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Wheeling trustees deny deadline extension for apartment project

Wheeling Village President Dean Argiris suffered a rare political setback this week when he was on the losing end of a 4-3 village board vote not to grant the owner of Arbor Court Apartments an extension to apply for zoning permits in a project that was to be partially funded with tax dollars.

Argiris said Wednesday he may call for reconsideration at the Aug. 15 board meeting, suggesting that two members of the board may not have understood how routine such an extension is.

Trustees in April had approved an application submitted by the owner of the complex on Dundee Road to use tax increment financing money to fund $300,000 - or half the cost - of a variety of improvements to the complex.

The public money for the project would come from the Crossroads TIF district, established in 1985. Extra property tax revenue from increases in values in TIF districts goes into a fund that helps pay for approved public or private projects, rather than to taxing bodies, such as schools. The idea is to help spur development in the community.

Improvements to the 78-unit complex were to include tuck-pointing, new windows, new sidewalks, new awnings, new retaining walls along two areas and new roofs.

The public-private agreement included a timeline, calling for the developer to have secured financing and submit all zoning applications by July 18.

Village Attorney Jim Ferolo on Monday told trustees extension requests for projects like the Arbor Court improvements are "not unusual." Ferolo said the 90 days he gave the developer to submit zoning applications and secure financing was put in place "to keep the ball rolling" on the project.

In this case, village officials said, issues with the contractor prevented securing financing and getting zoning applications in on time.

The amendment to the agreement the board denied Monday would have given the developer another 90 days, or until Oct. 31 to submit all zoning applications and secure financing.

Trustees Mary Krueger, Mary Papantos, Joe Vito and Dave Vogel cast the four "no" votes on the extension Monday.

"We weren't given enough information on why the work wasn't completed as per the schedule," Papantos said Wednesday.

Papantos added she voted "yes" for the plan initially because she wanted to help improve the aesthetics of the Dundee Road corridor.

Vito and Vogel voted "no" on giving the project TIF money earlier this year. Vogel at the time argued ongoing maintenance work should be included in tenants' rent, and the improvements wouldn't add any property tax revenue to justify use of TIF dollars.

Argiris expressed disappointment that the two women on the board voted with Vito and Vogel.

"Nobody ever meets their timeline," Argiris said. "The girls (Krueger and Papantos) didn't realize how common this is."

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