Elmhurst Zoning Concerns

Elmhurst is currently going through a period of rapid, large-scale development. Many residents I have spoken to have expressed concern about the zoning on their block. For the residents of Fremont St, east of York St, the concern is real. This section of Fremont Avenue is zoned R2 – a designation for single family residential homes. The quaint feel of my street is one reason I chose to live in Elmhurst. I trusted that the preservation of the characteristic of the neighborhoods was sincere, as mentioned extensively in the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which lays out goals and policies in regards to housing and land use.

Elmhurst Extended Care Center, located on Lake Street, has requested conditional use for the property directly south of their current facility, which is made up of three lots on Fremont Avenue that are currently zoned for residential use. For the city to grant conditional use, the applicant has to prove that they meet seven criteria. Over the course of the last 17 months, the zoning and planning commission and the development and planning committee voted three times against allowing conditional use, citing negative impact to the neighborhood, a decline in property values and incompatibility with the city’s comprehensive plan.

Just last week, the DPZ Committee reversed their decision from a year ago, recommending to give EECC the right to build a 19,000 square foot addition in the middle of Fremont St, which conveniently backs up to their property on Lake St. The DPZ is comprised of Mr. Honquest, Mr. Mulliner, and Ms. Talluto - three of the fourteen members of the City Council. The aldermen might point out that the most recent submission has removed a parking lot on Fremont, and is further set back from the street. It is still a 19,000 square foot institutional addition, in the middle of our block. The change in vote can only be explained by the fact that EECC threatened the City with legal action, citing FHAA and ADA regulation. The city developed a set of rules and regulations to protect the nature of your neighborhood, but when push came to shove, the City wasn’t willing to go to bat for the common resident. If you find this alarming, please call your city council representative immediately, before they vote on granting conditional use for a large institutional facility in the middle of a zoned R2 residential block.