Fall 2007

Improving on Success

Arlington Heights, Illinois, Plan Commission Works to Ensure Quality of Life in Suburbia

By Karen Finucan Clarkson

"Arlington Heights is an oasis," says George Drost, chair of the village's plan commission. "We offer proximity to Chicago and yet we are a distinct venue with our own restaurants, live theater, and movies." That hasn't always been the case. Twenty years ago, about the time the city adopted a master plan for the central business district, the downtown had lost its retail base and was struggling to draw residents and visitors. While plan commissioners have come and gone over the last two decades, the village's commitment to a vibrant urban core has remained. Today's plan commission continues to update and refine plans in keeping with the community's vision of itself as a true live-work-play locale, says Drost. "We don't do anything in a vacuum," he says. "Planning is really a balancing act now, meeting the needs of business, manufacturing, services, and residents. We have a pretty amazing demographic — definitely middle class with some upper end."

Situated roughly 30 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, Arlington Heights covers about 17 square miles and has a population of more than 76,000. The village provides employment for some 44,000 people, according to Charles Perkins, AICP, director of planning and community development. The nine-member planning commission is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the village board. Each commissioner serves a three-year term and there are no term limits. "We've had, in the past, a number of long-time commissioners — those serving 20 or 30 years," says Perkins. "More recently there's been some turnover and no one currently has that type of tenure. Five or six years is the most."

Such turnover has led to increased training. "We've done a lot more workshops over the last few years as well as some teleconferences," he adds. "We encourage commissioners to go to APA meetings," says Drost. "Sometimes we bring in speakers, such as an expert from Virginia Tech." The only requirement for plan commissioners is that they are residents of Arlington Heights. "The mayor does like to spread out appointments so there is a reasonable geographic representation," says Perkins. "All village officials are elected at large and the same applies to appointments to commissions."

"The commission is representative of the community and its residents," says Drost. "Each of us brings different skill sets. We have an engineer, architect, someone from a real estate-tax valuation service, a few attorneys, a banker, real estate broker, and someone heavily involved in the community. As different projects come through the pipeline we have people with different disciplines who can evaluate them." Plan commissioners receive $15 per meeting and generally meet twice a month. Four or five commissioners serve on the Plat and Subdivision Committee, which meets with staff and petitioners to review proposals and give an indication of how it might be viewed by the entire commission.

"Recently, we've been asking developers to have preliminary meetings with neighbors before the formal public hearing process," says Perkins. "This allows them to incorporate changes or adjust their plans in advance of plan commission review." Given Arlington Heights's tradition of community participation, emotions sometimes run deep, says Drost. The subject of density often engenders debate. "There are some who believe there is too much and things can get emotional," he says. "I like to run a meeting that has a lot of civility in it. I think one of the hallmarks of this commission is its professionalism."

Arlington Heights Plan Commission

George Drost, Chairman
Carol Blackwood
Joseph Lorenzini
Stan Eisenhammer
Carole O'Neill
Bruce Green
Michael Wolfe
Terry Ennes
Robin LaBedz

Growing in Different Directions

Arlington Heights, Illinois's Urbanization Requires New Strategies

"We are built out but not built up," says George Drost, chair of the plan commission. As the commission considers the issues of urbanization and increased density, segments of the community appear reluctant to embrace change.

"We just wrapped up a two-year study and adopted a new downtown master plan," says Charles Perkins, AICP, director of planning and community development. However, he says, the village board "has tabled some recent recommendations due to opposition and concerns from the business community. New building heights and proposed first-floor uses may not be implemented right away."

The plan "identifies an area to be urban, with building heights to 140 feet, and more dense," explains Drost. "We're trying to create both a retail and residential component within the downtown area, with retail underneath residences — much like you'd see in Vienna, Prague, or Berlin in the 1920s." Another impediment to implementation is funding, says Drost. Since the 1980s Arlington Heights has relied on tax increment financing (TIF) to fund downtown improvements including parking garages, a new train station, upgraded facades, public infrastructure, and streetscapes.

Despite their long-term use, Drost says, "TIFs are still greatly misunderstood by the community. Our first TIF district was allowed to expire this year after 23 and a half years." Housing — "mansionization" and the provision of affordable units — is also an issue. "Just six or seven years ago — about the time we won an award from APA for our downtown redevelopment — we had just 10 or 20 teardowns. Two years ago, we had between 160 and 180," says Perkins.

A task force suggested reducing the floor area ratio. "Our ratio was extremely generous," he said. "Initially, very few were built to the maximum. Once that started to change we saw a need to make modifications." Perhaps the biggest challenge is affordable housing, Perkins adds. Some recent successes include the Timber Court Condominiums, which will include 21 deed-restricted, affordable units out of a total of 108.

"We used the land-use plan and zoning changes as leverage to get them to incorporate the affordable units," says Perkins. "Adjacent residents feared the worst," he adds. "What many didn't understand is that the people purchasing these units have to have a job to be able to afford a mortgage in the first place. They will be firemen, teachers, bank clerks, and single parents. I am confident when it's done that people will wonder what all the fuss was about and we'll be able to do subsequent similar developments."