This architectural drawing shows Grace Terrace, a proposed apartment building for people with disabilities in Arlington Heights. Although the building depicted here is three stories tall, a two-story version is moving forward.
Courtesy of Arlington Heights
A controversial plan for an apartment building for people with disabilities who otherwise could face homelessness is moving forward in Arlington Heights — but at two stories instead of three.
At the end of a roughly five-hour meeting that began the night before, a divided village board early Tuesday voted to direct village staffers to prepare the final documents for the proposed Grace Terrace development at 1519 S. Arlington Heights Road. The 4-acre site is vacant now.
Trustees voiced preference for a two-story version of the building. Earlier plans called for a taller structure.
The height change will require the developer to draft new plans that must be reviewed by village staffers, the Arlington Heights design commission and ultimately the village board, said Charles Witherington-Perkins, the village’s director of planning and community development.
A final vote isn’t likely until at least late September, Witherington-Perkins said.
Full Circle Communities, a Chicago nonprofit company specializing in affordable housing, is behind the project. The company manages buildings in Lake Zurich, Elgin, Carol Stream and elsewhere.
In addition to the proposed height change, Reyes revealed the building is now set to face west instead of east. Additionally, parking would be available on the west and north sides of the building instead of the south and east sides.
The changes were made in response to public concerns.
“We are committed to the success of the development and in being good neighbors in Arlington Heights,” project manager Denise Reyes said.
As proposed, Grace Terrace would have 20 one-bedroom apartments and five two-bedroom apartments. Rents would be subsidized by the federal government.
All tenants, including any military veterans, would have to have some form of physical, developmental or mental disability, documents indicate.
Before construction can begin, the board must rezone the property to allow an institutional building, approve the proposal as a planned unit development and take other bureaucratic steps.
The board voted 6-2 to move the project forward. Trustees James Bertucci and Scott Shirley were in the minority.
The vote followed a presentation from Reyes and questions and comments from officials, as well as comments from many audience members.
Opponents, including neighboring residents wearing large, red-and-white “NO” stickers on their chests, voiced concerns about tenants who could have criminal records, criminal activity and the size of the proposed building, among other issues.
But the plan drew supporters to the lectern, too, including several wearing “Yes” stickers. One supporter, a resident of a similar apartment building in Arlington Heights, said giving someone a key to a Grace Terrace apartment would be “the opportunity of a lifetime.”
The same man pointed out that crime happens in traditional apartment complexes, too — not just ones for people who have disabilities.
Others said stable, affordable housing for people with disabilities increases community safety.
Mayor Thomas Hayes thanked opponents for their input, saying those comments made the proposal a better project. Hayes also said he was moved by some of the speakers who spoke in favor of the proposal.