Schaumburg's plans for STAR line divide community

For all the growth Schaumburg's seen in the last 40 years, village officials are now facing the rare phenomenon of residents feeling threatened by commercial development.

In many but not all cases, residential and commercial districts have been kept strongly separated by decisions made by Schaumburg's early planners.

But in this case, some townhouse and condominium owners believe plans to redevelop their neighborhood north and east of the new convention center will force the demolition of their homes to cater to the commuter clientele of a future STAR rail line station along the Northwest Tollway.

Village Manager Ken Fritz and Community Development Director Christopher Huff said condemnation of residential property is not being considered, though that's what some homeowners fear. They said the village is merely letting developers know what it would accept if a private sale were worked out.

However, creation of a tax increment finance district is being considered to spur redevelopment in the area north of the tollway, south of Algonquin Road, east of Meacham Road and west of Rolling Meadows.

The plan envisions a "Transportation-Oriented Development" or "TOD," strong in high-density condominiums and service businesses, similar to the areas near the Metra stations in downtown Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect.

The village board Tuesday will consider adding a conceptual plan for the area to Schaumburg's comprehensive land-use plan. Many local homeowners plan to be there.

"I hope they don't approve that TOD district because that's going to pave the way to turn us into a TIF district that would provide an incentive to developers to get rid of our units," said Jason Creighton, a homeowner in the Walden Townhouses. "Nobody's going to buy here if there's a chance of it being torn down."

Creighton said one of his fellow homeowners already saw a sale fall through when he felt obligated to share his fears with a prospective buyer.

But Fritz and Huff said there is no basis for such fears.

As far as the residential properties go, the plan's biggest envisioned change is to the rental apartments of Field Pointe of Schaumburg, immediately east of the convention center. Officials at the apartment complex declined to comment, citing unfamiliarity with the plans. Spokespersons from the property's management company, Chicago-based Draper & Kramer, could not be reached.

It's no secret that the 19 buildings of the 12 Oaks at Woodfield apartment complex just to the east along the tollway are part of Rolling Meadows' redevelopment plans.

Property owner Michael Sparks said his complex has been under contract for 3 years by developer Pine Tree Commercial Realty of Northbrook. The plan for the site includes a shopping center, senior housing and a hotel or two.

Sparks believes the nearby condos and townhouses in Schaumburg will remain, in part because their presence contributes to the attractiveness of adding businesses to the property he'll be selling.

Officials of Vertical Brokerage Inc., which leases 83,000 square feet of office space at the Woodfield Green Executive Centre just north of the convention center don't believe Schaumburg's current plans call for the demolition of either their property or the nearby condos and townhouses.

Stephanie Glaser, principal of Vertical Brokerage, sees the plan as an effort by Schaumburg to combine new buildings with the old.

"I don't think the condominiums should have any worry' Glaser said. "It's an expensive process to evict people."

The village board meets at 8 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the plan at village hall, 101 Schaumburg Court.

Village officials are awaiting results of a $49,500 study they commissioned last February to assess the appropriateness of a TIF district in the area.

A TIF district freezes property taxes at the level of the first year. From that point on, any amount collected above that level goes directly to public improvements within the district, rather than to the taxing bodies that would normally receive them.

A TIF district expires after 23 years or when all public improvements have been paid off, whichever comes first.