Conflict Of Interest? Here Are Burr Ridge Official's Words

BURR RIDGE, IL – A recording of a Burr Ridge meeting may help clarify an official's role in a controversial change for a proposed development.

Last week, the Village Board delayed a decision on whether to allow three-car garages on six of the eight lots in the proposed Cottages of Drew subdivision.

That was after a resident said Plan Commission member Mike Stratis, who voted to recommend the change, wanted to buy a house in the subdivision if the developer offered three-car garages.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the recording of the Plan Commission meeting in May.

Anthony Perino of Jarper Properties is proposing the subdivision at the southwest corner of Drew Avenue and 79th Street.

Stratis told the commission he had come into contact with Perino when he was looking to buy a house. The conversation in question was after the Plan Commission approved the original plan for the development in 2018.

"Eighteen months ago, I called (Perino) and I said, 'How come you don't have any three-car garages?' because my wife and I were looking for townhomes with three-car garages," Stratis said at the commission meeting.

He said they looked at places in Burr Ridge, Oak Brook and Hinsdale.

"We could find no product that had three-car garages, so I may have been the impetus for (Perino) investigating this," Stratis said.

At last week's Village Board meeting, resident Joanne Palmisano questioned Stratis' role with the development, given his claim that he may have prompted the change. She said Stratis should have abstained from last month's vote.

In an interview last week, Stratis said he and his wife ended up settling on a different property in Burr Ridge, closing on it in April 2021. He said he has had no related conversations with Perino since then.

"As for one particular resident, having concerns with stormwater and other impacts of the development is legitimate discourse," Stratis said. "The unwarranted defaming of me and the village staff and developer is not."

Stratis did not say at the Plan Commission meeting that he and his wife had already bought a house.

The Village Board voted 3-2 last week to send the development change back to the commission because of the issue involving Stratis.

At the same time, officials praised Stratis' integrity.