Cary Village Board Votes Unanimously for Change

By Kristine Ensor

Despite dozens of passionate individuals sharing their disapproval in person and online, the Cary Village Board voted unanimously on Tuesday, June 2 to change current zoning laws in downtown Cary.  

Since the closing of Maplewood School in 2010, the property had been offered to various government bodies including School District 26 and Cary Park District.

The village eventually purchased it for $5.525 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) bonds. Since its acquisition, they reached out to several developers before finally landing on JM Developers.  

Brian Kronewitter of JM Developers and Brian Simmons, Cary Village Director of Community Development, started the meeting laying out project details for the board and members of the public.

Much of the public’s concerns focused on the look and size of the project.

Local resident, Paul Ingallinera, stated that the new construction looks more like Arlington Heights than Cary. He and many of his neighbors, attended the Zoning Board meeting on Wednesday, May 6, in hopes of learning more but saw it as more of a rubber stamp.

After public comments were heard and recorded, board members responded in turn.

Village Trustee, David Prusina, commented that, “The prospect of no Maplewood and no baseball field is sad. I went to Maplewood and played on those fields, but now we have a school that’s been vacant for sixteen years and a field that’s been gone for four.”

Village Trustee, Ellen McAlpine, stated, “If we had to vote after JM Developer’s first proposal, I would have voted against it. But the developer has made a lot of changes, and our goal is to bring a product to the village and residents that we’re proud of.”

The deal is done, but there are still many people in the village with questions and concerns about this new development. We wanted to share some of the questions and answers we could find. Most of the project details are available to the public on the Cary Village website.

What is being built on Krenz Avenue?

• 13 single-family detached homes

• 15 single-family attached townhomes

• 16 single-family attached duplexes

• 3 apartment buildings that include:

  • 18 studio apartments

  • 120 one-bedroom apartments

  • 92 two-bedroom apartments

  • 6 three-bedroom apartments

    
    

The largest two buildings will be 5-stories tall with a height of 60 feet. There will also be an attached tower at 70 feet. The third apartment building will be 4-stories tall and will be placed closer to the single-family attached and detached homes. These homes will separate current residential homes from the larger apartment buildings.

An additional dog park, outdoor pool, covered and pavement parking will be available for residents. A public park and walkway will be built for the public to enjoy.

Will the new construction make Cary property taxes rise?

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a tool that local government uses to fix up run-down areas without raising taxes.

Cary’s village board established Central Cary TIF District #3 for downtown Cary in 2023 which froze tax dollars at that amount up to 23 years.

Any developments in this area will generate new tax revenue that will be directed to a dedicated TIF account. This money can only be spent on improvements inside that specific downtown district, like updating old infrastructure. Therefore, projects like Cary Station pay for themselves.

Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Cary’s TIF District.

Will this cause more traffic in downtown Cary?

The village previously did a traffic study and passed a High Road extension plan that should address most traffic concerns, including additional access to the Metra Station from Cary-Algonquin Road.

These changes include:

• An extension road that runs parallel to Rt. 14 and connects Cary-Algonquin Road to West Main Street at High Road.

• The Metra commuter parking lot is slated for reconfiguration, so through-traffic does not cross parking lot aisles.

• Additional traffic signals and signage will be posted to simplify public parking for commuters and provide safety for pedestrians.

• Click here for more information.

Are there enough parking spaces for all residents and train commuters?

The village voted to reduce required parking for JM Developers from 531 to 350 spaces for the Cary Station Development (135 interior and 215 exterior parking spaces for all three apartment buildings). The ratio of parking for new residents is 1.5 spaces per unit or 1 space per bedroom. All single-family units will have at least two garage parking spaces.

Both parties do not expect this to be an issue as many new residents will be downsizing and primarily rely on public transportation.

The state of Illinois has similar expectations and recently passed the People Over Parking Act which prohibits local governments from enforcing minimum off-street parking requirements for new developments like these. This law applies to new construction within one half mile of public transportation and overrides local zoning codes across Illinois.

No parking will be permitted on High Road from the intersection with Cary-Algonquin Road to the intersection of Main Street including adjacent to the development.

Are they removing 100 Metra parking spaces to accommodate the new access road?

According to the village website, any commuter parking spaces impacted by the development should be replaced at a similar 1- to-1 ratio.

How do you know the Cary Station apartments won’t remain empty?

JM Developers performed studies that found a growing demand for walkable development near transit. Michael Poulakidas, JD Developers Managing Partner, stated that the anticipated leasing of the proposed rentals is about 12 to 18 months.

Will the new construction cause increased flooding in the area?

Three proposed stormwater basins have been added and will provide adequate capacity for the site. Peak flow that exits the property will be significantly lower than current rates.

The sanity sewer on the north side of the site will serve the development, and two additional connections to existing water mains will be provided to serve the project. No additional infrastructure outside the property will be necessary. Costs for all infrastructure improvement will be the responsibility of JM Developers.

Is the Cary Fire Department ready for larger buildings like these?

Cary Fire and Police Departments are adequately staffed and funded to support this scale of development. The Cary Fire Department will also be eligible to receive impact fees to help offset potential issues.

Will there be commercial units in these buildings?

According to Eric Morimoto, Cary Village Administrator “There are no commercial spaces included in this project. As explained during the June 2 presentation, the first floor of the multi-story building is designed for covered parking and shared residential amenities.

Neither the Village nor JM Developers have any plans to add commercial units to these buildings. They were also not part of the zoning request or the Planned Development approval granted by the Village Board”

How many students do they expect from this development and where would they go to school?

Based on the initial designs, JM Developers and the Village of Cary expect an increase of 58 students (45 K-8 and 13 High School).

How will the Cary Station housing project affect our electrical grid?

“This development is not large enough to affect ComEd’s rates or overall electrical grid system. ComEd routinely plans for residential projects of this scale, and no rate increases or grid impacts are expected from this development,” said Morimoto. 

Next Steps?

Demolition of Maplewood School and surrounding structures will begin later this summer after the school district relocates their bus transportation center to the new facility along Three Oaks Road (nearest Aldi grocery store). Construction on new development is anticipated to begin in 2027.