Planning commission backs age‑restricted multifamily project at 7633 Perryville Road

The Machesney Park Planning and Zoning Commission voted to forward a positive recommendation for a proposed age‑restricted multifamily planned unit development at 7633 Perryville Road.

The project team said the proposal is a three‑story building intended for residents age 62 and older and described it as a 40‑unit senior housing development; the developer later described the design as 31 one‑bedroom units and 10 two‑bedroom units. Planning staff told the commission the site was rezoned from Commercial General to Multifamily Residential in December 2021 and that the new proposal requires a special‑use permit as a planned unit development because it does not meet several multifamily design standards.

Commission staff recommended approval with conditions to allow design flexibility. Staff listed code deviations including absence of garage parking, a building length that exceeds the typical standard by about 18 feet, fewer windows on the side facing Vondale, no soffits, and reduced facade articulation on the side facing Perryville. Staff said most of the lot would remain open at the southern end, and that the multifamily use would help buffer busy Perryville Road from the single‑family neighborhood to the east. Staff also noted that an earlier senior housing project on the site did not proceed after failing to obtain state funding, but the property remained zoned for multifamily use.

Developer representatives Adam Templar and Sarah Peck of Veri Real Estate Group said the company specializes in affordable multifamily senior housing in the Upper Midwest. They described the 5‑acre parcel at 7633 Perryville Road as near retail, a grocery store and a hospital and said the design emphasizes on‑site amenities such as a leasing office, fitness center, a community room with a kitchen and an outdoor patio. The developers said the building would provide surface parking rather than garages: their proposal lists 55 surface parking spaces and seeks a variance from requirements for garage parking. The developers said past projects of similar design have operated without on‑site garages and reported modest parking demand in those properties.

On financing, the developers said they applied in March for competitive state housing tax credits; they told the commission award notices are expected in early summer and that having zoning in place would position the project to move quickly if awarded credits. They estimated a 14‑month construction period followed by a three‑ to four‑month lease‑up, and said the sponsor expects a long‑term hold (developer stated a minimum 15‑year hold and likely 30 years). Rents would be tied to area‑median‑income tiers; the developers described one‑bedroom rents at the low and high ends of their AMI tiers and two‑bedroom rents in a higher bracket (developer provided a range, transcription included a numeric error; see clarifying details).

A pair of nearby residents, George and Patricia Lehi of Rolling Hills Lane, testified during public comment. They asked whether the building entrance would be off Longdale rather than Perryville, expressed concern about the three‑story height relative to adjacent two‑story duplexes, and requested clearer notice and more detailed information for homeowners along the adjacent lane. Staff and the developers answered that the proposed entrance will come from Longdale, that trees along the property line and required landscaping for parking stalls are part of the plan, and that the bulk of the site to the south would remain open space.

After discussion the commission voted by roll call to forward the special‑use permit with a positive recommendation to the Planning and Economic Development Committee, which is scheduled to consider the item at its May 5 meeting. Commissioners were unanimous in the roll call recorded on the transcript.

Because the project requests design variances, final approvals will depend on the review and action of the committee and any conditions it imposes. The developer said the village has agreed to donate the site as part of the financing package, which is material to the project's application for competitive tax credits.