‘This should not go there’: East Dundee residents oppose Haeger redevelopment proposal
East Dundee residents turned out this week to voice opposition to a proposal that would turn the shuttered Haeger Potteries property into a mixed-income rental housing development.
About 50 residents, many living near the Haeger property on Maiden Lane, attended a community meeting Monday hosted by the village board to gather community feedback.
“I would love to see something happen at Haeger … I would love to see it go down,” said Kelly Hoyt, who lives near the property. “But this (proposal) should not go there.”
East Dundee bought the Haeger Potteries site last year for $600,000 to help spur redevelopment of the shuttered facility.
Before closing in 2016, Haeger had operated on the 7-acre site for 145 years, beginning in 1871, when it fired bricks that helped rebuild Chicago after the Great Fire.
In February, Evanston-based Brinshore Development presented conceptual plans for a mixed-income rental development offering 136 apartments and townhouses. Facing opposition over density, Brinshore returned in June with three additional options — one with 119 units, another with 104 and a third with 89 units.
All the proposals would set aside 20% of the units for families making no more than 30% of the area’s median income. Another 60% would be set aside for families making no more than 60% of the median income. The remaining 20% would be rented at fair market rate.
Rents for those making no more than 60% of the median income do not differ greatly from market rates, said Michael Roane, Brinshore’s senior vice president.
While residents this week agreed the Haeger site needs redevelopment, they said single-family homes — not rental apartments or townhouses — would be a better fit.
Others expressed concern about added traffic and a proposal to close River Street, a route often used to bypass Route 25 to get to Elgin.
“You cannot close off River Street,” said Howard Schock, adding the move would shift traffic to other streets in the neighborhood. “That’s an accident waiting to happen.”
East Dundee sought out developers for the property starting earlier this year. Three, including Brinshore, submitted plans. One was incomplete and another proposed a higher density than the 136 units initially offered by Brinshore, officials said.
The village is considering creating a new tax increment financing district to help cover environmental remediation needed on the site.
Brinshore also proposed using $33.5 million in low-income housing tax credit from the state, an $8.18 million loan from Kane County and a $13.3 million commercial loan to help finance the project. The village also would sell the property to the developer for $10, under Brinshore’s proposal.
Village President Dan Pearson stressed no decisions have been made and officials are considering all options, including seeking new proposals after environmental cleanup is complete.
“Everybody here is trying to make the best decision,” Trustee Scott Kunze added.
Roane said he is open to continuing discussions with the village, but noted Brinshore does not build for-sale communities or single-family homes as several residents requested.
“I’ve heard everything that all of you have said,” he said Monday. “If this is not what the community wants, that’s OK … We need to figure out if we’re going forward with this.”