No Rush On Proposed Elmhurst Housing Project: Mayor

Elmhurst IL

13 July, 2021

11:41 AM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — An Elmhurst City Council committee approved a letter of intent Monday with a developer that is planning a six-story, 196-unit housing complex downtown. If the full City Council signs off, the city can begin talks with Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies to sell city land that makes up a part of the proposed project, which is set for Haven Road and First Street. According to the document, the letter is intended "solely as a preliminary expression of general intentions" and is to be used for discussion purposes only. Neither side has any contractual obligations. Elmhurst resident Kevin Diamond urged the city on Monday to use a letter of intent with the developer of a proposed six-story housing complex as a point of leverage. Mayor Scott Levin is in the background. (David Giuliani/Patch) Under city code, the zoning process for a project cannot start until a developer shows that it has an ownership interest in the property in question or that it is in the process of gaining ownership. Two weeks ago, the developer's lawyer encouraged the city to "keep the process moving" with the sale of the land, rather than delay by a month or two. A week later, the City Council was set to vote on the letter of intent. But given concerns that the city may be rushing the process, Mayor Scott Levin removed the item from the agenda. "This letter isn't something that we came up with lightly," Levin said at Monday's meeting of the Development, Planning and Zoning Committee. "We're at the beginning of the process. I want to tell members of the community that I wholly support the process. It's a nonbinding letter of intent. There are no enforceable rights. It's an expression of intent to move forward." During public input, resident Kevin Diamond urged the city to hold off on the letter of intent. Such a document, he said, is a point of leverage for the city so that it can get the kind of housing project that is best for Elmhurst. Over the years, the city has been encouraging downtown "transit-oriented" development for train commuters. Officials say downtown residents help nearby shops survive in a time when online shopping is becoming increasingly popular. Opponents contend the big housing complexes are changing the character of the community and making downtown traffic more problematic.