THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008
Decision Made: R-5 Zoning Limited To Uptown
By CRAIG ADAMS
Journal Reporter
After hearing testimony from 18 residents, the Park Ridge Planning and Zoning Commission decided to limit the area for R-5 zoning to the Central Business District and not allow it into adjacent neighborhoods except for the existing project at Executive Office Plaza.
The commission removed the words "or adjacent to" from a proposed text amendment to the city's zoning ordinance at the meeting on Monday, Apr. 28. It did expand the potential area from the B-4 Uptown Business District to the Central Business District to avoid multiple zonings.
The original ordinance created a legal problem, explained Carrie Davis, acting community preservation and development director. "It sets up a property that could be rezoned as R-5 when it's B-4," she said. "It could be zoned two separate ways at the same time." Properties cannot have two separate zonings, she explained, so staff wanted to change the wording. She also acknowledged a size differential. "It (the Central Business District) is a larger area than the B-4 District and so there is the potential that R-5 could spread further than allowed in the original ordinance."
Residents, however, were against both the change and the continued inclusion of the words "adjacent to," believing that would allow the R-5 zoning to spread well beyond the Uptown area of Park Ridge. R-5 zoning allows 29 dwelling units per acre of land. The city last November granted a variance in the zoning at Executive Office Plaza allowing a development with 30 units per acre. That development is adjacent to, not in, the Central Business District.
"If 'adjacent to' remains as written, it does not limit high-density developments but instead allows them in what are now single-family neighborhoods," said Pat Livensparger. She warned commissioners that leaving the phrase in the ordinance allows "a time bomb to remain in the ordinance that could potentially destroy our single-family neighborhoods."
Carla Owen referenced the variance approved for Executive Office Plaza, a variance she collected 500 signatures against before its approval. "I feel a little bit like it's Groundhog Day," she said. "Please listen to what the people of this city have to say about their concerns."
Some residents ask for the complete removal of the R-5 zoning option, but most worried about large condominium developments encroaching into the residential neighborhoods.
Judy Barclay described a property at Crescent Street and Courtland, an area adjacent to the Central Business District and currently zoned as R-2. With the current language of the ordinance, Barclay explained, it could be changed to R-5. "It has over 20,000 square feet, has over 100 front feet, is adjacent to major streets and convenient to public transportation and could allow 15 condos, 45 feet high."
Davis explained that there are several steps for a developer to take to earn an R-5 zoning. "It's not so big of a deal," she said. She cited the city's comprehensive plan as part of the criteria in determining where the zoning change would be appropriate and that any change would require approval of a map amendment and likely a planned unit development. "There's a fairly rigorous process any property owner would have to go through in order to make that change," she said.
After residents spoke, commissioners seemed in agreement to remove the "adjacent to" phrase, although two of them argued to find a way to keep the limitation to the area currently zoned B-4 and not extending it to the entire Central Business District. Commissioner Cathy Piche said, "I would support that we would limit to the B-4, if that's possible."
Commissioner Milda Roszkiewicz echoed Piche saying, "I'm not sure why the B-4 can't be redefined. I'd like to limit it to the B-4 myself."
Commissioners moved to change the ordinance to the Central Business District without the words adjacent to and added a grandfather clause for the previous change for Executive Office Plaza. They approved that change by a vote of 6-2 with Piche and Roszkiewicz voting no.