Feeding Into Hinsdale's 'Elitist' Image?

HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale Village Board on Tuesday approved a new private, gated neighborhood, but trustees expressed reservations.

The lone dissenter said he feared such a subdivision would feed into the perception of Hinsdale as an "elitist" town.

The eight-home subdivision is planned for south of Kensington School, a private institution on Ogden Avenue. The houses would be on Kensington Court, a cul-de-sac that links to Monroe Street.

Officials said Hinsdale contains other gated neighborhoods. In 2003, the village approved a gate at Woodland Court, which is off County Line Road.

Trustee Scott Banke said he liked the Kensington plan, but opposed the gate. He said it was inconsistent with Hinsdale's traditional neighborhood standards.

"A gated development plan creates the suggestion that we live in an unsafe community," he said. "I personally find this difficult to reconcile, particularly considering the time, money and effort the village dedicates every day to ensuring the exact opposite of that."

Banke said his other objection was philosophical.

"I'm just concerned that the development plan plays into the negative perception of Hinsdale as an elitist town," he said. "I think we need to be wary of adding another line item to this negative perception. And I believe this negative perception has made us an easy target and puts us on radars that we just don't want to be on."

The Hinsdale-based developer, J. Jordan Homes, indicated the homes would cost over $2 million each. Hinsdale is among the wealthiest towns in the United States.

Village President Tom Cauley said he generally agreed with Banke. But he said the property in question was unique in that it was next to businesses.

Cauley said the property has sat vacant for years. During that time, he said, other developers proposed denser developments such as duplexes or townhomes.

"The way I understand it, this is being designed for empty nesters, for people who may spend a substantial amount of their time in Florida," Cauley said.

If the village rejected the development, he said, the land would likely remain vacant for many more years.

Trustee Neale Byrnes said he wasn't "crazy" about having gates in Hinsdale. In this case, though, he said the gate would provide screening for the residents from the nearby businesses.

"I'm a little concerned about precedent, but then there is so little, if any, undeveloped property in town, so I don't think we're going to be faced with this in the future," Byrnes said.

Trustee Michelle Fisher said she, too, was not a fan of gated streets. But she agreed with the others that it was justified in this case because it was near commercial development.

Trustee Luke Stifflear said he would have opposed the gate if the neighborhood were a little farther away from the businesses.

He said he could see another place in town that may justify a gate – a cul-de-sac off 57th Street near Hinsdale Central High School. That's where a lot of drivers pull in to do U-turns, he said.

Julie Laux, owner of J. Jordan Homes, told the board she expected the development to attract empty nesters. But she said it could also attract families of children who go to the private Kensington School.

"The people I have talked to, the gate is very important," Laux said. "I will walk away if I don't get the gate. I don't mean to be disrespectful or threatening. Just in my mind, this is how the project works."

She said she hoped to begin construction in the spring.

Trustees Byrnes, Fisher, Stifflear, Laurel Haarlow and Matthew Posthuma voted for the gate, while Banke was against it.