made available for 10 years on the village’s website. He said planned developments next to single family residences should be restricted to three stories “unless there was a 40-foot landscape buffer with no building or paving improvements and with a minimum of two rows of trees planted.”
He also said developers should be compelled to meet with immediate neighbors of a project.
Village officials opposed the changes.
“Staff does not recommend approval of the amendments as presented,” village planner Kevin Quinn said. “None of the four amendments are common among peer, neighboring communities.”
But some of Robinson’s proposals drew some positive feedback from Commissioners, although they balked at making them mandatory for any development, only promising to revisit the issues in the future.
But the height restriction proposal and one that would stop developments that “in any way adversely affects a directly adjoining property … that is a single-family detached dwelling” were voted down unanimously, with commissioners repeatedly indicating they would be unduly restrictive.
“This would open us up to legal problems,” Commissioner Jeff Hoffenberg said of the proposal which contained the language about adverse affects. “It changes it from a consideration of the totality of the planned development to now we can’t ever do it (make changes) … the ramifications of this would be very problematic.”
But Robinson wasn’t alone in his call for changes to the process.
“I don’t think this is a dead issue,” resident John Pluto told the Commissioners. “I think there should be some protections about (high) stories next to residential. You guys can protect them too. I can understand wanting a development … there’s places that need help.”
But others, like architect Kurt Volkman, were adamantly against the proposals.
He said that the proposals could almost completely prevent future planned developments in the village, saying “I urge you,” not to approve them.
Despite the commission not giving the proposals a positive recommendation, Robinson still has the option of taking the proposals to the Village Board, which retains the ultimate say on the matter.
Contacted after the meeting, Robinson said he would take the two proposed changes voted down to the full La Grange Board of Trustees.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
