Will Hinsdale Street Stay One Way?

HINSDALE, IL – A proposal for condos in the old Zion Lutheran School is prompting the idea that a one-way street should go both ways.

Second Street is a one-way street from Grant to Vine streets, going by Zion Lutheran Church and the school.

A developer is proposing a dozen condos in the old school, which closed in 2018.

As part of the process, the developer's traffic consultant is recommending converting Second Street to a two-way street to promote a better traffic flow.

The condos, the consultant said, are expected to generate less traffic than a school or office building.

At last week's Village Board meeting, Village President Tom Cauley suggested keeping the idea of a two-way street separate from the condo proposal.

"You may put this out there, and you think no one is opposed to it. And you get to the final meeting before the board, and you get 15 people showing up who say they don't want the two-way," Cauley said. "All of a sudden, it's not about the development project, it's about the street and whether we have the two-way. I don't want to have that complexity."

Drew Mitchell, a partner with developer Holladay Properties, agreed.

"That's why I was disappointed when the topic came up at the Plan Commission," he said. "We could experience the tail wagging the dog. If I had my druthers, I would leave it out. I would retain a one-way approach on that street. If it's something we want to explore, we should do that independent of the project."

The Village Board made no decisions on the street.