OP/FYI for November 2003 - Page 5

The citizen volunteers on the Oak Park Plan Commission, the body charged with assessing most major development projects for the Village Board, have adopted new hearings rules and procedures intended to improve the overall public discussion and review process. The new rules will not limit public testimony, but will urge speakers to limit their comments to five minutes. The new rules also will require speakers who wish to cross-examine witnesses to file their appearance forms by 5 p.m. the day prior to the hearing with the Office of the Village Clerk at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Also added to the Plan Commission procedures will be a new pre-hearing consultation period during which Commission members, the developer, interested parties and others in attendance at the hearing will discuss the meeting conduct and determine the length of the proceedings. The pre-hearing consultation will occur during the first 15 minutes of the public hearing. The Plan Commission typically deals with major development projects that require exceptions to various ordinances, such as height restrictions or parking requirements. Developers first file a Planned Development application, which seeks Village Board permission to build. The Village Board then refers the request to the Plan Commission, which holds public hearings and reports its findings and recommendations back to the Village Board for action. One of 26 citizen volunteer boards and commissions that advise the Village Board, the Plan Commission has the authority to change certain aspects of its rules and procedures, such as how public hearings will be conducted. For more information on the Plan Commission or the Planned Development process, call 358.5425 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.

The Oak Park Plan Commission will review the final draft of the plan for the redevelopment of the Harrison Street and Eisenhower-South Oak Park Avenue business districts at a public meeting scheduled for 7 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 20 in the Veterans' Room on the second floor of the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. The plan is the result of a yearlong collaboration between the Village and graduate students and faculty of the College of Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Plan Commission is expected to make final recommendations on the report, including potential modifications to the zoning ordinance, to the Village Board in December. For more information call 358.5418 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.

The Historic Preservation Commission has recommended two buildings in south Oak Park for designation as landmarks. The Albert and Kittie Ernst House, 1023 Wenonah Ave., is a single-family, wood frame structure built in 1906 that represents a transition between the Queen Anne and Dutch Colonial Revival styles. The Odd Fellows Hall, 812-818 Harrison St., built in 1916 for a local chapter of the fraternal Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), is an example of the two-part commercial block in which the first floor storefronts represent a commercial use while the upper row of windows represents office use. Historic landmark status is awarded to a property that meets certain architectural or historic standards. Designation recognizes that the property is significant to Oak Park and that its historic character and architecture should be preserved for future generations. Landmark status also brings eligibility for tax incentives, as well as technical assistance and architectural advice from the Historic Preservation Commission. For more information call 358.5417 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.


	Planning News		Pilot program focuses on alleys clean up and lighting A new alley clean up and inspection pilot program has been launched in response to citizen concerns about potential safety problems caused by overgrown vegetation and street light outages. Created jointly by the Public Works, Police and Building & Property Standards departments, the pilot program will couple a comprehensive Village-initiated alley vegetation and litter removal effort with safety measures such as new lighting for private garages. The target area for the pilot program will be Ridgeland Avenue to Austin Boulevard between Roosevelt Road and the Eisenhower expressway. The success of the program in the pilot area could provide the information necessary to broaden the program to other sections of the Village. The pilot program also will focus the Neighborhood Walk Program on the pilot program area to help residents identify and correct problem conditions that may pose safety or security issues. The lighting aspect of the pilot program will use a state grant to offer residents motion-activated garage lights at a reduced cost. These lights are on display in Village Hall, 123 Madison St. For more information call 358.5700 or 358.5430. Or email publicworks@oak-park.us or building@oak-park.us.

	Plan Commission Revises Rules to Improve Public Discussion The citizen volunteers on the Oak Park Plan Commission, the body charged with assessing most major development projects for the Village Board, have adopted new hearings rules and procedures intended to improve the overall public discussion and review process. The new rules will not limit public testimony, but will urge speakers to limit their comments to five minutes. The new rules also will require speakers who wish to cross-examine witnesses to file their appearance forms by 5 p.m. the day prior to the hearing with the Office of the Village Clerk at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Also added to the Plan Commission procedures will be a new pre-hearing consultation period during which Commission members, the developer, interested parties and others in attendance at the hearing will discuss the meeting conduct and determine the length of the proceedings. The pre-hearing consultation will occur during the first 15 minutes of the public hearing. The Plan Commission typically deals with major development projects that require exceptions to various ordinances, such as height restrictions or parking requirements. Developers first file a Planned Development application, which seeks Village Board permission to build. The Village Board then refers the request to the Plan Commission, which holds public hearings and reports its findings and recommendations back to the Village Board for action. One of 26 citizen volunteer boards and commissions that advise the Village Board, the Plan Commission has the authority to change certain aspects of its rules and procedures, such as how public hearings will be conducted. For more information on the Plan Commission or the Planned Development process, call 358.5425 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us. UIC redevelopment plan to be reviewed The Oak Park Plan Commission will review the final draft of the plan for the redevelopment of the Harrison Street and Eisenhower-South Oak Park Avenue business districts at a public meeting scheduled for 7 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 20 in the Veterans' Room on the second floor of the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. The plan is the result of a yearlong collaboration between the Village and graduate students and faculty of the College of Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Plan Commission is expected to make final recommendations on the report, including potential modifications to the zoning ordinance, to the Village Board in December. For more information call 358.5418 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us. Landmark designations under review The Historic Preservation Commission has recommended two buildings in south Oak Park for designation as landmarks. The Albert and Kittie Ernst House, 1023 Wenonah Ave., is a single-family, wood frame structure built in 1906 that represents a transition between the Queen Anne and Dutch Colonial Revival styles. The Odd Fellows Hall, 812-818 Harrison St., built in 1916 for a local chapter of the fraternal Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), is an example of the two-part commercial block in which the first floor storefronts represent a commercial use while the upper row of windows represents office use. Historic landmark status is awarded to a property that meets certain architectural or historic standards. Designation recognizes that the property is significant to Oak Park and that its historic character and architecture should be preserved for future generations. Landmark status also brings eligibility for tax incentives, as well as technical assistance and architectural advice from the Historic Preservation Commission. For more information call 358.5417 or email comsvcs@oak-park.us.


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