How Tall Do You Want the Addison Parking Deck to Be?

Elmhurst Zoning and Planning Commission will again be taking up the issue of whether a parking deck on Addison Avenue should be allowed to bypass current zoning so it can be built six stories tall. Current zoning for the area, at 135-149 N. Addison, is four stories.

The commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at City Hall, 209 N. York St. Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting and let their opinions officially be placed on record with the city.

Elmhurst City Council reached consensus last fall to send the issue back to the zoning Commission.

In June, the Zoning Commission rejected a proposal from Addison Corridor LLC for a six-story structure on the property that would have included parking, office space and retail; the new plan omits the office space. Addison LLC still is the developer under contract, but this time it is letting the city take the lead on what the structure will be.

Debate between residents and city officials on the height of this property has been contentious for years. The project has been in the planning stages since 2009, when the original agreement for a four-story parking garage was signed with Addison LLC.

The city is asking the commission to consider zoning relief as follows:

• A conditional use permit to allow the building height to be 65 feet, as opposed to 45 feet currently in the zoning code
• Permission to build lot-line-to-lot-line, foregoing the current requirement for 25-foot setback on the front and sides of the property and 15 feet in the rear
• Elimination of the requirement for a loading dock in the rear of the property

Myriad documents related to this proposal are available on the city's website through BoardDocs. 

Click here to read some of the many stories about the Addison Deck on Elmhurst Patch.