Proposed building footprint reduced by more than half
By Dan McLeister For The Elmhurst Independent
Elmhurst Extended Care has submitted a new application which reduces the footprint of the proposed building addition from 32,129 square feet to 15,481 by constructing a new two-story building.
But ten residents objected at a public hearing held by the Zoning and Planning Commission (ZPC) on Thursday, Feb. 23, just as some people had objected at a previous meeting. At both meetings neighbors cited traffic safety concerns, noting that a larger nursing home did not fit in with the residential neighborhood and that the value of their homes could decrease.
ZPC members will deliberate on the proposal and issue a recommendation, which will refer the proposal to the Planning & Development Committee of three aldermen, who will issue a report to the City Council, which will have the final vote.
The applicant, who has operated the nursing home at 300 E. Lake St. since 1961, proposes to use three lots where houses were demolished in 2013. The site, is located on the south side of Lake St., east of York St. on the north side of Fremont Ave.
The change in square footage would result in code-compliant lot coverage of 30 percent for the entire development site. The R-2 District limits lot coverage to 30 percent.
Currently the property consists of three land parcels, one fronting on Lake St. and zoned C-2 Community Shopping and Service. The other two parcels front on Fremont Ave. are zoned R-2 Single Family residential.
Although nursing homes are allowed as a conditional use in both districts, City staff and the City Attorney did not recommend a proposal with a property in two different zoning districts. It was noted that there is nothing in the City’s ordinances that would prohibit “split zoning” of a parcel.
In the previous application, if the property were rezoned R-2 Single Family Residential, the applicants request would have required a variation for lot coverage from 30 percent to 37 percent.
Julie McNichols, a resident in the area, said the privacy and enjoyment of her backyard would be lost because the proposed building would be “right on top of my house.”
“We need to protect the character of our neighborhood,” she said.
Neighbor Greg Pellico commented that the nursing home addition would bring down the property values of the houses in the neighborhood. He said of five other nursing homes in the Elmhurst area, “not one intrudes into a residential street.”
Scott Day, attorney for the nursing home owner, stated that the proposed addition meets all the building requirements of height, setbacks and lot coverage.
“There are a bunch of other standards,” said Susan Rose, a member of the ZPC. “It is our responsibility to look at all of them.”
