ACT NOW: All River Forest Residents are Subject to Devastating Zoning Changes

***Contributions are not necessary for this petition but are highly valued in our ground efforts. *****

*** Please contact lafneighbors@gmail.com to contribute or volunteer **** 

River Forest has hired a Contract Planner to all but eradicate the existing Zoning Ordinances in the Commercial Districts on Madison St, Lake Street, and the tiny Business District in Central River Forest, North Avenue, and potentially other zoning districts with the stated desire to give potential developers carte blanche to build overly dense, towering apartment buildings. 

Residents and owners of properties adjacent to the South, Central, and North East River Forest districts would be negatively impacted by this drastic zoning change and are vehemently opposed to the proposed text amendments to the Zoning code.

The Village proposed these zoning changes by text amendment, among others:

BUILDING HEIGHT INCREASES*

• Madison Street: From 30 (3 stories) feet to 50 feet (4-4.5 stories)
• North Avenue: From 50 feet (4.5 stories) to 65 feet (7-8 stories)
• Central Dist/Lake St./Ashland/Lathrop/Hawthorne: from 50 feet (4.5 stories) to 65 feet (7-8 stories)   

*The proposed height indicated is the floor, not the ceiling: The Village and its representatives have made it clear that developers would request and be granted increased height. 

PARKING REDUCTION
The amendment reduces required parking from 2-2.5 spaces per unit to 1 - 1.5 parking spaces per unit. No longer requires 1 additional guest space per 5 units.

NO BEDROOM REQUIREMENT

The amendments remove the current River Forest requirement that every dwelling unit has at least one bedroom.

River Forest Zoning Code exists to keep neighborhoods intact from inappropriate structures. 

The proposed text amendments conflict with the RIVER FOREST 2019 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN "Core Objectives," which seek to balance the need for commercial areas with the importance of mitigating impacts on the Village’s residential neighborhoods:

"Each infill redevelopment opportunity requires a heightened level of sensitivity and creativity to appropriately balance the Village’s existing character with the need and desire for economic development.” 

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held hearings on January 11, 2024, and March 14 to hear community comments regarding these proposed zoning changes.  Residents who spoke and submitted written comments opposed the amendments.

The ZBA will meet a third time on April 11, 2024, at Concordia University and may vote on the proposed amendments and refer the amendments to the Village Board for approval.

Please do one or all of the following:

 
1. Sign this petition to prevent drastic and debilitating re-zoning in our Village;

2 Attend the third zoning hearing to express your objections:

Thursday, April 11, 2024, 7:30 pm

Concordia University - Koehneke Community Center - 2nd Floor - Oak Park River Forest Room - Koehneke Community Center, 7400 Augusta St, River Forest, IL 60305

Please access the University from Bonnie Brae Avenue and Park in the University Parking Structure or Lot 5.

3. Write to the ZBA to express your objections in writing. 

For more information email: lafneighbors@gmail.com