Elmhurst Wants A New North York Corridor

ELMHURST, IL – The city's goal for North York Street is to make it a "neighborhood community commercial area," an alderwoman said Monday.

The issue came up during a discussion about whether to allow larger signs at Aegis Construction Group at 331 N. York St.

Last month, the Plan Commission rejected a request for bigger signs on the property. But it approved the request to reduce the setback for the ground sign.

The North York Corridor is 1.8 miles from North to Grand avenues, according to the city's website. It is considered the city's northern gateway and has been the focus of improvements for years.

At a City Council committee meeting, Alderwoman Dannee Polomsky, who represents a northside ward, said North York was once industrial.

Now, she said, the objective is to make it more commercial and less industrial. That includes making it more appealing to pedestrians, she said.

As for the signs, she said, "I don't think it fits without our plan."

In its request, Aegis Construction said a new building to the south makes it difficult for drivers to see the ground sign.

"The property cannot take advantage of full visibility of street traffic if both signs cannot be erected due to the south lot being completely blocked by the new build(ing)," the application said. "Customers visit this location regularly for meetings and product selections for their homes and businesses, so visibility is a must for visiting clients."

Members of the council's Development, Planning and Zoning Committee plan to revisit the issue again in two weeks.

The City Council has the final say.