La Grange Man Fights For Tougher Developer Rules

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange resident Jonathan Robinson said Tuesday that he was frustrated with village officials after a developer revealed plans last fall for condos next to his house.

Robinson, who lives on Seventh Avenue, said the officials declined to speak with him. The village's attorney, instead, called him, he said.

And he said the village wouldn't let him look at the developer's drawings until days before a zoning meeting.

That was where a panel, after hearing public feedback, approved a 39-unit four-story complex with underground parking at 112 E. Burlington Ave. It granted waivers from zoning rules for height and setbacks.

The Village Board approved the project Monday.

On Tuesday, Robinson got the chance to present four proposed changes to the village's code. He said they would give residents more power in dealing with developers.

He paid a $1,500 filing fee to get the changes before the Plan Commission, which advises the elected Village Board on zoning issues.

The village's staff opposed all of Robinson's proposals.

However, the commission liked two of them – recording commission meetings and requiring a developer of a larger project to host a meeting with neighbors.

In the latest case, Dan Spain, the condo developer, did not meet with neighbors. Robinson and village officials agreed that it was a departure from the practice of many developers.

Robinson said such a meeting would help neighbors know what's going to happen, so they are better prepared for zoning meetings. He said developers typically have more time and resources than neighbors.

But Kurt Volkman, an architect for bigger projects who lives in La Grange, said mandating such meetings is an uncommon practice in the United States.

"You're adding to the cost of the development," he said.

Kurt Volkman, a La Grange resident and architect, on Monday calls the man proposing tougher rules for developers "naive." (David Giuliani/Patch)

At the same time, he said it was unfortunate if the La Grange condo developer failed to hold a neighbor meeting. (Elmhurst is among a few towns that require such gatherings.)

As for taking footage of meetings, plan commissioners supported it. Staff were against it, citing limited resources.

At the same meeting, the commission voted against Robinson's other two proposals:

• Ban new buildings over three stories directly sharing lot lines with single-family houses.
• Prevent developers from bypassing setbacks or other codes when next to single-family houses.

The staff said such requirements would move the village away from uniform standards. They also argued against different treatment for single-family homes as opposed to other housing.

But Robinson said the rules would protect families' investments in their homes and stop bigger developments from "invading" them.

"It's really not as anti-developer as it seems," he said. "It won't cripple projects."

For previous projects, he said the proposed setback regulation would have removed 10 percent or less square footage from buildings.

Volkman spoke up again.

"We have had two hours of grievances about Burlington," he said. "It was a terrible experience, but the process actually worked."

Calling Robinson "naive," Volkman said the proposed rules would make La Grange's code among the most restrictive in the United States. He said Robinson's presentation was insulting to staff.

Plan commissioners also disliked the two proposed rules. They said the regulations would reduce the village's flexibility for bigger projects, which are often defined as "planned unit developments."

"It removes the whole purpose of a planned development," commissioner Julie Egan said.

Robinson took exception.

"I'm glad you have clarified that this village is all about the developers," he said. "I don't like the connotation that we care more about the developer than the people. I don't feel like it's a great message."

Plan commissioners said they would further discuss the two Robinson proposals they liked at their Feb. 10 meeting.