Oak Park business districts are retail only, except when they're not

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012 10:00 PM

Want to make yourself entirely nutty? Try making sense of Oak Park village government's efforts to determine what commercial areas must be reserved for retail, which areas could be retail or service, or this week when a strip designated as "retail-only" is determined to be just right for a dentist's office.

If you're looking for logic, consistency — or even just following the rules the village itself put in place — then you have come to the wrong discussion.

Last week, the village's Zoning Board of Appeals granted an exemption to the "retail overlay district" that lines Lake Street on either side of Oak Park Avenue. The 4-1 decision, which is binding and not subject to village board review, will turn the former home of Flybird, a prime retail storefront, into a dentist's office, likely for many years to come.

We find this decision absurd. This is absolutely a viable retail street from Caribou Coffee to Papaspiros and Geppetto's Toy Box, from The Great Frame-Up to Red Hen Bread. And it is a rare example of where village planning went exactly right as the mixed-use retail and condo building constructed to village specifications at Lake and Euclid completed and elongated the retail corridor.

How the zoning board could conclude that a retail space that had hardly even gone on the leasing market (after Flybird's closing) constituted a hardship case that only a deadly dull dentist could remedy is beyond reason.

We are fans of the Sheehan brothers — Jack and Tim — who own and lavish love on the Medical Arts Building, a handsome Art Deco structure that includes the Flybird space. But simply moving a dentist from an upper floor to prime retail is not doing their building or their business district any favors.

If the village government wants to play commercial God and dictate what business can locate where, then sooner than later they have to get their act together. Recent months have been incongruous. The $5 million invested in South Marion loveliness does not result in a retail-only designation. The unimproved 100 block of South Oak Park Avenue does get the retail-only label. And on Lake Street, a strip where the village had already made the right decision, they go handing out flaunt-the-law cards to dentists.

This is amateur hour.

Reader Comments

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Q from Oak Park

Posted: July 26th, 2012 11:13 AM

Cont... The W.J. showed a picture of the authorized Apply repair place with a board attached to the front of the building with the name on it. Not very flattering to the surrounding area, but no one cares because they will fix your adult toys. It would be nice to have a very nice department store, but there is not enough people to support it. People will only travel to Oak Park to get their adult toys fixed, and then leave but that seems like a big deal to Oak Park.

Q from Oak Park

Posted: July 26th, 2012 11:10 AM

There is nothing wrong with a dentist office where it's going. How do all of you think you deserve a business that fits to your needs, and where does Pope and Raymond think they have the power to say who has the right to set up business where they want. If you own a building you have the right to rent to any business that is operating legally. Is the W.J., a retail business? The dentist office can sell toothbrushes, tooth paste and floss and it will then be for retail too. Cont...

Cronyism from OP

Posted: July 26th, 2012 6:11 AM

This just proves that OP zoning has more to do with who you are, who your friends are, and which asses you've kissed than any real sense of order or logic. This is just the latest in dozens of examples....

Patricia O'Shea Facebook Verified

Posted: July 18th, 2012 11:57 AM

Zoning in Oak Park is a weak guideline at best - well unless you're a homeowner wanting to improve your home. Zoning rules were blown out of the water for the Interfaith development in the old Comcast building. However, it's interesting to note that when that fact was discussed those concerned were labeled "nimby".

Kyle

Posted: July 18th, 2012 9:56 AM

I've said before I'm anti retail-only. There is a difference between encouraging retail in areas the Village would like to see stores & ultimately letting the market decide. Dentists, insurance offices, financial planners, etc. make neighborhoods more well-rounded. But I agree about the mixed msgs & suspect that it comes from trying to find some middle ground against the reality of trying to fill vacant properties. IMO we have bigger fish to fry. Clarity would be great...but which direction?

Why bother? from Oak Park

Posted: July 18th, 2012 9:55 AM

One step forward (Apple outlet), two steps back. Why bother with zoning at all then? Let's turn our retail district into a comatose office park and be done with it. For interesting, vibrant retail, there's always Forest Park. I, for one, will never patronize a dentist or realtor who drains the life out of the community by taking up prime retail space. (Copied from my hopping mad reaction to the news article.)

Nora from Oak Park

Posted: July 18th, 2012 9:10 AM

Not a fan of Jack and Tim. They flaunt the rules and OP lets them get away with it. They may love their building, but they don't demonstrate any care or interest for the people who live in the townhomes, condos, and homes nearby. OP continues to cave to their whims.

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