Is La Grange's Approach 'Let Them Eat Cake' On Housing?

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange homeowners have enjoyed the surge in property values over the last few years.

But the village is like many towns, particularly wealthy ones. The rising home values often price out young families and older residents.

In Springfield, state lawmakers are proposing legislation to increase the housing supply.

Now, La Grange officials are considering a resolution that tells the state to keep its hands off local zoning.

The village's attorney, Ben Schuster, warns that if the legislation passes, towns will lose almost all of their authority over residential developments of up to eight units.

Under the proposal, he said, multifamily housing complexes could be built on any lot larger than 2,500 square feet, which includes many La Grange properties.

Schuster presented information on the proposal to the Village Board on Monday.

Village President Mark Kuchler said he opposed removing local zoning powers.

"(The rules) should be made by the board rather than one set of zoning rules made by Springfield," he said.

During the board's public comments period, Kurt Volkman, Kucher's appointed chairman of the village's Design Review Commission, called the village's proposed resolution "well-intentioned."

But he said it essentially "flips the bird" at the state. The village cannot afford that, given its need for state money to address stormwater problems, he said.

"You basically put us at risk of falling down the chain in terms of priority," Volkman said.

In an email to Patch on Tuesday, Volkman said La Grange has an affordability problem, much of it caused by national forces.

Seniors and young families are facing the greatest challenge, he said. The results of that can be seen locally with falling school enrollment and shuttered downtown storefronts, he said.

"Single-family zoning does not help this," Volkman said in the email. "The oppositional stance is equivalent to saying to residents who struggle with affordability to 'Let them eat cake.'"

During the meeting, Trustee Glenn Thompson said the state legislation fails to address affordable housing.

Under the proposal, Thompson said he could build four to six townhomes on his property and have a builder sell them all for $1 million.

"It will drive my property value up," Thompson said. "I'll make more money selling my house for land value than I will selling it as a historical home."

That shows the legislation would destroy La Grange's value because the provisions would give no incentive to keep historical homes, Thompson said.

Trustees delayed a vote on the resolution, saying they needed more time to study the issue.

Trustee Beth Augustine suggested bringing in La Grange-area state lawmakers to speak about the proposal.