Controversial Prairie Park townhouse system clears hurdle in Wheeling

A controversial plan to develop townhouses inside of Wheeling’s Prairie Park condominium advanced has gained a preliminary go-forward from the village board.

But the proposal — contacting for 18 units in six two-story structures — still awaits an official green light.

Situated west of Milwaukee Avenue off Wolf Road, Prairie Park has four condominium structures. A promised fifth building hardly ever was produced, and the townhouses would be erected in its place on the north facet of Prairie Park Push.

3 Prairie Park residents spoke in favor of the proposal for the duration of final week’s village board meeting.

They incorporated Prairie Park home-owner affiliation president Lee Waller, who noted the new properties would raise regular monthly evaluation money for the affiliation and Wheeling’s property tax profits.

The strategy drew criticism from one speaker, Sherwin Begoun, who claimed the aesthetics of townhouses and condominium structures really don’t match, nor do the life of the respective inhabitants.

“Placing in townhomes is like mixing plaid and stripes,” Begoun said. “It just does not work. It in no way will.”

Record of the web-site

The Prairie Park development was authorised much more than 18 years ago, and the properties went up in phases on the almost 18-acre site. The village contributed a lot more than $10 million in property-tax earnings to the task.

Irrespective of ongoing product sales, the fifth condominium making no for a longer period is economically feasible, mentioned developer Jamie Smith of Smith Loved ones Advancement. Growing development costs are the culprit, he stated.

Begoun urged village officials to offer Smith much more revenue to place up the fifth condominium developing. But no extra tax dollars are coming for the project, Village Supervisor Jon Sfondilis stated, nor has the developer asked for any.

“The incentive delivered for the task now incorporated the fifth building and fatigued suitable bills,” Sfondilis stated.

The townhouse strategy

The Smith Family operation contains Jamie’s father, Mark Smith, who unsuccessfully challenged Village President Pat Horcher for that elected post this yr.

There was no point out of the elder Smith’s political obstacle throughout very last week’s board discussion. Jamie Smith and attorney Dan Shapiro led the presentation.

Every single townhouse device would have about 2,150 sq. feet of residing area, unfinished basements that could be completed to include living space, hooked up garages and driveways.

Houses would price about $500,000 every, Smith stated.

The developers are trying to find numerous exceptions to Wheeling constructing codes, which includes scaled-down parking stalls and considerably less space in between properties.

When Wheeling’s system fee reviewed the proposal earlier this thirty day period, the group deadlocked 2-2 on requests to amend the original Prairie Park ideas. That meant the advisory panel didn’t endorse acceptance to the village board.

During previous week’s dialogue, many trustees questioned the proposed 18-foot lengths of guest parking places and driveways, stating they may well be far too limited for longer autos to match properly.

Shapiro explained he believes prospective townhouse prospective buyers are additional possible to have customarily sized autos fairly than for a longer time automobiles like oversized SUVs. Smith said the townhouses will be promoted to more mature couples with no small children at home and people near retirement age.

Trustees also questioned the prolonged presence of a revenue trailer on the Prairie Park residence.

“That trailer was meant to have been long gone a very long time back,” Trustee Mary Papantos said. “My concern (is) we will never see it depart.”

Shapiro asked for permission to preserve the trailer in spot until a product townhouse device is concluded.

Trustee Mary Krueger said she’s anxious about whether or not fire truck drivers can navigate tight street corners in the proposed progress. In response, Shapiro stated builders worked with fireplace officers and insisted the strategy complies with village codes.

Finally, trustees unanimously gave the ideas a preliminary thumbs-up. Closing board approval could arrive later this summer, following yet another review by the program fee and the board.

Just one additional agency

But that will never be the past bureaucratic stage for the program.

Because the households would be constructed just south of a channel for the close by — and flood-prone — Des Plaines River, the proposal wants acceptance from the Metropolitan H2o Reclamation District of Larger Chicago, which oversees floodwater abatement in Cook dinner County.

Horcher wished Smith and his group luck and mentioned he hopes the challenge progresses efficiently.

Krueger expressed similarly positive thoughts.

“I’m actually hopeful that this challenge will finish the Prairie Park local community in a seriously well timed manner,” she mentioned.