NT_041119

6 | April 11, 2019 | The Northbrook tower news
northbrooktower.com
Northbrook Plan Commission
Project for 84 townhouse units heads to Village board after approval
Neil Milbert, Freelance Reporter
Before continuing the public
hearing on the proposed Northbrook
Court development, the
Northbrook Plan Commission
at its Thursday, April 4 meeting
unanimously approved a draft
resolution filed by M/I Homes of
Chicago, LLC to purchase property
at 1910 Techny Road and
change the zoning from restricted
industrial to multiple family
residential.
The green light from the Plan
Commission is expected to put
the project on the fast track for approval
by the Village’s Board of
Trustees, who will make the final
decision.
Plans call for 84 townhouse
units; reduction of the right-ofway
of proposed streets within
the development from 60 feet to
52 feet; and reduction of the number
of required off-street parking
spaces within the development.
Also part of the resolution was
a waiver of the requirement to
bury overhead utility lines along
the Techny Road frontage of the
property.
The Northbrook Village Board
conducted a preliminary review
of the proposed development
during its Oct. 9, 2018 meeting.
Village trustees expressed initial
optimism for the proposal —
which was initially for 86 townhomes
— but voiced qualifiers
they hoped to see addressed.
At the time, Village Trustees
A.C. Buehler III, Kathryn Ciesla,
Robert Israel, James Karagianis
and Muriel Collison all cited
concerns about the project’s
density. Trustee Jason Han was
The Plan Commission unanimously approved a draft resolution filed by M/I Homes of Chicago, LLC to
purchase property at 1910 Techny Road and change the zoning from restricted industrial to multiple
family residential. Plans call for 84 townhouse units at the property, if approved by the Village Board.
Design renderings courtesy of the Village of Northbrook
critical of the development last
year, saying at the time he did
not believe the property should
be rezoned.
Village President Sandy Frum
voiced overall support for the
proposal in October, praising the
proposed price of the units.
Prior to approval, the Plan
Commission conducted a public
hearing for the project at its
Feb. 19 and March 19 meetings.
The Village Board is expected
to make the final decision in the
near future.
court
From Page 3
Then, Adam Tritt, senior vicepresident
of retail development
for Brookfield Properties, and
Dan Walsh, senior vice-president
of Ryan Co., described the ways
and means they were attempting
to alleviate these concerns.
Walsh addressed the location
issue.
“This is the most appropriate
residential location (for the apartment
building that will be either
five stories or 80 feet in height),”
he insisted. “We can’t comply
with the 150-foot rear setback
requirement (in the zoning code).
We are asking that it be reduced
to 73 feet. We will plant evergreen
trees (to serve as a buffer
for people living next to the
property).”
The developers’ plans call for
432 covered garage spaces, which
averages out to one stall per bedroom
and 1.5 per unit, plus 32
additional stalls that would go to
occupants of two and three-bedroom
units. There also would be
41 surface spaces.
A grand staircase would
connect the indoor garages to
the great lawn that Walsh described
as “the centerpiece of the
development.”
“One of the drivers in whatever
we do is we must engage with
existing property,” Tritt emphasized.
“We need a strong visual
connection to the mall.
“We have spent $2.4 billion
and built 100 anchor stores in
the last seven years. There is no
simple template for success.
“We’re in active negotiations
with a grocery tenant. Market
research has suggested we can
satisfy a demand and won’t affect
existing grocers. There needs
to be a visual terminus. The
grocery store serves that need,
one more layer of vibrancy and
energy.”
The developers contend that
C-4 district zoning code that
was enacted in 1974 to accommodate
the creation of
Northbrook Court is obsolete
because of new trends in the
consumer marketplace.
But residents argue that the
mixed-use zoning relief the developers
are asking for will cause
their home values to plunge.
Jim Beckett said he had been
seeking to sell his home but suspended
his plans after speaking
to several realtors and being told
“to expect some devaluation
while all this is going on.”
“Residents from the apartment
building will be looking down on
us,” agreed Ibaid Chhatriwala.
“Once a property goes up 70 feet
from our backyard, our home values
will go down tremendously.
“The ideal solution is to move
to a different site (in Northbrook
Court).”
“It is truly an unreasonable
request,” concurred Mel Septon.
“Hold off until there is a reasonable
plan.”
Septon sneered at the developers’
proposal to plant trees to
serve as a buffer: “Unless they’re
planning to bring in sequoias and
redwoods from Yosemite that’s
not going to happen.”
Nancy Hirsch expressed her
concerns for the safety of children
in the neighborhood because
of the increased traffic. She also
is opposed to the grocery store.
“I live here; we don’t need another
grocery store,” she said.
Louise Ristow, likewise, believes
a grocery store is without
merit and thinks the same thing
applies to the proposed restaurant.
“There are 17 to 20 restaurants
within a two-mile radius and 14
or 15 more in Deerfield proper,”
she said. “Less than two miles
away are a Jewel, a Mariano’s, a
Sunset Foods and a Trader Joes.
Five miles away are two more
Mariano’s, a Heinen’s and a
Whole Foods.”
Commissioner Steve Elisco
told the developers: “The fact
that you can’t accommodate the
concerns (of people in the neighborhood)
is mystifying to me. We
need to see a change in height and
alternatives to the grocery store if
it doesn’t happen.”
“Push the building back from
the south edge and make the
property lower,” urged Commissioner
Daniel Pepoon. “I
happen to be a believer the
grocery store is a good thing;
you need to demonstrate that
(based on evidence from other
developments).”
Mark DeBartolo was
the most enthusiastic of
the members of the Plan
Commission.
“I go on the assumption you
know what you’re doing,” he
said. “I think the grocery store is
a great idea.
“My major concern is Northbrook
Court is 25 percent of our
village tax revenue. If that goes
away what will happen? And
what will happen to property
value then? If you are someone
who bought this close to the mall
thinking nothing was ever going
to happen you were foolish. I
don’t live in that world.”
Commissioner Jennifer Lawrence
had a completely different
opinion.
“When people bought their
property the zoning guidelines
that are in place now were in
effect,” she pointed out. “There
has not been any level of trying
(to alleviate grievances
of neighborhood residents).
This cannot be the only thing
that will make Northbrook
Court survive.”