More than 100 people turned out last week for a community open house, which was held to introduce a draft Clarendon Hills Downtown Improvement Plan and offer an opportunity to review proposed improvements and design concepts.
Nik Davis, of Houseal Lavigne — the firm hired by the village as a consultant, said the open house also was an opportunity for his firm to collect opinions from area residents.
“Our recommendation would certainly recognize the public feedback we’ve received,” he said.
A draft plan of the Downtown Improvement Plan is expected to be presented in March to the Village Board, said assistant village manager Mera Johnson.
“The open house went very well,” she said. “Many residents thought it was constructive and liked the many options presented. We’re looking at changes that we can make to have the things we need to efficiently do the events we have planned, and what are our future needs.”
Discussion about plans for the future of downtown Clarendon Hills has, at times, been controversial, as some residents have been very outspoken against the possible addition of a downtown plaza on Prospect Avenue.
The plaza would be between Railroad and Park avenues and would include the elimination of the right-turn lane, or slip lane, from southbound Prospect onto Park. That turn lane now is part of what the village calls the Sloan Triangle, an area that would become a large part of the plaza and used for gatherings.
One of the residents at the open house was Angie Sartori, who has been very outspoken against doing away with the slip lane and adding a plaza in that location. She also created an online petition against that downtown plaza, which has accumulated more than 1,000 signatures.
“Most residents do not want our downtown permanently altered for infrequent Chamber (of Commerce) and village events, nor for children to be playing in the middle of our business district, so close to moving traffic and to so many trains,” Sartori said after the open house.
“It is unsafe and makes no common sense whatsoever. And we are even more determined, after this brutal winter, that we absolutely need our road and our storefront parking. All of it. 24/7, 365 days a year. Without that road kept fully intact, our small businesses will not stay open for long. No more empty plazas are needed or wanted in Clarendon Hills.”
Sartori said she believes the concepts presented at the open house created some confusion.
“But two things were crystal clear,” she added. “Residents overwhelmingly demanded that the slip-lane and traffic-triangle-roundabout be kept exactly as-is, and that a parking garage next to our train station would be a complete eyesore and isn’t needed at all.”
Both Johnson and Davis declined to comment on Sartori’s statements.
The open house followed a community survey, along with public meetings in October and November 2025 to gather input.
‘The entire process as a whole was an opportunity for the community to provide feedback,” Johnson said.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
