I write as a homeowner in Oak Park on Kenilworth Avenue.
I recognize there are public policy issues at hand across the U.S. specific to zoning that have prevented the sort of housing density that would address well-known issues specific to affordability.
Oak Park’s challenges on those issues can and should be addressed, but not without focus on how the village plans to support the necessary improvements in parking, education and other necessary infrastructure.
A much better investment of the village board’s time would be to focus on improving our tax base by strengthening our retail corridor, ensuring businesses can put down roots here and addressing why year-over-year increases in our taxes have been inadequate to fund the community’s needs.
The best way for the village to build confidence in its recommendations would be to demonstrate some degree of fiscal restraint before pushing through rezoning that leaves too many unanswered questions and puts too much at risk around what makes Oak Park unique.
Benjamin Shobert
Oak Park
