The Itasca Village Board intends to begin review and consideration of Haymarket’s petition for a planned development by special use with exceptions and Class I Site Plan approval to permit a mixed-use residential and healthcare facility and other accessory uses in the B-2 Community Business District at 860 W. Irving Park Road at a Special Meeting of the Village Board on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. at Village Hall. 

The Village Board will begin consideration of the petition by hearing public comments on Tuesday, October 12^th. Those wishing to provide public comment regarding Haymarket’s petition must sign up no later than October 12^th.

Citizens can sign up until noon on October 12^th by pre-registering online here or by calling 630-773-0835. After 12:00 p.m. on October 12^th, citizens may register to provide public comment in-person at Village Hall until 7:00 p.m. Village Hall will be open until 4:30 p.m. and reopen at 6:30 p.m. Those not signed up to provide public comment by 7:00 p.m. on October 12^th at the start of the Village Board meeting, may forfeit their opportunity to speak on this issue.  

The Village Board respectfully requests that citizens with similar comments select a representative to speak on their behalf. Citizens, who can demonstrate they are representing multiple individuals, may be permitted additional time to speak, while those representing personal opinions are asked to keep comments between three and five minutes.

Reserved seating will be available for those who have signed up in advance to address the Village Board. Individuals who pre-register should plan to attend the meeting on October 12^th, however, depending on the number of people pre-registered, you may be scheduled to a different date. A confirmation email will be sent to you on the day of the meeting by 5:00 p.m.

Additional limited seating in the Board Room will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Residents interested in the proceedings who do not wish to speak are encouraged to watch the live stream of the meeting on the Village’s YouTube channel from home.   

All participants who sign up by 7:00 p.m. on October 12^th will be permitted to provide public comments on this issue. The Special Village Board meeting will be continued to October 13^th and beyond, if necessary. Once public comment is completed, the Village Board will hear from registered Interested Parties and the Petitioner before making a final decision on the petition.   

Background

After two years, 34 public meetings, and nearly 80 hours of testimony and evidence, the Plan Commission voted on Wednesday, September 23, 2021, to recommend denial of Haymarket’s petition for a planned development by special use with exceptions and Class I Site Plan approval to permit a mixed-use residential and healthcare facility, and other accessory uses in the B-2 Community Business District at 860 W. Irving Park Road. The vote was unanimous, with several Commissioners citing concerns related to the size of a facility and the impact on Itasca’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services and costs to provide school and other services. Although the Plan Commission has voted against the proposal, the Village Board will be the final authority to decide whether to approve or deny Haymarket’s petition. 

The Plan Commission is a recommending body. After a detailed review of a proposal, the Plan Commission votes to advise the Itasca Village Board whether a petition meets the standards of the Zoning Code and applicable law. It then becomes the Village Board’s responsibility to decide whether to grant relief from the code. This two-step process allows anyone impacted by a proposal to learn more about the request and gives the petitioner the opportunity to have a full review of their petition. 

Once the Plan Commission provides a recommendation, a petition moves forward to the Village Board, where public comment occurs. For this special instance, ensuring the Village Board has sufficient time to hear from the petitioner, interested parties, and the public, the Board has scheduled  special meetings for the sole purpose of considering the Haymarket petition. 

A full timeline, all evidence submitted and transcripts of the Plan Commission meetings can be found online on the Village's website here.