Residents demand explanation after council approves zoning change for proposed MYA concert hall

Resident Joel Garber urged the City of Highwood City Council on Sept. 16 to explain why it recently approved a zoning change allowing the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory to build a concert hall in a residential area. Garber told the council he and other neighbors had presented evidence at hearings and said the council had not answered their questions. The matter matters to neighbors because speakers at the meeting raised concerns about traffic, emergency access, drainage, parking and the project’s financial viability for adjacent properties. Garber said the city’s zoning committee held about 11 hours of hearings and “almost unanimously voted against this,” and that the council had “failed miserably” by approving the change without publicly explaining its reasoning. Garber said he had not previously been active in local politics but felt compelled to speak after the council’s action. He asked the council to hold a special session to justify its vote and said, “we won’t stop until we get some answers.” Several residents attending the meeting — including a troop of scouts and their leader — said they had come to observe the council and learn about the issue. At the meeting residents and councilmembers referenced the applicant as the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. Speakers said the proposal would include a concert hall of roughly 750 seats; that detail was discussed during public comment and council exchanges. Residents asked for clear explanations of how the project would affect neighborhood traffic, access during emergencies and stormwater drainage. No formal council action related to reopening the zoning decision occurred at the Sept. 16 meeting. Instead, public commenters requested an explanation and a special session. The council did not provide a timetable for a response during the meeting. The issue has been in the public record through zoning hearings and public comment; residents attending the council meeting said they expect further council follow-up and greater transparency about how the zoning decision was reached.