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player ready...A developer’s proposal to tear down a Northbrook shopping center near downtown and build three condo buildings on the site will now be heard before the Plan Commission after Northbrook Village Board trustees voted at their Aug. 25 meeting to modify their initial review process.
During the Tuesday meeting, the Village Board voted to reverse its action, passed May 26, to review the zoning application, instead sending it off to the Plan Commission for a first pass. Only one trustee, Johannah Hebl, voted no on the motion.
Dozens of Northbrook residents filled the meeting room, as they have for at least the past two meetings, to protest a proposal from developer Pulte Homes. Village officials estimated at least 100 residents attended.
Pulte has submitted an application to redevelop Meadow Plaza Shopping Center at 1901 Cherry Lane, Northbrook, into three six-story condominium buildings with a total of 150 units, including 23 affordable units, two commercial parcels and a river walk, according to the village website.
The shopping center has operated in Northbrook since 1959. Residents said during the meeting’s comment period that it contains shops they rely on regularly for daily necessities, including the Ace Hardware store, a shoe repair shop, dry cleaner, Dollar Tree Store, auto parts store and other businesses.
Pulte Homes first presented a preliminary proposal to the Board in May, but has since submitted a zoning application, as of Aug. 3.
The zoning change would be necessary to build a development of that scale because local zoning guidelines for the downtown area cap building heights at four stories. To include five stories, a special permit process is required and for six, the developer needs to go through the Planned Unit Development process, according to the Village fact sheet about the proposal.
The majority of trustees ultimately decided to have the Plan Commission review the proposal before the Board weighs in.
“It’s just a different routing,” said Anna Ables, the village’s communications director, after the meeting.
She said that with residents’ high level of interest in the Pulte proposal for Meadow Plaza, “the Board sometimes is looking at the bigger picture — this Plan Commission review will focus more narrowly on zoning.”
However, the Village attorney noted during the meeting the Plan Commission would not make the final decision, as it is a “recommending body.”
Village President Kathryn Ciesla added that the application is not yet complete, has several items missing and is still undergoing staff review. As a result, there is no date set for when the Plan Commission will conduct a hearing.
Ciesla moved the public comment portion for residents who wanted to speak about the project to the end of the Aug. 25 meeting, which resulted in some grumbling from residents since the meeting was more than three hours long.
The concerns residents discussed during public comment were similar to sentiments discussed in previous meetings, including criticisms about increased density in the area, traffic around schools and the removal of longtime businesses.
Resident Jane Mentzer said her dad owned a flooring business in a small town in West Central Illinois and spoke to the dedication and time it takes for local businesses to build a reputation and customer loyalty.
“I know one of the trustees mentioned how the village would help the stores who may have to open somewhere else, but when that small business owner is in a different place, he or she often gets forgotten,” said Mentzer. “How many of these great small businesses will fall by the wayside if they have to move?”
Another point that multiple residents brought up at the meeting was that they have had Freedom of Information Act requests ignored in recent weeks, to which Ciesla responded that she would have the village attorney immediately look into it.
One resident said he received a one-line letter to narrow down the request but never heard about it again. Another resident, Pat Young, said her requests also went unanswered.
“I had asked for emails, memos and other communications between the Board, staff and consult that discussed the rewriting of the code,” said Young. “The documents I asked for are routinely provided when requested. In fact, the exact same kind of documents have very recently been provided to other people in at least three instances.”
Susan Nelson, a longtime resident who started the “Save Downtown Northbrook” campaign and created a website for the group, also spoke out against development plans during the public comment portion of the meeting. Many residents across the room who walked up to speak could be seen wearing t-shirts with the same name and logo.
In June, an online petition was created to organize against the project, and it has since gathered more than 5,000 signatures.
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In an email shared with Pioneer Press on July 29, Ciesla stated, “We understand the concerns surrounding the potential displacement of the businesses currently located at Meadow Plaza. These businesses are valued members of the Northbrook community, and we recognize the uncertainty that redevelopment proposals can create.”
“The Meadow Plaza property is privately owned, and the property owner’s decision to sell the site is independent of the village. While the village cannot control private property transactions or leasing decisions, we are committed to supporting affected businesses by connecting them with available commercial spaces and local resources whenever possible.”
Throughout the meeting, Ciesla and other Village Board members emphasized that the proposal is required to go through a legal process and have a formal hearing before anything is decided.
“We are all allowing due process under the law,” said Trustee Hebl before the meeting’s public comment. “I really do hope that there is discourse where people understand that this is part of the process and it’s very important because every single development that comes through this body will have the same thing.”