THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2006
58-Unit Condo Project Approved
By DWIGHT ESAU
Journal Reporter
An 18-month-long battle involving Park Ridge's zoning code, a group of residents, and developer John Heinz ended Monday night (June 19) with tentative city approval of a 58-unit condo complex.
The lengthy process needed to get to this point has left as bad taste in some people's mouths, however.
By a 9-3 vote Monday night, aldermen approved an amendment to a previously approved planned residential development, granting a second density variance for eight additional units in the two-building complex, to be located at Northwest Highway and Greenwood Road.
Voting no were Ald. Joe Baldi, Frank Wsol, and Jeff Cox. Ald. Mark Anderson and Jeannie Markech were absent.
Monday's decision was an ordinance preparation, first reading vote. By the same margin or a similar one, aldermen are expected to grant final approval to the project at their next meeting on July 17.
This vote was originally scheduled for July 17, but was moved up when some aldermen, including Don Crampton, the liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission, said they would be out of town next month.
The commission approved this variance by a 4-3 vote on June 12.
The decision left a group of residents living near the proposed site frustrated. They said that the project was too dense and high, and would make already existing traffic and flooding problems in the area worse.
Heinz and his advisors told the council Monday, as they did to the zoning commission, that they focused originally on fitting their project into the city's zoning code, with a minimum of density, parking, and building height variances. When they got through with that, they learned from financial advisors that the 50 units that were approved late in 2005 were not enough to make the project profitable for them.
In return for the second variance, Heinz offered to reduce the building's overall size, add some parking spaces, eliminate a one-story connecting building between the two residential building facing Northwest Highway, and build a landscaped plaza at the corner of the two streets. He said he will create the eight additional units by reconfiguring floor plans and not by making the building bigger.
"They already had been granted a variance, the building got smaller, they added some amenities, and while I'm not fully satisfied with their explanation as to why they didn't figure out their economics earlier, I felt the project should move forward," said Ald. Rich DiPietro. "Heinz said Monday one financial institution rejected his request for financing unless this variance was granted.
"I heard Pat Livensparger say this will open the floodgates of variance requests, but anyone can come in and ask for a variance, it doesn't mean all of them will get one. I believe the project is good for the city."
'The project was too dense for me when the council approved it last year, and it's denser now," said Cox. They are asking the city to bail them out of a bad business decision. That isn't our responsibility. I don't see any need for the variance and they don't have a hardship here that is not created by themselves, which is the main reason for a variance in the first place."
Heinz said earlier that he plans to sell his units in a range of $400,000 to $1.2 million.