Grayslake board embraces apartment plan

Controversial plans for an apartment building geared toward low-income tenants 55 and older have received a thumbs-up from a Grayslake village board committee.

Mercy Housing Lakefront is in the home stretch of receiving an amended special-use permit to construct the four-story, 70-unit building on Route 120 across from the village's namesake, Gray's Lake. It would be called Lakefront Lodge.

Village board trustees and Mayor Rhett Taylor, in an informal committee session Tuesday night, voted 5-0 in favor of issuing the permit to Mercy Housing. The village board at some point will hold a formal, final vote.

Some residents reiterated objections to Mercy Housing's plans, such as building height, the potential to drive down home values, insufficient infrastructure and a lack of documented details submitted with village government.

“I'm concerned you're going to give Mercy a blank check,” said Michael Andrews, a Belle Court resident who lives near the apartment site just east of Alleghany Road and Route 120.

Proponents said Mercy Housing's plans should be approved because affordable apartments for those 55 and older are difficult to find in Lake County.

Retiree June McCoy of Libertyville said during public comment time Tuesday that she's paying about $1,000 a month to rent an apartment, compared to the $605 she was charged 15 years ago.

“It's now more than my Social Security,” McCoy said of her rent. “There's got to be a better option.”

After asking some questions of Mercy Housing representatives, Grayslake Trustee Bruce Bassett addressed resident criticism over the village not being open with them about the apartment plans.

Bassett apologized to the critics and said officials had seen preliminary plans long before the residents became aware of them in April. He said residents living near the site should have known about the proposal soon after it surfaced.

“This should not have been a surprise,” Bassett said. “No one is trying to pull anything here.”

Mercy Housing Lakefront President Cindy Holler acknowledged the organization started laying groundwork to gain support for the Grayslake apartments more than a year ago in meetings with Lake County church leaders.

Last month, Grayslake's advisory zoning board of appeals issued a recommendation in favor of Mercy Housing's 55-and-older project with some stipulations. The panel reviewed Mercy Housing's plans over four sessions.

To address one of the conditions, Mercy Housing now proposes a 60-foot clock tower for the structure — a reduction of 12 feet from the original plan.

“We do not believe this (clock tower) will be the only visual element on Gray's Lake,” said Brad Smith, who's developing the apartments for Mercy Housing.

Some Lakefront Lodge residents could come from the Lake County Housing Authority, a public agency with low-income clients.