The Flossmoor Plan Commission voted unanimously Thursday, May 21, to reconsider and approve revised plans for the proposed BG Park Place townhouse development at 2611-2633 Flossmoor Road after developers removed a previously proposed restaurant component from the project.

The revised proposal now focuses solely on a 12-unit townhouse development after the developer eliminated plans for a future restaurant and accompanying parking lot that had drawn concerns during earlier discussions.

The commission had previously denied the proposal during an April 16 public hearing. Following that denial, village staff and developers worked together to revise the project before bringing it back for reconsideration.

Developer Byron Gregory thanked village officials and commissioners for working collaboratively throughout the process.

“We’ve been before this Plan Commission a few times,” Gregory said. “The mayor, her staff, the trustees — everybody has worked with us through this process. In my opinion, on the land planning side, this has been a collaboration.”

Gregory said the revised proposal improves consistency with the character of downtown Flossmoor.

“What we proposed was to eliminate the restaurant/cafe, eliminate that parking area, and increase the brick on the sides of the buildings so that, from Flossmoor Road and around the site, it would feel more consistent with the village character,” he said.

According to a village memorandum prepared by Director of Building and Zoning Scott Bugner, the revised plan also shifts the townhomes farther south on the property, creating additional rear parking for residents and more green space along the front of the development.

Architectural plans were also revised to include additional brick on the front and side elevations, while landscaping and engineering plans were updated to reflect the changes.

Several commissioners praised the revised layout and architectural changes during the meeting.

“I really appreciate the changes that were made,” one commissioner said. “I think they make a big difference. Moving the buildings forward so you have parking in the rear and creating a front yard feel for the townhomes is appropriate.” 

“I also appreciate the traditional brick,” one commissioner said. “I think it’s going to look great and add to the long-term quality of the project.”

Commissioners also discussed a proposed decorative fence surrounding portions of the development’s open space and gazebo area. Gregory said the fence was intended to provide privacy and limit liability concerns while still allowing landscaping along the sidewalk edge.

“We wanted some type of control so the homeowners feel people aren’t just walking right up into the space and using it like a public park,” Gregory said.

Commission Chair Gregory Mitchell said he understood the reasoning behind the fence proposal but questioned whether it fit Flossmoor’s character.

“I understand that, but Flossmoor traditionally doesn’t really have gated communities,” Mitchell said. “That’s my concern aesthetically.”

Other commissioners echoed concerns about how the fence would appear along the sidewalk, suggesting it be pushed farther back and softened with additional landscaping.

Following discussion, the Plan Commission voted unanimously to reconsider its earlier denial and approve the revised proposal.

After the meeting, Gregory said the project had been a lengthy process and that the restaurant requirement had become one of the major sticking points.

“The biggest stumbling block was that the village wanted a restaurant because they’re encouraging restaurants to replace vacant spaces,” Gregory said. “But the Planning Commission didn’t feel it was a good mix.”

The proposal will next move to the Flossmoor Village Board for final consideration. Gregory said he expects the item to appear before trustees during the board’s first meeting in June.