Des Plaines' controversial townhouse plan a step closer
It took an aldermen to change her vote and the mayor to break a tie Monday night that led to the Des Plaines city council's preliminary approval of a controversial plan for 58 townhouses in the city's downtown.
The council voted 5-4 on a first reading vote in favor of Lexington Homes' final planned unit development and final plat of subdivision for the townhouse project at 783-841 Lee St. A final, second reading vote will be taken by the council Monday, Aug. 15.
The decision comes nine months after Mayor Matt Bogusz first broke a 4-4 tie of the council in favor of a preliminary plan for the project, but three weeks after aldermen took a nonbinding 5-3 committee vote against it.
Since the last vote, Aldermen Patti Haugeberg and Jack Robinson, along with City Manager Mike Bartholomew, met with members of Immanuel Lutheran Church to resolve some of their concerns with the project.
Those discussions led to three new conditions being placed upon Lexington as part of the council's approval:
• The developer will be required to put up a 6-foot fence around the property to reduce the amount of dust and debris during construction;
• It must also install a 6-foot permanent vinyl or composite material fence along the south property line that abuts the church; and
• It will make sure work crews don't park in the church lot during construction.
And following earlier council concerns about traffic congestion that might be created with the development, Lexington submitted a revised plan that eliminated one of two entrances to the subdivision on Center Street, and added an entrance on Lee Street.
As a result of the negotiations, Haugeberg changed her "no" vote to a "yes," causing a 4-4 split and leading Bogusz to vote to approve the project on first reading.
But Robinson, whose 2nd Ward includes the 3-acre site of the proposed townhouses, remained opposed, along with many neighbors and church members who came to speak Monday before the vote at city hall. They argued the development would still lead to more traffic and parking problems.
Christine Schap, chairwoman of the church congregation, said they're pleased with some of the changes following their conversations with city officials. But she said she still believes there's a better use for the property, and feared that construction could last for years if the economy tanks.
Bill Rotolo, Lexington's vice president, said construction could start this year and be done in two years, but it depends on sales. He said homes would be priced in the low-$300,000s up to $360,000.
The site today contains a mostly vacant strip mall, the former Casa Royale Banquets and the former Good News Christian Center, which has relocated.