Five years ago, the village of River Forest published an “expression of interest,” seeking development proposals for the Madison-Ashland properties. In that proposal, the Village stated:
“Concept/Program – The village believes a mixed-use project (two to four floors) of ground-floor retail and residential or office above could fit contextually within the district. … “Sensitivity to the Neighbors – The subject property is near single-family residential property and any development should be sensitive to that fact and aim to be congruous.”
In 2023, neighbors in and around the Madison TIF convened to discuss acceptable features for development. We held numerous meetings, some including village staff. We presented a combined memorandum at meetings of the village board, the EDC, and the ZBA. That memo reflected a desire for a building that combined owned residential and commercial spaces, and no taller than three stories, consistent with the current zoning for the Madison-Ashland-facing parcel.
Despite the village’s expressed intent, extensive input from the constituency, and the successful defeat of re-zoning in 2024, on Jan. 14, the village advanced an over-scaled, five-story, 72-unit fast-tracked development proposal that reflects neither neighbor concerns nor the village’s own stated intentions for the property.
This current proposal was not properly vetted; it was not and is not set to be meaningfully debated in public. The village board is pushing this plan forward with great speed. Discussions about “groundbreaking” have already ensued.
Even more troubling, the village appears to have done no meaningful due diligence on the developer before advancing the project. This utter lack of caution by the Village Board is especially concerning given River Forest’s history of badly vetted development, i.e., Lake and Lathrop.
We, the constituents and homeowners in this community, are asking our Board of Trustees for accountability. Some of our homes are in the Madison TIF, with our tax dollars being diverted for 23 years. We urge the village to stop this proposal, respect our valid concerns, and adhere to the village’s own original intent for this property.
The “expression of interest” document can be found online in the packet for the EDC May 4, 2022, meeting, here: https://www.vrf.us/events/event/2164
Deborah Borman, Ed Pogue, David Sorkin, Anne Sorkin, Kathy Corcos, Kathryn Jandeska, Jim Ross, Trudi Ross, Freida Pantos, John Pantos, Bridget Erfort, David Erfort, Diane Conmy, John Conmy, Jon Reith, Boonlye Tan, Mark Frank, Connie Geocaris
River Forest
