Dentist sues Hoffman Estates in federal court for denying office plan
A dentist is suing the village of Hoffman Estates in federal court, alleging village leaders violated his constitutional rights by denying him the rezoning he needs to build an office on his property along Golf Road.
Sam Akmakjian's lawsuit argues that commercial development surrounding his property, including a car wash, has made it unviable for residential use. He also alleges that he's received disparate treatment from village officials because of his Armenian ethnic background.
Village officials declined to comment on the lawsuit Tuesday.
"We are reviewing the complaint filed by Dr. Sam Akmakjian with our legal team and do not have any further comment at this time," Village Manager Eric Palm said.
Akmakjian, who operates Long Grove Dental in Long Grove, has owned two adjacent lots at the southwest corner of Golf Road and Apple Street, just east of Roselle Road, since 1993. Both are zoned for residential use.
A house at 1190 Apple St., just east of a car wash, was demolished two years ago. A second house at 1180 Apple St. was described in a 2019 rezoning proposal as dilapidated and unable to generate enough rent to fund any reinvestment.
At that time, the village board denied Akmakjian's request to rezone the properties to allow a 5,200-square-foot building for two tenants, which would be his dental practice.
Though the village's planning and zoning commission had recommended approval of the request by a 9-1 vote in August 2019, village board members denied the request after hearing from 17 of Akmakjian's neighbors who spoke against it.
Planning and zoning commission Chair Eva Combs said she had cast the sole dissenting vote on the recommendation becaus, "I believe once you start making the corners commercial, it's going to ruin the residential neighborhood."
According to Akmakjian's lawsuit, the village board's response this year to a revised 4,500-square-foot building for a dental office led to his filing the litigation.
Though the neighboring Golf Car Wash at 105 E. Golf Road has operated since 1956, the lawsuit claims that by allowing it to expand in 2017 over Akmakjian's objections, the village ruined the viability of the two residential lots he'd owned for nearly 30 years.
Akmakjian's attorneys could not be immediately reached for further comment.
The lawsuit asks the court to compel the village to rezone the property and to award damages of at least $1 million, as well as the recovery of attorneys' fees and other costs.