Allow Taller Buildings In La Grange: Panel
LA GRANGE, IL – Builders could be taller in certain La Grange business districts under a proposed long-term plan for growth.
On Monday, the Village Board is expected to vote on a new "comprehensive plan," replacing one from a couple of decades ago.
Recently, the village's Plan Commission approved the plan, which a consultant helped draft.
The document suggests changes to the village code, but La Grange trustees would have to enact ordinances to make them a reality.
The plan recommends letting developers construct buildings up to five stories high. Now, three is the limit.
But La Grange has long made exceptions. Since 2005, the majority of new commercial buildings have been four or five stories high and near the train, the village said. These complexes fit well into the character of the area, according to the plan.
The plan also advises the village to accommodate denser residential and commercial development along six blocks of South La Grange Road, from 47th Street to Plainfield Road.
"Redevelopment of some blocks within this corridor is feasible but requires property acquisition by a developer and design attentive to adjacent residential uses," the plan said.
The plan also calls for the village to consider allowing accessory dwelling units , often known as granny flats or coach houses.
Accessory dwelling units come with a full kitchen and bathroom. They can be attached to a house or detached.
Such housing is considered more affordable. But opponents often say accessory dwelling units destroy neighborhoods of single-family houses. In Elmhurst, some fear the units would make the town more like Chicago.
In La Grange, the plan says such units can be built without increasing the impervious surfaces that worsen flooding. Rather, they can be permitted in basements and over garages, which has been the case in other Chicago suburbs.
The plan also recommends banning the short-term rental of accessory dwelling units.
