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Revised housing, retail plan is OKd
A mix of new town homes, condominiums and retail businesses will be built on a vacant lot at Home Avenue and South Boulevard in Oak Park.
The Village Board on Monday unanimously approved the plans for 17 town homes, 15 loft-style two-bedroom condos and more than 2,100 square feet of retail space, a proposal that differs greatly from the one originally proposed and rejected earlier this year.
The first proposal for 22 town homes was denied because it lacked retail space and was not dense enough to comply with the village’s comprehensive plan for the area, which is adjacent to other retail and condos and across from the CTA Green Line and Metra’s West line station.
Some trustees expressed concerns that there would only be enough parking spots for 10 of the condos.
But others said that would encourage people to have fewer cars and use the public transportation directly across the street.
Also Monday, the Village Board approved a guaranteed maximum price of $2.3 million for the final expansion of the Holley Court parking garage on Harlem Avenue just south of Ontario Street.
An additional 135 parking spots will be built on the north side of the garage by Whiteco Residential.
Whiteco built the new west addition to the garage and is building an adjacent residential condo tower, which is expected to have a Trader Joe’s grocery on the first floor.
The board also approved more than $380,000 in change orders for the previous garage expansion and rehab. Crews ran into several problems during construction, including having to drive support pilings deeper than expected and the relocation of a sewer line.
Victoria Pierce
ROSELLE
Village advances tobacco lounge plan
Village officials in Roselle approved an amendment Monday night to allow the Tobacco Oasis, a business in the village, to apply for a special-use permit to open a tobacco lounge as part of its current retail operation.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich expects to soon sign a state smoking ban that will include four exemptions, including private homes, a percentage of hotel and motel rooms, nursing homes and retail tobacco stores. The ban would take effect Jan. 1.
Roselle Village Atty. James Knippen, who reviewed the statewide smoking ban and spoke with sponsors of the bill, reassured the village Monday that the special-use permit would be allowable as long as there are no changes in the law.
Knippen and sponsors of the state bill believe the special-use permit would be exempted if most of the store’s income is for the sale of tobacco products, said Village Administrator Jeff O’Dell.
Mayor Gayle Smolinski said that while she led local efforts to ban smoking in the village, she personally has no issues with smoking in a retail store dedicated to selling tobacco.
“People have a right to go into a tobacco shop and enjoy the latest cigar or whatever with their friends,” Smolinski said. “I see this as a different issue than someone going out for dinner and having to breathe secondhand smoke.”
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