Libertyville park sale nearing a conclusion as village board considers townhome plan
A long-planned townhouse project on what is now a public park in Libertyville appears to be nearing a final decision by village officials.
Parkside of Libertyville is proposed for 56 units ranging from about $425,000 to $475,000 at Bolander Park, a small, triangle-shaped parcel bounded by Winchester Road, Ellis Avenue and railroad tracks. The village offered the park for sale about 2½ years ago after determining it was underutilized and needed extensive repairs.
The village board on Tuesday will consider the plan commission's report recommending approval of the project sought by Swanson Development LLC of Lake Forest. A series of actions, including a change in the land use from institutional to multiple family residential, will be required for the plan to advance.
Swanson signed a contract to buy the 5.2-acre property for $2.05 million in November 2013. The parcel also houses the parks department headquarters and an outdoor rink used for ice skating.
The contract closing has been extended several times as the developer and village dealt with soil contamination and other issues. The park is named for the former construction company that operated there.
A question of providing affordable housing as part of the development also surfaced during two public hearings. State law says that if less than 10 percent of a community's housing is considered affordable, it must adopt a plan to achieve that. Libertyville is at 13.8 percent and has not approved a plan as yet, but is asking Swanson to designate 15 percent of the project as affordable, which equates to a price of about $161,000 in Libertyville. Three options to address that are among the 57 conditions outlined in the plan commission report.
"They want to make sure they get a program in place," said developer Rick Swanson. He said the size of the California-style development does not lend itself to affordable housing. Options include providing affordable units at another site or paying a fee in lieu of that. In this case, the cash payment would total about $633,000 or $79,167 for each of eight units. The money could be used to help others stay in the community.
"I think we're going to exercise the pay in lieu," Swanson said. "There's a lot more to affordable housing than I ever imagined."
Swanson said he has not wavered on the location, which is about a quarter mile from the downtown Metra commuter rail station. He described Libertyville as experiencing a "renaissance" and is a desirable place to live.
Heather Rowe, the village's economic development coordinator, said opportunities for a full townhouse community don't occur often in Libertyville and she expects demand to be high, particularly with its proximity to the train and downtown.
"We continue to hear of strong interest for new non-single family housing options from individuals who either desire a different kind of neighborhood, want something more dense or urban, or even something with less personal maintenance on the exterior," she said.