Developers are proposing a re-zoning of two residential lots at 327-329 Home Ave. within the Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District in Oak Park IL, and plan to build a very large multi-unit building there. We, the residents of Oak Park, are compelled to express the following serious objections and concerns.

1) The proposed development is contrary to the character, construction, size, and design of historic properties on this street, and will have a significant negative impact on the historic character of the entire neighborhood. Oak Park’s heritage and its historically and architecturally significant neighborhoods and buildings are core components of the community that help define who we are and how we should use our land in the future.

2) Allowing zoning in the historic district to be nibbled away from the edges, on the misguided theory that such zoning is "transitional", sets a dangerous precedent. Zoning as a master plan should not be changed for the financial benefit of one corporation. The current owner of the property purchased it knowing full well what its zoning was, and what the character of the neighborhood was, and there is no reason for the Village after the fact to change the zoning.

3) The proposed density of 16 units is too high for these two small lots, and elicits multiple concerns with regards to safety, parking, and abutments against nearby structures and the street. This is neither appropriate nor consistent with any other historic district property on Home Ave., and presents the street with an unwelcoming fortress-like façade unsuited to a neighborhood of pleasant older homes.

4) The design & density are contrary to the "Envision Oak Park Comprehensive Plan" adopted by the village in 2014, which stresses the need for infill development to “be sensitive to the established character, scale, architecture, rhythm, and overall context of each site" among many other criteria in the plan. The 300 block is shown on the Future Land Use Plan as remaining “single family residential”, and it is not within any of HUD’s designated future mass-transit accessible “Housing Density Focus Areas”.

We the undersigned, believe this type of development is inappropriate, and not desired in our community. We urge Village officials to reject this proposal.

(Note full development proposal can be downloaded from this link [41mb PDF]):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1As5-mUQ384opZ6DY7lpLR7fAzr8ztdQY/view?usp=sharing