Controversial New Music Makers Building Approved

The Western Springs Plan Commission on Tuesday night approved  local youth music school Music Makers' plan to build their new home on Howard Avenue in Western Springs.

Before the commission approved Music Makers' plan, the committee, Music Makers and the community collaborated with KLOA, a traffic study analyst, to solve some of residents’ traffic concerns, which had been .

The Plan Commission approved rezoning the proposed Music Makers lot, 4332 Howard Ave to Commercial (C-1) and allow music and dance schools to run on the property.

To resolve the traffic congestion in the neighborhood around Music Makers, the commission approved the following:

• No parking on the north side of 43^rd Street within 20-feet of Howard Avenue.
• On 43^rd Street there’s no stopping, standing or parking on school days between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• The school will allow Music Makers to use the Field Park Elementary School lot after school.
• Music Makers will strive to minimize conflict with Field Park School’s dismissal time by starting its first class at 3:15 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. and starting the second class at 3:45 p.m.
• On Wednesday, Music Makers will establish a larger gap between musical theatre classes to avoid conflicting with the First Methodist Church Choir schedule.
• Music Makers' circle way will only allow traffic to go counter clockwise filtering in from the north.
• No parking on school days between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. on the east side of Howard Avenue.

The extension of the no parking time on the east side of Howard ensures it is a two-way street during the Field Park School and Music Maker hours of operation, said Eric Russell of KLOA.  

“Are these restrictions going to be enforced?" asked resident Chris Galvin. "Because I just want to make sure the village is on board, and the police department with enforcing this very strictly, because this is going to be a change.

"If there’s rain or snow, parents just go where they can go."

Although Music Makers made an effort to accommodate Field Park School, Commissioner Thomas Hansen doesn’t feel that is enough. He suggested Music Makers start classes at 4 p.m. to completely avoid any conflicting schedule with Field Park School.  

Eliminating classes before 4 p.m. would take a popular class time away from its music students, responded Jeremy Michor of Music Makers.

At the meeting one resident shared his concerns with Music Makers joining the neighborhood.

Even after hearing all the possible solutions to the congestion resident Richard Von Loewe believes the church, early education and elementary school already brings enough foot traffic, not to mention the churches late hours with the homeless shelter. Music Makers just adds to the noise pollution destroying property values, he said.

Not everyone was concerned.

“I’m enthusiastically supportive as a citizen, with what Jeremy is trying to do. It sounds like a great business,” said Mark Ptacek, the school board president. “If we need to do some tweaks to help our neighbor out we’ll be happy to do that.”