Residents Sound Off on North York: 'Just Make it Look Better—Like You're in Elmhurst'

With cold weather, and Christmas only a week away, you might expect a slim turnout at a city planning workshop. That was not the case in Elmhurst Tuesday night, as more than 50 residents made the trek to City Hall to talk about what they'd like to see develop on North York Road. 

The workshop was facilitated by Dan Gardner of Houseal Lavigne Associates, the planners hired by the city last summer to create a land-use plan for North York. The corridor is part of the city's newest tax increment financing district.

"We always start a study of this type with input, feedback from the community," Gardner said. "This isn't our plan, or city officials' plan. It's your vision."

A workshop for business owners was held Monday morning.

The 10-month planning process will look at everything from land use to economic development, to stormwater mitigation, streetscape and urban design.

"The idea here is to work with property owners, business owners, the community, and develop a plan that creates an asset," he said.

Residents were asked to write down their five top concerns about the North York Corridor, what their priorities would be if they could make an immediate impact, and what assets of North York could be expanded upon.

More than 35 categories of improvements and concerns were developed. The most popular ideas included:

• Develop a consistent streetscape, similar to City Centre
• Install sidewalks from Lake to Grand on both sides of the street
• Address flood mitigation
• Modernize existing retail establishments
• Provide retail development incentives without harming existing businesses
• Improve traffic flow through Elmhurst
• Provide destinations in the north corridor

Other topics included the possible impact of O'Hare modernization, burying power lines, building safe pedestrian crosswalks, adding a big-box home improvement store, adequate parking, improving the I-290 exit ramp into north Elmhurst and more.

The topics were narrowed again, to just four:

• A more consistent streetscape
• Connected sidewalks for a more walkable environment
• Flood mitigation 
• Modernization

"You start to see how things relate to each other," Gardner said.

The idea is to build off successes, like Mariano's, which participants agreed has been a big asset to North Elmhurst, and to keep sales tax in town. Modernization will attract desirable businesses, residents said.

The area now "looks like a bad '80s movie," one resident said. Another referred to the "hodgepodge" of businesses. Right now, it looks "industrial, not inviting at all," they said.

"Just make it look better, like you're in Elmhurst," one resident said.

Gardner said it will be important to work with existing businesses. 

"Sometimes there might be a better location for a business," and the city might want to help a business move to another area of town, he said.

Another resident wondered if the city has "learned anything" from the stagnant Hahn Street and Addison Avenue developments in the downtown.

"This is a large area. We have two small projects we can't get done," he said.

Third Ward Alderman Michael Bram said a lot of individuals would agree that those two projects have lingered too long.

"Duly noted," he said. "But this is about the planning, not the execution."

Several residents spoke about flooding.

"We have a water problem. It's not going to solve itself," one man said. "That has to be addressed before we start development."

"We have to fix the infrastructure," another resident said. "It's not the sexy project we all want to do, but we just have to fix that and be done with it."

One man emphasized the importance of simplicity.

"You can't possibly come up with something to address everything (talked about) here," he said. "Make this a simple thing: lighting, safety is essential, protect the businesses that are there now. We wouldn't even be having this meeting if Mariano's hadn't move in or if (the Waverton hadn't shut down.)"

Gardner agreed this is a long-term plan, but having a plan in place is essential.

"Developers want to know a city has a plan in place and what those expectations are," Gardner said. "There is nothing worse than trying to guess what a city wants. If you're pitted up against another community by retailers targeting an area, the one with a solid plan in place … will have a competitive edge. That's one of the reasons you do this."

Overall, residents seemed optimistic about the potential of new tax dollars coming into the city and a regentrified corridor the city can be proud of. Gardner encouraged them to stay involved in the process.

"There will be notices of upcoming meetings, draft documents produced," he said. "We are in the early stages now, but by the middle of next year we'll have a plan that will reflect everything you've heard."

He encouraged residents to visit the North York Corridor planning web page,  where they can add icons to a map, see what other people have mapped and complete a questionnaire.

"It's a fun way to provide input," he said.

What would you like to see on North York? Let us know in the comments.