Rogers Parkers
Condemn Plan
for Townhomes
BY ANGELA CAPUTO STAFF WRITER
Feb. 22, 2006
A developer's pitch to add 64 upscale townhomes on the Park Plaza land, which is already maxed out--at least as far as zoning is concerned--is getting mixed reviews from neighbors.
Along with a group of partners, local businessman Ben Weinchneider is under contract to purchase the six-acre site through Park Plaza, LLC. If the deal closes, the 220-unit Park Plaza apartment building, 6840 N. Sacramento Ave., would fall into the hands of new owners. The management, however, would remain the same--and, yes, the building will still be kosher, the development team's attorney Bernard Citron said.
Under the proposal, rows of townhomes would line the perimeter of the site. On average, the units would have three or four 2,500 square-feet units with two parking spaces. And they will cost a pretty penny, most upwards of $480,000.
As the condos would fill in the current parking spaces for the Park Plaza apartments, a lot with 101 spaces would be poured on the northern border of the property, paving over a now-open grassy space.
For neighbors Zevi David and his brother-in-law Jonathan Stopek whose families have been using the space as a backyard for their abutting townhome complex, the plan comes as a real blow. With three kids under 5 years old, David said, it won't only impact his family, "All the kids in the area play there."
"And we don't want to look out in our backyard and see a parking lot," Stopek added.
Another major concern voiced by neighbors who attended a community hearing on the proposal Wednesday, Feb. 15 was that traffic is already too tight on the West Rogers Park stretches of Touhy and Pratt. Some long-timers say they fear adding the homes would only make the situation worse.
With three entrances onto the site, though, developers say they are planning to disperse cars from the site more evenly. While admitting that there will certainly be an impact, they project it will be minimal in the big picture.
Because the property lies in a planned development, the townhouse proposal will be reviewed by a series of city committees and then the City Council before the developers get a go signal. Even if the plan isn't approved, Weinchneider said his partners in the LLC plan to acquire the property.
And if all goes according to their plan, groundbreaking would begin in fall. The units would be sold in phases and the property would be under construction for two years.
In the tight-knit community where there aren't a whole lot of new people moving in and out, Realtor Phyllis Smith wasn't alone when she lamented declining membership at local congregations and a struggling local economy. The new homes, she said, might help give those institutions a boost.
"If we want to make our Jewish Community Center and our synagogues more vibrant we need to bring in new housing and more families," she said.
Living only an estimated 700 feet from Park Plaza himself, Weinchneider said instead of pushing for a high density condo project, "I created instead something I would like to see next to me. And (a project) to bring in market rate buyers."
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin/ppo-thisweek/localnews/sn
2 Comments:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The land upon which Park Plaza Retirement Center is located, at 6840 N. Sacramento Ave., is developed as much as is possible under the current zoning. It contains 220 apartment units with a Floor Area Ratio of 0.93. (This is similar density to the Winston Towers high-rise apartment buildings.)
There is a proposal to allow 64 townhouses to be built upon the land, in addition to Park Plaza. These townhouses are proposed to be built on both sides of the driveway which enters the Park Plaza property from Pratt Blvd. for the entire length of the west side of this property, and north of the Park Plaza building, along Lerner Park, until Sacramento Avenue. These proposed 4-story townhouses will be
38 feet high, and will be placed very close to each other; typically in rows of 8 or 9 per building.
The existing townhomes along Pratt, Sacramento and Whipple are only two stories high. Thus, those unfortunate owners on Whipple would never have the pleasure of seeing the afternoon sun again. As the proposed townhouses are taller than any others in the area, their presence would also significantly alter the view enjoyed by the residents of Winston Towers, especially Building #2.
