By Dan McLeister
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Zoning and Planning Commission (ZPC) approved by a 4-2 vote the Opus six-story mixed-use project for rental units and retail space proposed on the corner of Addison and First.
Three of the nine-member Commission were absent: Dave Garland, Susan McCoyd and Kurt Warnke.
Commissioner Dan Corrado voted to approve the project but he posed a question: how much more traffic can the streets take? He mentioned what he called “gridlock” on some downtown streets after 3 p.m.
Scott Day, a Naperville attorney for Opus, said a traffic study indicated that there would not be a problem.
Site requires environmental clean-up
On another topic, Day said there was a financing issue for the $50- to $60-million project because “a rather substantial amount,” as much as $2- to $3-million of environmental cleanup would be needed for the site, which had a dry cleaning store many years ago. Opus will need financial assistance from the City to get an acceptable return on investment, according to Day.
The other ‘no’ vote came from Commissioner Lisa Callaway, who said her biggest concern was the number of one-bedroom units.
“Do we have enough of a market for that many one-bedroom units?” she asked.
The ratio of two-bedroom units to one-bedroom units would likely be 60-65 percent for two-bedroom units and 35-40 percent for one-bedroom units for about 160 units.
Commissioner Susan Rose stated that she did not have a problem with the density of about 133 units per acre. That compares to nearby residential projects such as 87 units per acre for the Hahn Street project; 85 units/acre for Wilder Crossing (approved but not constructed); Museum Square, 58 units/acre; Market Square, 44 units/acre; and, Crescent Court, 40 units/acre.
Than Werner, planning and zoning administrator, said the corner of Addison and First was a good place to put a high density Transit Oriented Development (TOD) because it was next to the train station.
Opus made some changes from what was presented at a previous ZPC meeting such as adding retail space, changing materials on the building’s exterior and landscaping changes.
Currently, the Opus site is occupied by a two-story commercial building with bank drive-through lanes and a parking lot.
A recommendation by the ZPC, an advisory body, will be sent to the City Council, which will send it to the Development, Planning and Zoning (DPC) Committee of three aldermen. That group will make a report to the full City Council, which has the final vote.
