The Highland Park City Council on Sept. 29 directed city staff to draft preliminary approval documents for a redevelopment plan by Habitat Company LLC that would convert a 28.6-acre former industrial site at 1660 and 1700 Old Deerfield Road into 227 townhouse units, public open space and related infrastructure.

The move follows six Plan & Design Commission hearings from April through September, extensive public comment and a lengthy staff presentation outlining recommended conditions including final engineering, lighting compliance with the city code and an IEPA no-further-remediation letter. Director Fontaine said, “I wanna stress here that this is a preliminary stage of review and approval.”

Why it matters: The proposal would change zoning on most of the site from I (Light Industrial) to RM-1 (medium- to high-density multifamily) and R-7 (single-family/two-family transitional zoning), allow a range of variances and provide public benefits that the developer offered in return for relief on height and other standards. The plan would preserve roughly 45% of the site as open space, reserve about 12.9 acres of wetlands/open-area buffer, and provide 661 parking spaces inside the development.

What council heard and asked for
- Staff and the applicant summarized numerous plan changes: density reductions (a prior 2018 proposal had exceeded 500 units; this plan fell from 262 to 227 units during review), larger setbacks on the north and east, more interior green space, and changes to parking and circulation. The housing commission reviewed an inclusionary housing plan that would place most affordable units on site (staff and applicant indicated a revised inclusionary plan would return to the housing commission on Oct. 8).
- Traffic and safety concerns were a major focus in public comment and during council discussion. The applicant’s traffic consultant (KLOA) and the city’s peer reviewer (Civiltech) found that the surrounding road network can accommodate the new traffic with proposed improvements; KLOA’s Michael Worthman cautioned that a traffic signal at the primary entrance “would be warranted there and it would make conditions, worse.”
- Environmental and remediation steps: the applicant must obtain an IEPA determination of no further remediation (NFR) and submit proof at the appropriate construction phase; staff recommended the NFR be a condition.
- Public-benefit items offered by the applicant include: public access easement along the spur access road with roughly a dozen public parking spaces, a Woodland Trail open to the public and additional crosswalks, plus 14 parking spaces intended for police-department use across the street.

Public comments: More than a dozen residents and business owners spoke during the hearing. Neighbors pressed for lower density, stronger protections for wetlands and trees, enforceable restrictions on construction and delivery routing, clearer guarantees on phasing and completion, and a path surface suitable for strollers, bikes and people with mobility needs. Bluegrass restaurant’s owner requested additional attention to curb and access arrangements that affect his business.

Formal council direction and next steps: Councilmember motioned and the council voted to direct staff to draft preliminary approval documents reflecting the applicant’s revised plans and the conditions discussed at the meeting; the council vote was recorded as 7 in favor, 0 opposed. Staff will return the draft preliminary approval package to council for future consideration; final engineering, IEPA clearance and zoning-recorded covenants must be completed before any final approvals or permits are issued.

Quotes
Director Fontaine, presenting staff’s recommendation: “I wanna stress here that this is a preliminary stage of review and approval.”
Michael Worthman, KLOA traffic consultant, describing signal options at the main entrance: “A traffic signal would be warranted there and it would make conditions, worse.”

Ending
The council’s instruction to draft preliminary approval documents is procedural — it does not approve the rezoning or final site plan. The draft documents will incorporate conditions discussed at the hearing, and the project must return for additional reviews and final approvals (including an IEPA NFR and final engineering) before construction can begin. Council members and residents said they expect the next review round to address outstanding details on phasing, trail surfacing, policing and construction routing.