A developer who is proposing a multi-use building in Lincolnwood must try to meet the Lincolnwood Village Board’s requirements for adequate parking.
Lincolnwood trustees gave the developer six weeks to acquire an easement to access necessary parking or change a plan to build a three-story mixed-use building on Lincoln Avenue near Crawford Avenue.
The Village Board voted 4-1 on Feb. 20 to give Esad Hoxha until April 2 to find a way to meet Lincolnwood’s requirement to provide 30 parking spaces for the 15,600-square-foot site at 6731-35 N. Lincoln.
The developer wants to build 4,000 square feet of commercial space and 12 residential units, including eight two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units, according to a report prepared by the village’s Community Development Department.
During an hour-long discussion of the proposal, Trustee Craig Klatzko said he was not comfortable approving any plan that doesn’t meet the village’s parking requirement. Klatzko eventually made a motion asking the board to continue the matter until April 2.
“As it stands now, the petitioner has the option to reduce the square footage to reduce the amount of parking needed,” he said. “Or if we make a motion to deny and they want to go ahead, then they have to go through the whole process again.”
The developer hoped to meet the parking requirement by including seven parking spaces on the south end of the property that are accessed through an easement shared with the neighboring Great Beijing Chinese Restaurant, 6717 N. Lincoln.
However, village officials said the easement may not be used as part of the proposal because the developer owns only half of the access road.
“Right now I don’t see any way of meeting the parking requirements,” Klatzco said. “I’m not comfortable with making any concessions that are going to affect residents or the other businesses in the area.”
Village President Jesal Patel said the board could approve the proposal with the condition that the developer gain access to the seven parking spaces.
“There are multiple options,” Patel said. “It could be denied, it could be continued to a date certain or it could be approved with conditions. Those are pretty much the three.”
Klatzco said he was not comfortable making a motion with conditions.
“They can either redesign the building, make it smaller with less units, so they meet the parking requirements we have in the village,” he said. “Or they can get some kind of legal document showing they have access to the easement.”
Patel said the developers can seek more time if they are not prepared to return to the board on April 2.
“If you’re not ready, we can do the motion to continue again,” he said. “That’s not a problem. We can accommodate you.”
Trustee Chris Martel voted against the continuance. Trustee Mohammed Saleem was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.
Martel asked why the developer needed a 12-foot height variation, rather than meeting the village’s limit of 38 feet height.
Douglas Hammel, planning and economic development manager for the village, said the variation request is to allow a pergola at the top of the building.
“In the future they can’t expand the remainder of the building,” Hammel said. “It’s just to accommodate the pergola.”
But even if the pergola is removed, the proposal would need a variance to allow a parapet to extend three feet above the maximum height, he said.
Hamlin said there are other buildings along Lincoln Avenue that exceed the maximum height of 38 feet.