La Grange Developers May Face New Hurdle; Resident's Idea Gains Steam

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange resident Jonathan Robinson faced headwinds earlier this year when he proposed requiring developers to meet with neighbors before seeking the village's zoning approval.

La Grange's staff recommended against that idea. And a key member of a village panel also opposed the measure, saying it would add to developers' costs.

Then the surprise came: Other village officials liked Robinson's idea.

Robinson based the proposal on his experience. In August, he and his neighbors were informed about the proposal for a condo complex at 112 E. Burlington Ave. The village's own documents said the developer's request would "significantly" violate Robinson's setbacks.

The village knew about the planned condos for nine months before letting Robinson and others in the loop.

Even without a requirement, developers have been known to hold neighbor meetings, but that didn't happen with the 39-unit proposed complex. A few suburbs, including Elmhurst, mandate such gatherings. Most don't.

Next Tuesday, the village's Plan Commission is set to review a proposal to require neighbor meetings before developers turn in applications to the village.

The staff is recommending the provision, calling it a best practice.

"Robust community engagement is an important aspect of zoning entitlement processes," the staff said in a memo this week.

In January, plan commissioners indicated they supported Robinson's idea.

During the meeting, Kurt Volkman, a member of the village's Design Review Commission and soon to be its chairman, called Robinson "naive" for his neighbor meeting proposal and others.

Volkman, an architect for bigger developments, warned that the suggested rules would make La Grange's code among the most restrictive in the United States.

At the same time, Volkman said it was unfortunate that the condo developer failed to hold a neighbor meeting.

In March, Village President Mark Kuchler predicted Robinson's proposal would happen in some form.

"I expect that we will have a requirement that any developer of a planned development must meet with concerned residents prior to going before the Plan Commission," Kuchler said. "The exact details need to be worked out, but I expect that developers will need to meet with residents."

The Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Village Hall, 53 S. La Grange Road.