Foxford Communities has come back to Western Springs with a revised development plan for the old Tischler’s grocery store that lessens the four-story, mixed-use building’s height and tries to soften its impact on neighbors.
Hearing concerns from residents regarding the height of the proposed development on the southeast corner of Burlington Avenue and Wolf Road, Foxford has brought a revised version of its plan back to the village that cuts the building height by more than 4 feet. The building would still be four stories, but it would now top out at 49 feet, 6 inches, down from the original proposal of 53 feet, 9 inches, according to Foxford officials.
“We were able to tighten things up in the garage,” said John McFarland, managing director of Foxford Communities. “And we have shielded the rooftop equipment (heating and air conditioning units). Now, you can look from across the street and not see the rooftop equipment.”
A second public hearing was held last week on the proposal, which would create 52 apartments on top of 3,800 square feet of commercial space, and possibly a restaurant, on the old Tischler’s site. Members of the village’s Plan Commission took no action at their Dec. 16 meeting on either the Foxford proposal or the proposed creation of a MXD zoning designation that would be used for the Tischler property to build a four-story building.
Both issues will be addressed at the Plan Commission’s next meeting, slated for 7 p.m. Jan. 13.
While some residents living near the proposed mixed-used development still had concerns about how the building’s height would change the face of downtown and the density of the project, one longtime resident said the project’s time had come.
“Your job is to represent all of the residents, not just the ones who butt up next to the building,” 30-year resident Tom Potter told Plan Commission members. “Our village has too many vacant buildings. Represent all the residents, not just the ones adjacent to the property.”
Peter Brennan, principal at Foxford, said members of the Western Springs Business Association are behind the project.
“They told us they are very supportive of the proposal,” Brennan said.
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Along with shielding the rooftop equipment and lowering the building height, Foxford has also proposed softening the southeast portion of the development with more design elements and landscaping in an effort to have the building fit in more with the existing neighborhood.
Some residents, including Klaus Koch, questioned if there should be a buffer in zoning between the MXD development and homes.
Woodland Avenue resident Dave Rasmussen questioned whether apartments are the right move for downtown Western Springs. He said with a number of apartment complexes already being built in the area, a glut of units could occur.
“When all these apartments are out there, what happens then?” he asked. Foxford’s McFarland noted that the apartments are being built to “condominium quality” so the units can be converted to condos down the road. He noted the development’s one-bedroom apartments will be close to 900 square feet and the three-bedroom units will have close to 1,800 square feet of living space.