Grayslake board approves senior apartment plan
Grayslake zoning board of appeals members Thursday night gave a thumbs-up to a controversial plan for an apartment complex that would serve low-income residents 55 and older.
As an advisory panel, the board’s recommendation in favor of Mercy Housing Lakefront of Chicago will go to the Grayslake village board. The 6-1 vote approving the plan concluded a public hearing that stretched over four sessions.
Zoning board members agreed Mercy Housing should receive an amendment to a special-use permit to construct the four-story, 70-unit building on Route 120 across from the village’s namesake, Gray’s Lake. It would be called Lakefront Lodge.
Grayslake village board members will take up the Mercy Housing proposal at some point and hold a final, binding vote. The zoning panel attached several conditions to the positive recommendation, such as encouraging a reduction in a 72-foot maximum building height.
Zoning board of appeals Chairman Karl Molek, alluding to criticism from some residents, said the 55-and-older apartment building proposed by Mercy Housing would be the highest and best use of the Route 120 corridor by Gray’s Lake. He said it’s a better plan than a similar apartment project pitched in 2007.
“The location has been in the (comprehensive) plan for a couple of revisions,” Molek said.
But zoning panel member Phil Mullenix, the lone dissenter, said he didn’t see the apartments benefiting Grayslake as a whole and voiced concern about the apartments having the potential to drive down area property values.
“It would be negligent of me to ignore the financial stress on all the residents of Grayslake,” Mullenix said.
Some potential Lakefront Lodge residents could come from the Lake County Housing Authority, a public agency with low-income clients. Village officials say federal fair housing laws would prohibit making the apartments automatically available to all Grayslake residents wishing to live there.
Before Thursday night’s vote, an attorney for objecting residents cross-examined Mercy Housing’s traffic planner, economic development analyst and attorney. The experts contended the project wouldn’t be detrimental to single-family homeowners in the area.
Opposing residents have raised concerns over a 72-foot clock tower being part of Mercy Housing’s apartments. They also criticized Grayslake village government for what they contend was a lack of openness about the apartment plans.
“My clients don’t object to senior housing,” said the residents’ lawyer, Patrick Smith. “They object to not knowing what’s going on.”
Lake County United — a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of churches, synagogues, mosques, civil and labor groups involved in issues such as affordable housing — has backed Mercy Housing’s proposal. They said Lake County has a need for senior homes and a place to age with dignity.
In addition, the group says it has helped Mercy secure rental subsidies from the Lake County Housing Authority and tax-credit financing from the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Mercy Housing Lakefront President Cindy Holler has said the company wants to construct a better apartment building than one originally planned for the land in 2007.
Lakefront Lodge would serve residents with annual incomes of $15,800 to $31,600 for a one-person household. For two occupants, the income range would be $18,010 to $36,100.
Rent would be $424 to $713 per month for single occupants of one-bedroom units. Mercy plans to charge $509 to $850 for two residents in an apartment with the corresponding number of bedrooms.
About 15 units would be set aside for special-needs seniors who receive Social Security disability checks. He said property taxes would be paid for the senior apartments at the same rate as other owners.