Proposed townhomes on historic south Wilmette property get first review

As the public and Wilmette officials got their initial look at a proposal to build a multi-story condominium building on historic property near the Evanston-Wilmette border, developers were told that the plans need to address environment and size issues as they move forward.

Representatives from Skokie-based developer B3 Properties, which is looking to redevelop 201-203 Ridge Road, presented a concept for review at a special Wilmette Plan Commission meeting on Thursday, Nov. 5.

No vote was taken at the meeting, with officials and residents instead providing feedback to give further direction to developers.

As previously reported by The Record, 201-203 Ridge Road was in January sold by the Hoffman Higgins Homestead Farm Foundation to B3 Properties. The Howard Higgins Memorial Nature Preserve is located at 201 Ridge, while 203 Ridge includes an abandoned building that reportedly contains historic farm equipment.

Architect Aleksandr Vaysman, with Xander Development, said the proposal is to combine the 201 and 203 properties to demolish the abandoned building. In its place, a four-story building with 24 residential units would be constructed. Vaysman said each floor would have four two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units.

Developers are also planning to include first-floor amenities including a dog wash, bike storage, a gym and a shared office space. Vaysman also said plans include 56 parking spaces.

Developer Simon Berger added that the plans include using the historic farm equipment in the abandoned shed as part of the new building, possibly in the building’s lobby.

He said the goal is to attract tenants who are looking to downsize from their current homes.

“We actually wanted to do a for-rent product, because this site is not in the heart of downtown Wilmette and it’s kind of on the border of Evanston, so we basically wanted to attract residents from all over that are looking for a larger unit mix where they can potentially get out of their homes and downsize into a single story living concept that is a full amenity boutique building,” Berger said.

Commissioners’ thoughts

During discussions, plan commissioners questioned the property’s trees and landscaping.

Vaysman said that the landscaping plan is in development, while the development team plans on “saving as many [trees] as we can.”

Kevin Lewis, the project’s surveyor and engineer, added that many of the existing trees on the property, while mature, were “not high-quality species that we would want to try and save.”

Commissioner Martin Wolf asked the development team to be mindful of both trees and landscape design. He specifically mentioned that the rendering of the building did not show any trees along the street.

“It’s not an unattractive building, but in reality, the streets and the boulevards of Wilmette are lined with some pretty substantial trees,” he said, adding, “It also contributes incredibly to the value of the properties. I realize this is a preliminary hearing, but street trees are just an incredible asset to this community.”

Wolf also asked if the developers would consider reducing the number of parking spaces, as only 48 are required by code, and putting trees within the parking lot.

Berger said the team would be open to that suggestion.

Commissioner Alan George encouraged the developers to explore a permeable parking lot, which he said is allowed by right, and that an impermeable surface would require a variance.

He further asked the team to work with the Wilmette History Museum regarding preservation of anything found in the shed.

“They do a terrific job,” he said of the museum. “It’s become quite an operation, and please give us more detail when you come back about what you’ve accomplished and what they’re going to do.”

Neighbors’ concerns

Most of the nine residents who shared their thoughts on the project Nov. 5 identified themselves as neighbors, all of them expressing concerns about the proposed development.

Elizabeth Rahimi said the development “would drastically change our neighborhood and the way that I enjoy Wilmette with my family.”

She specifically said she was concerned about the size.

“I would appreciate [the commissioners] looking at the scope and the size of this project, looking at the size of the actual property,” she said.

Brian Crush also said the size of the potential development concerned him.

“The massing and scale, in my opinion, are a bit out of character,” he said. “The parcel directly behind borders established single family homes on Hollywood Court as well as the park in Evanston. Dropping a four-story apartment block right at the end of one- and two-story homes, to me, is a jarring transition and is out of character for the surrounding area.”

Another neighbor, Charlie Bowe, said he didn’t want to see any trees removed, saying the current property contains “a beautiful forest.”

“And what you’re looking at doing is tearing down a forest and putting this up,” he said. “If you ask me, I’d rather look at a forest than look at that [building].”

Multiple neighbors also claimed that, despite Berger saying that the development team had met with neighbors regarding a potential water main replacement, they were never contacted.

Other neighbors expressed concerns that the development will lead to more traffic on the street and more vehicles speeding on Ridge.

Following public comment, Berger said he appreciated the feedback.

“We’re going to take all these comments into consideration, and thank everybody for their time tonight,” he said.

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