‘Nothing is final here’: Cary advances multifamily plan for Maplewood land but vows to hear resident concerns

The village of Cary is locked in to start negotiations to redevelop the former Maplewood School property into a multifamily residential area, as resident continue to advocate for single-family housing or less density.

The Village Board agreed in a 5-1 vote Tuesday to enter a preliminary development agreement. Mayor Mark Kownick stressed to residents multiple times that nothing from the conceptual plan is confirmed. The village in January chose developers Cordogan Clark and JTE Real Estate Services, along with Eriksson Engineering and D2 Capital Advisors. Their conceptual proposal includes five-story apartment blocks with about 200 units oriented by Route 14 and surrounded by three-story buildings of 50 townhomes. The conceptual plan also includes a public park at the corner of Krenz Avenue and School Street.

“I would imagine a lot of it is going to be changing to better for what the community is looking for,” Kownick said.

About 100 residents attended Tuesday’s meeting, leaving standing room only. Many of the same concerns over density, increased traffic, light pollution and the height of the five-story building remained.

“As beautiful as it is, there’s one major problem with this type of complex, and that’s the location,” resident Paul Ingallinera said. “My main concern regarding this is there are not enough adjustments that could be made to this initial development proposal that makes sense for this location.”

The next stage is for the village to “pick apart the plan” during a 150-day developer due-diligence period, followed by a redevelopment agreement that could come up for a vote in August, Kownick said. Rezoning applications are expected in the fall, permitting and then construction beginning in Spring 2026, the mayor said. Village documents indicate an extension in the negotiation period is possible, and further work with the developer could be dropped if an agreement is not made.

In the meantime, there will be plenty of public outreach with open houses in the future, Kownick said. Developer John Cordogan said the builders are “enthusiastic” to work with residents and will listen to community concerns.

“We will work hard for you and we will work hard for the community to make this the best project it can best possibly be and one that reflects your own personal values and not just an economic gain for the development team,” Cordogan said.

Many nearby residents have been outspoken in advocating for single-family homes instead. Ingallinera created an online survey that found over 94% of 231 participants are not in favor of the developer or the proposed development. The majority of participants want single-family homes with a park, while six people voted for conceptual proposal.

Some residents would like to see the space turned into a public park, while others are open to a less-dense plan of owner-occupied townhomes and single-family homes. Residents also asked for the plan to be put up for a referendum vote.

Resident Curt Zimmerman said that the village and developers assert nothing will move forward without community input, “but yet at the same time, it is happening and it is moving forward. There’s lots of input, but it’s just not being listened to. It’s falling on deaf ears. ... It’s not that we are opposed to any development, it’s just that this is far short.”

At times, the meeting grew heated with residents saying they feel like their voices aren’t being heard and accusations that the board has financial incentives to push for a high-density development. Kownick assured that every resident concern and request will be heard and evaluated with developers.

“Nothing is final here,” Kownick said. “We’re not signing on dotted line, we’re not going to be putting a shovel in the ground. It’s going to take some time, and I guarantee you, the community involvement will help us. We hear what you’re saying.”

Trustee Jennifer Weinhammer was the only sole “no” vote on the preliminary plan, saying: “I haven’t heard anybody come up tonight to say that they want this at all. So I’m going to vote on behalf of the residents tonight.”

Weinhammer is not running for reelection on April 1. She said she had planned to run for mayor this year, but that “didn’t come to fruition.” The race for mayor is between Kownick and local business owner Randolph Scott. The race for Village Board is uncontested, with Trustees Rick Walrath and Duane Rick Dudek running for reelection and David Prusina seeking a third open seat.

Trustee Ellen McAlpine said she would have voted no if the conceptual plan was what they were voting on, “but, I’m saying I am voting yes to see if we can get something that’s going to be able to work within that footprint.”

A resident brought forward concerns over one of the members of the development team, Michael Poulakidas, who is 2003 was censured by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission for misconduct, according to ARDC records. The complaint states Poulakidas neglected a client’s real estate matter and provided the client with a false court order. Poulakidas addressed the censure during Tuesday’s meeting saying “it’s not something I am proud of.”

“The censure is a matter of public record, and the matter was addressed and closed decades ago,” Poulakidas said in an email to the Northwest Herald. “I have maintained my law license and become an active real estate developer. However, it is immaterial to the development proposal and the path forward in Cary.”

At the same meeting, the village board unanimously agreed to waive certain application requirements for District 26 to move forward with the development of its new transportation center next to Aldi.

The board also waived application requirements for three new structures with six rental units at 243 W. Main St. Developer Logan Way of LJ Homes aims to construct residences with the look of single-family homes but which are attached duplexes. During discussion of the Maplewood land, many residents said they would rather see a plan similar to this at that site.