Council approves Laurel Park development; member probes size disparity in inclusionary units

The Highland Park City Council on Sept. 25 approved a first amendment to the development agreement with HP Laurel Park LLC for the Laurel Park project, but one council member pressed the developer about the size of the inclusionary units.

Council member Littauer said she had reviewed the inclusionary housing plan and was concerned that "each of the inclusionary units are significantly smaller than the other units," noting an example she cited as "1,200 square feet versus 1,700 square feet." Littauer praised that the planned inclusionary units were three-bedroom apartments that would allow families to move into the development, but said the smaller floor area concerned her.

Developer representative Mark Karinsky of HKM Architects and Planners responded that the project "exceed[s] the standards of the code" and that the applicant had chosen to provide three-bedroom inclusionary units per the housing commission's preference. Karinsky said the team had considered multiple configurations, "we had an option to do 2 2 bedroom inclusionary and 2 3 bedroom. They asked us to do all 3 bedroom." He said inclusionary units will have the same interior materials and finishes even where the unit footprints are smaller.

The council approved the item after discussion. The clerk recorded the roll call for that omnibus item earlier in the meeting: "6 ayes, no nays. Items 1 through 9, item 11, and then items 13 and 14 have been approved." Later, when the council pulled item 10 for discussion, council moved and seconded approval and the clerk called the vote on item 10: "6 ayes, no nays. Item 10 is approved."

The record shows the developer said the smallest inclusionary units would be roughly 1,100 to 1,200 square feet and the largest market units in the building would be about 1,400 to 1,700 square feet according to the discussion in the meeting packet and testimony. The transcript shows council and the developer agreeing that the city code requires inclusionary units have comparable finishes, not identical floor area.

Council did not direct a modification to the approved agreement at that meeting; the approval was formal and the developer said it had worked with the housing commission on unit mix.