La Grange Plan Commission moves project forward with negative recommendation

LA GRANGE A proposal for the construction of a multiple family apartment building in La Grange at the corner of Ashland and Harris avenues will move forward with a negative recommendation from the village of La Grange Plan Commission after its meeting Aug. 12.

Four of the commissioners voted against the proposal and 3 voted in favor.

Community Development Director Patrick Benjamin said he'd love to offer up a more precise description as to why the commission voted the way it did, but due to the "absence of much commentary," Benjamin is still searching for that answer himself.

At the meeting, John Schiess, an architect and partner with the developer Brand & Co., presented a revised proposal to the commission that included lowering the structure by two feet, efforts to minimize the traffic outflow onto Harris Avenue and to better align the building with La Grange's design guidelines.

The multiple family residential building will have four floors of residences, each with diverse unit types, according to Schiess.

"We are providing something that's not available [in La Grange]," Schiess said. "These types of homes are not available ... but they're very much desired."

In the months prior to the commission's meeting, Schiess, representing the developer, sat down with local neighbors in an attempt to address their concerns about the building. Schiess said that during the meeting, residents opposed the develpment having retail or restaurant space, and voiced concerns about a nearby school zone safety on Harris Avenue and the potential for street flooding.

Schiess said the developers reached out to the neighbors because they wanted to hear about their concerns directly.

As the presentation progressed, Schiess pointing out that the vacant lot is currently a commercially zoned property.

"We believe this site should be an R-8 [zone]," Schiess said and asked the commission to rezone the lot for a residential property. "That rezoning of the site is supported by the [village's] comprehensive plan."

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La Grange Plan Commission moves project forward with negative recommendation