There was some opposition from certain neighbors in Arlington Heights about a six-story apartment building that was proposed as they believed it would not be an ideal fit next to a residential area. However, the developer made some changes to the plan in order to minimize its impact, which resulted in the village board approving the project this week.
Compasspoint Development’s $66 million redevelopment project involves replacing two old three-story office buildings with a 135-unit apartment complex and a ground-floor restaurant at 116-120 W. Eastman St. In November, six out of nine board members did not approve the initial proposal. But, the developer made some changes to the plan, such as removing three apartments from the northwest corner of the fifth floor to reduce its height from five stories to four.
Apart from that, the developer also decreased the number of units from 136 to 135. In order to address noise complaints, a decorative cabana fence buffer and landscaping will be installed on the second-floor pool deck. The initial revisions were made after the advisory plan commission rejected the first proposal in May.
Despite the changes made, some residents are still of the opinion that the project is too tall and too dense for the neighborhood. As a result, the board has agreed to consider a “red flag” ordinance to alert other developers of the potential for zoning changes in the immediate vicinity. The proposed ordinance will necessitate a public hearing to explore possible zoning changes for commercial properties on both sides of the Eastman apartments, as well as businesses in and around the old Elms Shopping Center to the west.
