Lincolnwood Village Board of Trustees Jan. 20 meeting

by CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI

The Lincolnwood Village Board of Trustees at its meeting Jan. 20 referred to the Plan Commission an ordinance recommended by the Economic Development Commission that would allow residential uses on the upper floors of developments in the Devon Avenue Corridor.

The action stemmed from a proposal for a retail and residential development on the site of the Whistler’s Restaurant, 3420 W. Devon Ave. The development would feature a three-story building with 18 residential units on the second and third floors and retail space on the ground floor.

The B-2 zoning of the site prohibits residential uses, but the commission suggested that the prohibition should be eliminated to encourage redevelopment. The commission recommended that the village should create an overlay zone along Devon from McCormick Boulevard to Drake Avenue to allow residential units as a special use above ground-floor retail space.

Trustee Ronald Cope voted against the measure. Cope said that mixing retail use with condominiums is not desirable in the village.

The village board also referred to the Plan Commission an ordinance recommended by the commission that that open-air off-street parking spaces be provided for guests at multi-family developments.

Also at the meeting, the board postponed to Feb. 17 a vote on variations that would permit construction of a detached garage in the rear yard of the home at 3350 W. Columbia Ave.

The home owner is seeking variations reducing the separation between the home and the garage from the required 15 feet to 3 feet, a rear yard coverage of 31.4 percent rather than the maximum allowed of 30 percent, and having building coverage of 40.64 percent rather than the maximum allowed of 35 percent.

The depth of the rear yard is approximately 31.25 feet, and the depth of the proposed garage is approximately 21.5 feet.

Trustee Rene Sprogis-Marohn said that the village Zoning Board of Appeals did not provide enough criteria for a finding that a hardship exists that justifies granting the variations. The board approved its recommendation by a 4-3 vote. Trustee Jesal Patel said that the zoning code should be amended because "the hardship is starting to be the existence of the regulation."

However, the trustees decided that the home owner should be given time to decide if she should modify the plan and build a one-car garage instead.

The board also granted a variation that will permit construction of a one-story addition to a home at 6755 N. Kostner Ave. that will encroach 1.2 feet into the required 6-foot side-yard setback.

The trustees also approved an ordinance amending the zoning code to designate residential uses as a special use in the Lincoln Avenue Corridor. Residential uses currently are permitted uses in some portions of the corridor.

The board also approved parking restrictions for the streets adjoining the Lincolnwood School District 74 after a trial period. The ordinance prohibits parking on the east side of East Prairie Road from Pratt Avenue to Morse Avenue, west side of East Prairie from Farwell Avenue to Morse, on the south side of Lunt Avenue from East Prairie to 125 feet east and on the north side of Lunt from Crawford Avenue to 90 feet east.

The board also approved an ordinance authorizing the village manager to execute an agreement with District 74 to share the cost of crossing guard services.

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