Rosemont village and parks officials are pondering their next moves after the Des Plaines City Council surprised them by denying a rezoning request to facilitate moving a billboard.
With two aldermen absent at a recent meeting and Mayor Matt Bogusz declining to break a 3-3 tie, a request from the Rosemont Park District to rezone a 4.2-acre parcel it owns within the City of Des Plaines was denied. The land, south of Interstate 90 at the northeast corner of Higgins Road and Orchard Place, was to be the new site of a billboard that had to be moved because of the widening of Interstate 90.
The northern section of the property is zoned limited commercial while the southern portion is zoned as a residential area, though there are no homes. The park district was seeking to have the southern part rezoned as general commercial because Des Plaines zoning code would not permit the billboard otherwise.
Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens said the park district had a tentative deal to lease the land to Outfront Media, the company that owns the billboard, for $2 million over 20 years.
Outfront Media had earlier this year requested permission to move three billboards and the Des Plaines council approved a zoning amendment to allow it as long as they were within 500 feet of their initial locations.Stephens said the parcel owned by the park district was the only space for one billboard that was available and met the restriction.
But because Des Plaines zoning code stipulates that a billboard must not be located within 300 feet of a residence or residentially-zoned area, the zoning change was required. Yet, several aldermen questioned why it was necessary, even after it was recommended by the city’s Plan Commission.
Sixth Ward Aldermen Malcolm Chester also accused Rosemont officials of attempting to interfere with a proposed billion dollar hotel, office and residential development near the village’s border at the O’Hare Lake Office complex on Devon Avenue. At a previous meeting, an attorney for Rosemont’s park district voiced opposition to the development on behalf of some condo owners who live near the site.
“I realize this is a favor being asked of us, but if anyone is here from Rosemont, the street runs two directions,” Chester said. No parks representative was present.
Stephens said he was “blindsided” by the council’s decision.
“They do their business their way, and that’s none of my business,” he said. “I do business another way in my community and we are just going to leave it at that.”
When asked why no park district officials were present, Karen Stephens, director of parks and recreation, said they were not notified the issue was on the agenda.
“We went to the (Plan Commission) and they said they (recommended approval) and said it had to go before the council and no one ever told us when that was,” she said.
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Both the mayor and an attorney for the park district, Bill Ryan, said the land had been offered for sale to Des Plaines. Stephens said the asking price was near $1 million, up from over $500,000 the district paid 10 to 20 years ago.
George Sakas, Des Plaines’ director of community and economic development, declined to confirm whether an offer was made.
The fate of the billboard is unclear because the city’s zoning code prohibits reconsideration of a petition within one year unless it is significantly changed. Sakas said he hasn’t seen a second petition and doubts one could be altered sufficiently to allow another vote.
“This is just a simple rezoning; there is nothing really to change,” he said.
A spokesperson for Outfront Media, Carly Zipp, declined to comment on what might happen next.
“It looks like it’s going to be a legal issue and we can’t comment on any pending legal matters,” she said.
Ryan said the park district is exploring its options.
“We are a little unclear as to why anyone was opposed (to the rezoning),” he said.
Chester along with 8th Ward Alderman Michael Charewicz and 7th Ward Alderman Don Smith voted against the requested zoning change; 2nd Ward Alderman John Robinson, 3rd Ward Alderman Denise Rodd and 4th Ward Alderman Dick Sayad voted in favor.
First Ward Alderman Patricia Haugeberg and 5th Ward Alderman James Brookman were absent.
Gaines is a freelance reporter.
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