The proposed new townhouses would be built on land that provides parking for the Park Plaza facility. Thus, the required 175 parking spaces would have to be relocated. There is currently a nicely maintained landscaped area - with a path, benches, trees, and a rock garden – along the Southern exposure of the Park Plaza building. Under the proposed plan, this area would become an asphalt paved parking lot for 110 cars. This area immediately abuts the existing townhomes along Whipple, Pratt, and Sacramento, and is used (with permission) as an extended yard for all the neighboring children. In fact, this area was land-scaped as a compromise by the original developer of Park Plaza, in order to placate the residents of the existing townhomes, so as to allow construction of Park Plaza.
It has now been substantiated that the next phase in the property's development is to convert the Park Plaza Retirement Center into condominiums. As there are currently no other assisted living facilities/retirement centers in the community, this would have a devastating impact on our neighborhood. It would also disatrously impact the parking situation in the surrounding areas. This has been enforced by the following reports:
1)Prospective tenants of Park Plaza have been turned away with the excuse that there are no available apartments. Yet, Park Plaza has at least a 5% vacancy rate.
2)Current tenants of Park Plaza are being refused lease extensions of more than 13 months.
3)The developer has already been quoted by others as having said that the next stage in his development plan will be to convert Park Plaza into condominiums.
The petition which we are now circulating is for the purpose of having Alderman Stone deny the proposed amendment necessary for construction of any townhouses. If we are able to get substantial backing, then we will be able to maintain an asset for our community and avoid overcrowding and parking congestion.
We hope that we can count on your support in this endeavor. Any registered voter in the 50th Ward who signs the petition will help maintain the integrity, stability and longevity of our wonderful community.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
The Committee to Retain
Park Plaza Retirement Center
and Avoid Overcrowding
Jonathan Stopek – chair
At the meeting, Bernard Citron actually said that he had not known that the building WAS Kosher. This fact is very telling, considering that the developers have been under contract with the building's owner since November of '05.
The grassy area which will be paved over to make way for the new parking lot was land-scaped as a compromise by the original developer of Park Plaza, in order to placate the residents of the existing townhomes, so as to allow construction of Park Plaza.
More of a concern than traffic will be the parking situation when the 220 units of Park Plaza are converted to condominiums, as there is no remaining space to add more parking. Residents of Park Plaza will be forced to find parking on the street, and as there is no parking along Sacramento, the extra cars will be parked along all the side streets in the area, thus making it very difficult for CURRENT residents to continue to have parking in front of their homes.
Phyllis Smith stands to make about 1.5 million dollars in comissions from the sales of these townhomes, and is, in fact, moving to Lincolnwood herself. The new townhomes would not encourage young families to move into the area, as they are too prohibitively priced, and they would not be suitable for Jewish families, as there is no yard in which to build a Succah.
The Synagogues in West Rogers Park are NOT experiencing a decline in membership. They are in fact growing larger. Take, for example, Congregation Adas Yeshurun on Touhy, which has grown so large that it recently bought a much larger building. Likewise, Congregation Shaarei Mizrach which moved into the building vacated by Adas Yeshurun. And Congregation KINS at California and North Shore recently added a new synagogue in its basement. The old Barnaby's restaurant at Touhy and California has, in recent years, been occupied by a newly started synagogue. And a new congregation (Mekor Chayim) has begun, in recent years, to occupy the social hall of Congregation Beth Yitzchok on Whipple.
There are other new housing developments being built in West Rogers Park, notably the Regent Park Estates at Kedzie and Albion, also being developed by Ben Weinschneider. Although they have been on the market for quite some time, NONE of these new residences have been sold. Additionally, the Winston Towers buildings currently have approximately 40 vacant units for sale. There are also several new houses being built on Pratt, between Western and California. The market is oversaturated with homes for sale, many of which have been on the market for months. This community does not REQUIRE any new development, and the true reason for this proposed development is simply to put money into Mr. Weinschneider's pocket.
As the new homes are being sold for $480,000 and upwards, they will not attract what Mr. Weinschneider refers to as "market rate buyers".
Post a Comment
<< Home