Glencoe continues search for right formula to enable development, new housing

Glencoe officials are continuing to contemplate the best means to implement a key directive of the village’s recently approved comprehensive plan.

Yet, while doing so, they’re grappling with an issue several of their North Shore neighbors are also wrestling with: how to encourage reasonable development without changing the town’s existing character and “small-town” feel.

Glencoe’s Zoning Commission is currently mired in its deliberations on how to solve that conundrum, and the board’s Monday, Sept. 14 session was its latest attempt to keep putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

Following the Comp Plan

Commissioners’ discussions are a result of “All in, Glencoe,” the village’s comprehensive plan that was finalized in 2024. That plan in part prioritizes “expanding the variety of housing options so that people of all life stages can live and remain in Glencoe.”

To achieve that, the plan suggests developing a planned development ordinance, which officials have stated could formalize a process for “integrating planning, engineering, and enhancing design character across mixed-use or multiple-lot development.”

Additionally, the guiding document also suggests creating a development ordinance for both residential and business district developments.

In a broader sense, planned development ordinances are regulatory tools that offer villages flexibility to allow and encourage developments to “provide desirable design enhancements through a detailed development review process,” said Taylor Baxter, Glencoe’s development services director.

Typically, municipalities hope these ordinances can lead to higher-quality designs, spur economic development, help natural resource protection and preservation, and further allow for in-depth review of proposed developments.

Baxter told commissioners Monday night that they’re currently in Step 2 of three for developing the potential new ordinance. As part of the first step, Glencoe’s Village Board in June directed the zoning board to hold a public hearing and craft recommendation or a draft measure.

Proceedings arrived to the commission in July and Monday’s meeting was the board’s third session. Prior to Sept. 14, commissioners had previously weighed in on thresholds that would trigger the potential planned development process, permitted zoning modifications and the review process for developments, and some possible preferred design enhancements or public benefits that the ordinance could encourage.

Height Matters

Monday’s deliberations largely focused on how the ordinance should treat height limits in Glencoe’s key areas, mainly Hubbard Woods Plaza and the village’s central business district.

A draft of the ordinance included in Monday’s board packet included a 60-foot height limit for Hubbard Woods Plaza. Baxter noted that height is not a by-right limit, meaning that any applicant requesting that height would need to complete the village’s in-depth review process before earning allowance to do so.

Glencoe’s comprehensive plan suggests allowing height increases that could accommodate new developments or redevelopment proposals in the zoning district that includes the plaza but only while remaining consistent with the “existing and surrounding heights.” The plan also called for the consideration of four- and five-story buildings.

Related to Glencoe’s central business district, the plan was less clear on specific guidelines and instructions related to height; however, planners suggested that height limits higher than three stories should be considered, especially in the “core downtown.”

Language from the plan related to the district leaves a “little bit more room for interpretation,” Baxter noted, but he ultimately brought the focus back to one of the plan’s core themes: ways to accommodate more diverse housing types.

Baxter also stressed the careful consideration needed when reviewing standards in the heart of the village.

“The Plan Commission and Village Board, at a starting point, talking about the central business district, (noted) it is beloved by Glencoe residents and people like it,” Baxter said. “It should not be radically changed in a way that’s going to diminish it.

“There’s a balancing act there,” he continued. “The PUD is intended to build out really on a case-by-case basis with really intense design scrutiny to make sure that anything that is going there that is higher than what’s currently allowed would go through that process to make sure that it’s providing those design enhancements that the village is looking for.”

Commissioners, during their deliberations, came to a rather quick consensus that they weren’t willing to commit on Monday to a specific height for either area.

They did, however, agree that a 60-foot height limit is not something with which they are collectively comfortable. Commission Chair Sara Elsasser said she doesn’t believe a 60-foot height “would ever happen.” The board recommended placing a 45-foot height limit in the draft ordinance for now.

Addressing Residents’ Concerns

Commissioners also used part of the public-hearing process Monday night to respond to several hesitations expressed by residents during the meeting.

Glencoe officials stressed that the board’s consideration is not in response to any current proposed project, and Baxter went as far to say that there are no proposed developments that the village is aware of that relate to the ordinance discussion.

“I think part of this process is for future planning and to give future Glencoe the flexibility to have the possibility to do these types of projects should one come to us,” Elsasser said.

She added further context later in the meeting, saying, “There is not a lot of land in Glencoe. This (PUD) ultimately gives (planners) the flexibility that when these opportunities do come available this allows to be even part of the conversation and certainly isn’t saying this is something that is going to happen or will happen but rather gives the flexibility for Glencoe to address whether it is appropriate given what the plan ultimately is for the space or place, wherever it may be.”

A handful of residents did address the board during the public-comment portion of the meeting with several of them detailing concerns about some of the building height limits being discussed.

Resident Pam Elliot used her time to say she’s “opposed to any of the proposed height modifications.”

“I’ve seen what’s been happening in Winnetka and I’m glad that I’m not living in Winnetka with the four- and five-story buildings that they’re putting in,” she said.

“I moved to Glencoe over 26 years ago and I like it because it’s just nice, small, and the antithesis of being downtown in a metropolis,” she continued.

Elliott also expressed frustrations about the town’s parking struggles.

“One of the issues that Glencoe currently faces is parking,” she said. “We don’t have enough parking for the employees downtown in the business district and people who are just visiting the downtown area. Currently there are constraints with what we have now and I can’t imagine there would be any parking allowance if we start building additional structures.”

Resident Barney Gallagher called the commission’s task “a really difficult, big balancing act to engage in.” He also encouraged the board to keep in mind that developers sometimes attempt to overshoot height limits in their early proposals.

But, in response, officials said developers would not be able to even ask for heights above whatever limit is set.

Commissioners concluded their proceedings Monday by voting to continue the public hearing on the draft ordinance to their Monday, Oct. 5 meeting.

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