Planned Teardown Of $2M Elmhurst Home Upsets Residents

ELMHURST, IL – A proposal to tear down a $2 million historic house in Elmhurst has drawn opposition.

The house is at 292 S. Arlington St., which Richard Parrilli bought in March.

Built in 1928, the house includes four bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms.

Parrilli wants to combine his lot with another and build a new house. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Zoning and Planning Commission plans to review Parrilli's request at City Hall, 209 N. York St.

Three days ago, Amy Wheeler started a petition on Change.org to save the house.

"It is truly sad to see so many beautiful old homes in our 'historic' neighborhood being torn down and replaced without any input from our community," Wheeler wrote in the petition. "Are you aware that this lovely, updated and well-kept property ... is in danger of being torn down?"

She urged residents to attend Tuesday's meeting.

"I am asking that we take immediate action and sign a petition to advocate for saving the older homes in our area that are in good condition, including saving the old growth trees, including Elms on this property that may not or even cannot be replaced," Wheeler said.

As of Thursday morning, 141 people had signed the petition.

Parrilli could not be reached for comment.

In Hinsdale, new owners often tear down historic houses to make way for new ones. This angers many residents as well as members of the local Historic Preservation Commission, which is advisory only.

Earlier this year, Hinsdale historic commission members spoke against a planned demolition, with one saying the owner wanted to "screw" the neighborhood.

Hinsdale later changed its code to further discourage teardowns, with officials saying they ultimately had to respect property rights.