Vernon Hills trying to fit too much in
Coming soon to Vernon Hills, more development and more traffic. The village is now on course to simultaneously develop several multistory structures, adding approximately 320 living units all within about 100 yards of Route 60. It appears Concrete Jungle is replacing the Tree City USA moniker. On Jan. 13, the Village of Vernon Hills picked Pathway Senior Living LLC as developer for senior housing facilities in an expedited selection process to beat a Jan. 15 state deadline to apply for licensure (On Jan. 12, the State of Illinois extended the deadline to March 2). Another deadline looms as Pathway will need to apply for tax credits before April. Will Vernon Hills give fair consideration to this project or similarly expedite the review process to push this through? The construction will be shoehorned on 3 acres, just east of the new library site, near East Phillip Road and Atrium Drive, behind Famous Dave's restaurant. It seems the village is determined to push a size 9 foot into a size 8 shoe.
At the same time, it appears that soon restaurants Portofinos and Opa, at Lakeview and Hawthorn Parkways, will be razed in favor of a 5-story condominium building, with 80 units and retail on the ground floor. Residents voiced their opposition to the condo development during an Oct. 7 Committee of the Whole session with several complaining of increased traffic congestion and that the construction was too massive and overpowering for the area. Now the village is moving quickly to construct two additional multi-stored buildings.
In discussing the senior housing location, village Trustee Thom Koch was not certain of the space. "I'm still not 100 percent sold on the site and whether or not it will fit," he told the Herald. Assistant Village Manager John Kalmar commented back in September 2008, according to Committee of the Whole minutes, that the site could only support one building and that a 6-acre site would be needed to construct two buildings. On Oct. 21, 2008, Pathway presented a concept plan that called for a five-story and six-story senior living and assisted living facilities. According to the plan, each building will have 120 units with about 80 percent of units in the senior living building designated for low-income residents. The village agreed at that meeting that Pathway could begin the "technical review process." Of course there are nine green acres on Aspen Drive, across from the schools, but that space is zoned for conservation and open space and according to the land use map is designated for parks and recreation. That property is owned by the park district and they have been in talks with the District 73 School Board about creating a park. Let's keep it that way.
Imagine the skyline along Route 60 with not one, but three buildings five floors or more. I would encourage citizens to take a look at Townline Elementary, facing Route 60 and double the height. Now, imagine the additional traffic on Route 60 from the vehicles associated with 320 living units and related employees. You will have plenty of time in your car to consider the obtrusive landscape. These are not low profile structures. Perhaps senior housing is needed; we are an aging society. However, the proposed site is not the place. As the village endorsed the development for senior housing, in September it also discussed the elimination of some bus services for seniors. Are these congruent philosophies?
Last year construction was completed on an Alzheimer's care facility on Deerpath Road, across from Countryside Fire station. This is an attractive, low profile facility. The library design is spectacular but will soon be neighbor to a couple of sore thumbs. The proposed three multistoried buildings appear to be on the horizon, and no matter the landscape, the "sky scrape" and its impact cannot be disguised.
Dave Olsen Vernon Hills