La Grange East Side Questions Proposed Zoning Changes

LA GRANGE, IL – Residents on La Grange's east side questioned Monday a long-term plan to allow triplexes and fourplexes in their neighborhood.

The neighborhood is in the village's northeastern corner and includes Hayes, Sawyer, Bluff and Washington avenues. It is more diverse than the rest of town.

Now, the neighborhood has a zoning designation that allows single-family houses and duplexes.

Over the last few weeks, the La Grange Village Board has been reviewing a proposed long-term plan, often called the "comprehensive plan."

"Why are we choosing this part of La Grange to change in a way that will be detrimental to the people who are already here?" Janine Ferguson-Marshall, who lives on Sawyer Avenue, said during public comments.

She said her neighborhood already has more than a couple of dozen two-story duplexes as well as the local homeless shelter, known as Beds Plus.

"Now, you want to change the way the community has been formed from the standpoint of having single homes for people who wish to buy them," Ferguson-Marshall said.

Michael Thomas, whose parents live on Bluff Avenue and are lifelong La Grange residents, said the village was focused on allowing triplexes and fourplexes in a neighborhood that is diverse and where minorities have historically lived.

"The concern is that while you say that it could be for affordable housing, the fear that we have is that those builders would come in and tear down the current properties in the neighborhood, build up the threeplexes and fourplexes and then charge exorbitant amounts on rent," said Thomas, a La Grange Park resident and a Lyons Township High School board member.

Resident Carolyn Gothard said, "We are very concerned with the multiunit buildings. We like to preserve what we have, and we'd like to see the plans."

Sawyer Avenue resident Bessie Boyd, a former La Grange School District 102 board member, said the Village Board needed to take time to gather feedback from the east side about the plan.

"Will the lots be sold to the village or will the property owner sell the property to receive the highest market value? Will the units be considered affordable housing and how will this change or impact the property values currently on the east side of La Grange?" said Boyd, a real estate broker and a former elementary school principal.

Catherine Thesen, who used to live in the 10 block of Sawyer Avenue, said the east side neighborhood was "welcoming" when her family moved in 11 years ago. They moved away a couple of years ago, but still own the property. They rent it out as a triplex, even though it is a duplex under the village's zoning.

She said she could understand neighbors' opposition to changing the character of the area, but asked that she and others be grandfathered in

Village President Mark Kuchler said his interest in changing the code to allow triplexes was to grandfather existing ones in.

"If we don't make a change to the zoning to allow three-flats, then we need to say we're aware that it's illegal and that it can't continue," Kuchler said. "That's my personal struggle. We're hearing about affordable housing. These buildings are being used as three-flats. Does the community want that to change or does the community want it grandfathered in? Or is the community saying we want these people evicted?"

Boyd said she was fine grandfathering them in.

Village trustees agreed to take more input on the long-term plan, particularly about the east side, at a meeting on Nov. 18.