Developer clarifies senior housing plans in Grayslake
Developers of a proposed low-income apartment complex for residents 55 and older in Grayslake said Monday night that there is a demonstrated need for the project in the area as they tried to gain approval from the village’s zoning board of appeals.
It was the third evening the advisory zoning board of appeals held a public hearing for the proposal from Mercy Housing Lakefront of Chicago. The zoning panel will hold a fourth continued public hearing May 26 and eventually forward a recommendation to the Grayslake village board, which gets the final say on issues.
Mercy Housing wants an amendment to a special-use permit to build a four-story, 70-unit apartment building for the 55-and-older set. It would be across from the village’s namesake, Gray’s Lake.
Plans call for 63 one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom units in the four-story structure at Route 120 and Neville Road, tentatively named Lakefront Lodge.
Mercy Housing representatives told the zoning board of appeals there is a demonstrated need for affordable apartments for what they termed as seniors. They said the latest demographic information shows about 24 percent of Grayslake residents were 55 and older in 2010.
Cindy Holler, president of Mercy Housing’s Chicago nonprofit operation, stressed the company has a strong balance sheet with $590 million in net assets. She said residents would be screened and go through criminal background checks before being accepted for the planned Grayslake apartments.
Upon lengthy questioning by zoning board of appeals member Phil Mullenix, Mercy representatives said they couldn’t guarantee Grayslake residents would be at the top of Lakefront Lodge’s list if they wanted to move there.
Some potential residents could come from the Lake County Housing Authority, a public agency with low-income clients. Village Attorney Victor Filippini said federal fair housing laws would prohibit making the apartments automatically available to all Grayslake wishing to live there.
“All I want to do is make sure everyone in the public understands this,” Mullenix said.
Roughly 50 people attended Monday night’s zoning board of appeals session.
Opponents, many of whom live south of Route 120 across from Gray’s Lake, have raised a variety of concerns about Mercy Housing’s plan. The list includes whether the complex is appropriate for the site, the 72-foot maximum building height and the possibility it’ll create rainwater runoff problems.
Project supporters contend seniors deserve a nice place to age with dignity. The backers include Lake County United, an organization of churches, synagogues, mosques, civil and labor groups involved in issues such as affordable housing.