Date: July 13, 2023
Location of meeting: Via Zoom
Time meeting was called to order: 7:03pm
Attendees: Kristin Berg, Nan Parson, Jeanne Wells, Marilyn Novak, Kathy Rolsing, Kate Kerin, Melani Kaplan, Lori Snelson, Pat Lofthouse
- Comprehensive Plan and Housing Plan.
A. Update on Housing and Comp Plan
i. Report on Focus Groups held 7/12/23
Kristin attended the morning group that included community leaders such as Ken Wallace, Superintendent of HS District 207, Jim Hanlon, Chair of PZC, Rebecca Leslie, Chair of ZBA, local builders, and others who are civically engaged. Nan attended the afternoon group that included Jackie Mathews, Executive Director of the PR Chamber of Commerce and Gayle Mountcastle, Executive Director of the Park District, and others.
The groups were tasked with discussing community housing needs, obstacles, and opportunities. All participants recognized the need for more affordable housing and to preserve the lower cost housing that does exist in Park Ridge. Opportunities for both owned and rental housing were discussed. The obstacles identified in the morning group were:
• Fear of who will live in the housing
• Aging housing stock: funds to repair and tear-downs
• Density – those in opposition to multifamily housing
• School overcrowding. Ken Wallace mentioned that the average class size in D-64 is 20.4 students and they do project any significant increase over the next 10 years.
• Student loan debt
• Home prices increasing faster than wages
Some of the ways to overcome the obstacles are:
• Education about:
i. Who will live here: seniors, young adults who grew up here, teachers, municipal workers, service staff
ii. AH can be homes and smaller multifamily properties
iii. Facts about what AH is, what the school statistics are, etc.
iv. Financial Incentives to repair older homes
v. Impact Fees
• Presentations by officials from other municipalities and AH experts will be made at the City Council meeting on 7/24. City staff will draft a plan with city priorities by mid-September.
B. Nan and Kristin met with Alderperson Steinfels on 7/6
i. Alderperson Steinfels is most interested in how lower income families can build generational wealth through home ownership. He would like to see the older, smaller, more affordable homes preserved and made available to them. He expressed interest in the Community Land Trust model, and we referred him to Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) for more information on that. He is talking with Heather Ross, Northbrook Trustee as well. He is concerned about more density and how it might strain infrastructure. Steinfels is definitely on board to create and preserve more AH.
C. PZC continues to discuss the B4 Uptown District in preparation for possible zoning changes and the Comp Plan rewrite. Alderperson Steinfels is the liaison to PZC.
- A Display at the Park Ridge Library for the month of August
The group discussed the graphics and documents for the display and made recommendations as to the design. Melani suggested using artifacts from HODC on the shelves in the cases. Kristin will order the posters and pick up the HODC items before 8/1. We will have handouts for residents to take as well. Kathy and Marilyn volunteered to help with the display. - Follow-up from the AR May 10th meeting with Richard Koenig and Heather Ross
Alderperson Steinfels has reached out to Heather Ross for advice. After several tries, Richard Koenig has a date to meet with Drew Awsumb, PR Director of CP&D to discuss the possibility of developing AH in Park Ridge and offering any assistance to the city as they work through the Housing Plan. - Upcoming Events
• Action Ridge will be taking a hiatus from meetings in July and August. This time will be used to update our website and to plan our programs for 9/13 and 10/11. The focus of these meetings will be on learning more about DEI initiatives in the D64 schools and on learning about Juvenile Justice policies here in Park Ridge and in nearby communities. Our goal is to better promote Principles of Democracy here at home.
• Park Ridge City Council meeting on July 24th at 7pm in City Hall. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is scheduled to report on their findings of housing affordability in Park Ridge and suggestions for creating more AH at this meeting.
• The Book Discussion Group will meet on August 23rd and will be reading the book "The World Record Book of Racist Stories". - Time meeting adjourned: 8:31 pm
- The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 22nd, at 7pm on zoom.
