Neighbors Battle Proposed Elmhurst Apartment Complex

ELMHURST, IL — The neighbors of a proposed apartment complex in Elmhurst want the developer to scale back the project to bring it in line with city codes.

Meanwhile, a representative of the developer said the company's plan would improve an area with rundown buildings.

On Tuesday, the city's Zoning and Planning Commission held its third public hearing on the plan for a six-story, 200-unit apartment complex at the northwest corner of Haven Road and First Street. It is being proposed by Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies.

Six town homes are across the street from the proposed complex. The owners are calling for a smaller project because it is on the outer edge of downtown.

The neighbors want the tallest parts of the apartment building moved away from Haven Road and more open space in front. They say this would be the "soft transition" to residential areas that is called for under city codes.

For years, city leaders have encouraged condo and apartment development downtown. They say this adds vibrancy to an area that would otherwise suffer from the increase in online retailing.

At Tuesday's meeting, Scott Day, an attorney for the neighbors, said the apartment complex had the potential to be a good development. He said Ryan possessed the talent to improve it.

"We are not here to stop the project," he told the commission. "What we don't want is an overanxious desire to get this project approved."

If Ryan downsized the project by 5 percent to 10 percent, it could meet city codes, Day said in a letter to the commission Tuesday.

"There is nothing magical about requiring 200 units of luxury apartments in order to accomplish a marketable and financeable development," Day said.

Day repeatedly referred to the proposal as the "Ryan Companies/Edward-Elmhurst" development. Edward-Elmhurst Health, the parent organization of Elmhurst Hospital, has parking for a nearby clinic on the property in question. Ryan's plan is to incorporate the clinic's parking in the new development.

"Even an institution as well respected as Edward-Elmhurst needs to be told 'No' when proposing a land use that may be beneficial to the Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare Center, but detrimental to the single-family neighborhood that will be stressed by inappropriate height and mass," Day said in the letter. "Let them show their neighbors they have a right to expect that Edward-Elmhurst will comply with the same land use regulations as lesser institutions with less political capital than they hold."

In response, Toby Veit, an executive with Ryan, told the commission that Day was trying to delay his company's proposal.

"This will be the highest quality project in Elmhurst," Veit said. "This will have a lot more brick than other projects."

He said Ryan is seeking no public assistance, while he said developers of similar projects in Elmhurst have. The company, he said, was improving an area with vacant lots and dilapidated buildings.

Ryan's attorney, Mike Roth, said the opponents took issue with the concept of flexibility in zoning. He said the project was complex, involving a number of parcels, some inside a tax increment financing district and others not.

"This will be a great attribute to the community," he said. "We certainly hope that you will approve it."

The commission did not take a vote Tuesday.

Day attended the meeting fresh from his victory on another controversial zoning matter the previous day. He represented Roberto's Ristorante, which won narrow City Council approval for an ordinance letting the eatery build parking lots that neighbors opposed.