Plan for luxury homes in Berwyn gets initial approval

A plan to construct 29 luxury homes on Ridgeland Avenue in Berwyn was approved March 17 by the city’s Planning and Development Commission.

Commissioners voted 5-2 to recommend the project on the 3000 block of Ridgeland Avenue for approval by the city council, which is expected to vote on the proposal April 13.

The council will also have to vote to change the city’s comprehensive plan, which designates a portion of the property as green space. The development also requires the council to re-zone the Ridgeland Tax Increment Financing [TIF] district from industrial to residential.

Houses in Kasper Development’s Ridgeland Estates planned unit development are expected to sell for $400,000 and up.

The project includes 29 two-car garages and the extension of 29th Street east through the approximate center of the development.

Zoning commissioners Cathy Norden and Douglas Walega voted against the project, with Nordon expressing concern over the project’s density. Commissioners Richard Bruen Jr., Rosina LaPietra, Don Miller, Lance Malina and Joel Chrastka voted for it, with Chrastka calling residents’ concerns about parking and traffic “making a mountain out of a molehill.”

The Berwyn Development Corp. [BDC], which receives its funding through TIF revenue and the city, is also in favor of the project, according to a report provided by BDC Executive Director David Hulseberg.

At last week’s hearing, residents voiced opposition to the development, citing parking and traffic concerns, especially in regard to the safety of children attending Freedom Middle School, which abuts the property.

Residents also expressed concerns about a lack of affordable housing in Berwyn, the impact of the upscale development on property taxes, environmental concerns about an underground tank on the property that will have to be removed and the city’s lack of engagement with the public on the project.

“To me, this is city-sponsored gentrification in the middle of a pandemic,” said 5th Ward Alderman-elect Rob Pabon. “Berwyn does not need more housing developments that exclude the people who live here already. We should be supporting projects that bring jobs and resources to our community.”

In a letter to the zoning board, resident Ted Korbos pointed out that the property is a TIF district created for an Industrial zone, not a residential zone. As a TIF district, property taxes are frozen for the life of the TIF. The philosophy behind TIFs is that the tax break will attract developments that increase the overall value of the property, resulting in more property taxes once the TIF expires.

“The city created the Ridgeland TIF for industrial development,” Korbos said. “This development project goes against the purpose of the TIF. It will be the first time in Berwyn that TIF money has been used to support the development of an area with only single family homes.”

The staff report said the development will improve Berwyn’s aging underground storm water and sewer infrastructure, 90% of which is older than 90 years, said Public Works Director Robert Schiller. Roughly 96,000 square feet of the property is currently impervious, according to the report.

A new storm water detention vault and the “removal of additional stormwater would improve overall burden on sewer,” the report said. As for traffic concerns, the BDC said that the development “would represent a reduction in net traffic when compared to a fully re-occupied industrial building.”

Residents at last week’s hearing weren’t convinced.

Korynna Lopez pointed to the fact that Berwyn is the most densely populated city in Illinois, and that by the developers own admission, there isn’t enough space in the parkway of the 29-home project to plant the requisite number of trees required by code. According to the BDC presentation, trees could be planted on homeowners’ property rather than the parkway, at homeowners’ discretion.

Chakstra responded to parking concerns by describing the home he lived in on the 3000 block of Scoville Avenue form 1963 to 1980. Despite having 44 homes on the block [many in two-flats], parking was never an issue, he said.

“I think we’re making a mountain out of a molehill with the parking situation here,” he said.

In addition to the city council, the Berwyn South School District 100 school board must agree to the development. The board was slated to discuss the project at its March 24 meeting.

The development includes a 28-space parking lot for the school district, which can be used by residents when not needed by the school. District 100 is also being asked to enter into an easement agreement allowing Ridgeland Estates homeowners “rights of ingress and egress over and through the school driveway in order to have unfettered 24-hour daily access” to their garages and driveways.