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Homewood trustees start negotiations with developer, approve parking variance 

The Homewood Board of Trustees agreed to negotiate the sale of a parcel of land in the downtown area for redevelopment and granted a variance to a new business. Both issues have implications for parking in the downtown area.

At the board’s meeting Tuesday, June 14, Village Manager Napoleon Haney reported that no alternate bids were received for the redevelopment of a portion of the village hall parking lot at 2024 Chestnut Road. The village has a proposal from HCF Homewood to build a five-story, 59-unit residential building on the site. The specifics of the plan are not yet available.

HCF Homewood currently is building the Hartford Building at Ridge Road and Martin Avenue in downtown Homewood. The building will have three floors of apartments over a first-floor restaurant and parking garage.

Nakina Shanklin addresses the Homewood Board of Trustees
on June 14 to talk about the barbershop she and her husband,
Halston, plan to develop on Dixie Highway.
(Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)

When the proposal was first made public, Mayor Richard Hofeld said residential building on the site would contribute to the village’s goal of increasing population density in the downtown area, a move that is expected to bolster existing downtown businesses and create new business opportunities.

The space at 18159 Dixie Highway will be converted to a two-suite
barbershop. It is currently occupied by Country Financial.
(Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)

A resident at the May 24 meeting questioned whether the village could afford to lose public parking spaces downtown. Hofeld cited the acquisition Jan. 1 of the commuter lots at the train station. The lot on the east side of the tracks along Harwood Avenue can now be used nights and weekends for public parking.

In another parking-related move, the board approved a variance for a new concept barbershop at 18159 Dixie Highway. 

Halston and Nakina Shanklin of Homewood plan to develop a two-suite barbershop and office space in the unit currently occupied by Country Financial.

Economic Development Director Angela Mesaros explained that while there isn’t a shortage of parking spots near the business, not enough are designated for that unit to meet village code. There is a mostly unused lot behind the building, but when the building was divided into three units, only three spaces were designated for the Shanklin unit, she said.

Homewood Village Clerk Marilyn Thomas administers the
oath of office to Margaret O’Brien, ,who will serve on the
Economic Development Committee.

(Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)

Mesaros said the public lot at Hickory Road and Dixie Highway plus on-street parking in front of the building would help meet the business’s needs, and the owners plan to manage customer visits so only one customer per barber is at the business at the same time.

Nakina Shanklin represented the business at the meeting and told the board she and her husband were looking forward to developing the service. 

“I’m excited to start a business in my home town,” she said.

In other business, the board approved the appointment of Sharon Sedgwick to the Beautification Committee and Margaret O’Brien to the Economic Development Committee.

The next village board meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28.

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