Philhaven development back to square one in Wheeling
A month after its rejection by the Wheeling Village Board, Daveri Development LLC. has reworked and resubmitted its proposal for a housing development that would serve low-income residents with physical or mental disabilities.
The Wheeling Plan Commission on Thursday, June 14 will again discuss the Philhaven proposal, which calls for a 50-unit building at 2418-2422 W. Hintz Road. The commission meets at 6:30 p.m. at village hall.
The proposal was discussed by the plan commission at length in March and April during nearly 10 hours of public hearings. Village trustees rejected the plan without discussion in May.
Philhaven has generated controversy in the community — both because of the residents who would occupy the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and because of concerns about parking and flooding.
Mark Bruski, CEO of the Kenneth Young Center and a supporter of the proposal, estimated that about two-thirds of the residents would be unemployed, but all would have to qualify for the housing through an income analysis. Residents would go through a social service assessment and a criminal-background check, and felons and sex offenders would not be allowed to rent in the building.
In the new plan, developers have removed a request they be allowed to provide fewer parking spots than required by village code. They have also removed a request for offices for case managers who would provide special services to residents on-site.
Without those variances, the plan commission will be asked only to approve the site plan, which it approved unanimously the last time around.
Daveri Development is behind a similar project that was approved in Mount Prospect and started construction earlier this month. Another Daveri project called Boeger Place was rejected in Arlington Heights and is now the subject of a federal lawsuit.
“We're excited to move forward and create this much needed high-quality housing,” said Jessica Berzac, vice president for Daveri Development.