Dupage Policy Journal

At the March 6 meeting of the Elmhurst City Council, council approved a proposal for a subdivision development.

Alderman Bob Dunn, whose ward the development will be built in, asked that the developers create a sidewalk that runs from the development and buildings to the existing sidewalks on Kimber and Maple avenues. The developer agreed to this condition, as it would bring a higher level of accessibility to the residents. The land where it will be built has been vacant for over a decade. The development will have five buildings with six units each.

“I think it’s a good project, I do want to thank the zoning commission and committee for their diligence,” Dunn said. “And the developer too for continuing to be flexible, in particular with the accessibility to the neighborhood south of these units. I really didn't want to see a project where (the residents) were isolated and locked in on Lake Street, so the applicant agreed to accessibility: building a sidewalk there. We want the people moving into these townhomes to be welcome and part of the community and be able to walk through the neighborhoods there. So I do support this.”

The board uploaded a livestream of the meeting to the city’s YouTube channel.

A developer has been working on a townhome development in Elmhurst for several months now. It first proposed a 36-unit development in the summer of 2022, which was rejected by council for being too dense and not being suited to the neighborhood. 

John Pembrook, the owner of Island Construction, redeveloped his plan and submitted a 30-unit design to the city. This was approved by council and commissions, but his request for additional funding for water-sewer infrastructure was denied. The city had initially promised $950,000 for installing water and sewer infrastructure in the property as an incentive for developers. With the decreased units meaning less income, Island asked for $1.7 million instead, and the city ended up compromising with $1.3 million.

Dunn also took the chance to thank the developers for working with the city and boards to create a development that was well suited for the neighborhood. The motion passed, with eleven votes in favor of the plan and no votes in opposition.

The board will meet again at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at the Council Chambers at 209 North York St.