Village Board Quietly Approves Parking Lots For North Avenue Businesses
By Kevin Gosztola
Two weeks after a contentious zoning commission meeting, the Elmwood Park village board unanimously approved ordinances for the construction of two parking lots along the alley behind restaurants and businesses on North Avenue.
Village trustees, including Jonathan Zivojnovic, who is the liaison to the Plan, Zoning and Development Commission, did not say much of anything about the ordinances. They provided no updates on efforts to address several of the concerns that residents have about the lots.
Additionally, none of the residents, who showed up to the PZD Commission meeting on July 21 to voice their frustration, attended the village board meeting to participate in public comment. That may be because Zivojnovic, Village Manager Paul Volpe, Police Chief Andrew Hock, and other officials met with residents a day after the hearing.
Near the cul-de-sac and property at 1612 North 77th Avenue (“1612”) that will be replaced with a parking lot, village officials discussed the potential construction of planters or some kind of landscaping. Public safety issues, like preventing patrons from jumping the curbs, were also a part of the conversation.
Residents asked the village to keep the hedges on the 1612 property, which they are demolishing, and to build a tall fence along the border of the lot. They were told that the village engineer must conduct reviews before any commitments could be made. But for residents, it seemed like the officials seriously considered their requests.
The 1612 property is closest to the Tiny Tap and Armand’s Pizzeria. A second parking lot will be built at 1614 North 73rd Avenue near Donny G’s Ristorante.
Total expenses for building the two parking lots may exceed $1 million. The village spent around $470,000 to purchase the 1612 property and around $350,000 to purchase the 1614 property. Demolition, design, and construction costs could range anywhere from $25,000 to $45,000 for each lot.
The two lots will bring the number of lots in the area to 14. A lot typically adds 10-12 spaces.
One of the approved ordinances granted a special use permit for the construction of a municipal lot on Fullerton Avenue for Elmwood Park Police Department and Public Works vehicles.
The lot is intended to clear up some of the vehicle congestion on the streets, and no residents objected to this plan.
Over the past decade, several homes have been purchased, demolished, and replaced by the village with parking lots to support restaurants and businesses along North Avenue. At least a few residents who have seen their neighborhood change have wondered what the return on investment is for the village. Particularly, at the PZD Commission hearing, that question went unanswered.
Generally, the village’s redevelopment along North Avenue is part of a longer term plan that involved the establishment of a tax increment financing district, or TIF district, on March 2, 2015.
“The TIF stretches from Wabansia Avenue on the north to North Avenue on the south, and from Harlem Avenue on the east to 72nd Court on the west,” according to the Pioneer Press.
Right as Zivojnovic began his report to the village board on the PZD Commission meeting, water streamed out from a ceiling tile by the center aisle. Everyone in the room turned, and there was a bit of laughter, especially since the water dumped on an attendee.
“That the AC again?” one trustee turned and asked. Zivojnovic replied, “That could be a condensation drain, possibly.”
Apparently, this was not the first time that air conditioning drainage has leaked in the village chambers.