Senior living in Indian Hill lot? Too early to tell, but village says property is a redevelopment priority

A proposal to redevelop the Indian Hill Metra lot into a senior living complex received a mixed reception from the Winnetka Village Council on Tuesday, leaving trustees with multiple questions regarding any future redevelopment.

During the council’s study session on April 8, trustees heard a preliminary proposal from Dial Realty Development, of Omaha, Nebraska, to convert the parking lot at Green Bay Road and Winnetka Avenue into a two-building campus that includes independent and assisted living facilities.

Village President Chris Rintz repeatedly stressed throughout the meeting that the purpose of the evening was to get the discussion started on what potential redevelopment opportunities exist for the lot.

Officials say redevelopment of the lot, which is co-owned by the Village and Union Pacific railroad, is a priority for the village.

“This just seemed to be one of those ideas that was at least worth talking about,” Rintz said, later adding, “Please understand this is not an approval of any sort. It’s just an idea.”

The proposal

Steven Held, vice president of Dial Realty, called the proposal an “exciting vision” for Winnetka, which he referred to as a “highly desirable location.”

Chris Palkowitsch, senior design leader and partner with architectural firm BKV Group, went over the preliminary plan, which includes two proposed buildings: a memory care and assisted living facility and an independent living facility, separated by a public plaza that would connect to the Metra platform.

Both buildings would be four stories tall, he said.

The memory care wing is proposed to have 26 units and assisted living wing 65 units. Eighty-two units are proposed for independent living.

Palkowitsch also said the plans call for a two-level underground parking garage, which would include spaces for the public, as well as residents and staff. He said there would be 120 spaces for residents and staff and around 329 for the public.

Held said the design team is aware of “the significance of this location to the community, and any potential development would be designed to preserve essential functions, such as Metra commuter parking and student parking for New Trier Township High School.”

Just last month, the Village Council approved an amended parking agreement with New Trier to allow students and staff to utilize parking spaces in the Indian Hill lot.

Trustees support idea, but design causes concerns

While most of the trustees said they believe senior living is a good idea for Winnetka, many of them took issue with the proposed design.

Specific criticism centered on the “mass” of the buildings.

“I personally am intrigued by the concept and the population served,” Trustee Kirk Albinson said. “I do think that the design isn’t necessarily appropriate in terms of massing for this location.”

He went on to say that the proposed design has a “very urban feel,” which he said clashes with the rest of the neighborhood that he said has a more “suburban” design.

“It’s a great introduction concept, but I would say the way it’s presented right now, I would say there’s a lot to be desired about the layout,” Albinson said.

Trustee Rob Apatoff also said he liked the idea of a senior living community, but said because Winnetka has very little open space, he wasn’t sure if a building that large would be appropriate for the Metra lot.

Speaking about the Winnetka Caucus surveys, Apatoff said, “people are looking for more open space. They’re not worried about filling up in density right now. They’re looking for more open space.”

While Trustee Kim Handler acknowledged that across the country there is a need for senior living, she questioned if there was a desire for a facility in Winnetka. Anecdotally, she said what she hears most from residents is that they’re more interested in places for “people who are empty-nesters that want to downsize from their large homes where they raised their family to something more modest.”

“We don’t really have a lot of information that this is the most burning need right now versus potentially other ones,” she said. “Even just on that basis alone, I’d be hesitant to push forward on this concept right now.”

Trustee Bob Dearborn said that he believes there is a need for senior housing in Winnetka.

“I have no question that there’s a demand for this service,” he said. “Whether it’s a demand that should be on this property, (that’s) to be debated. But there is a demand for this service. We see it all the time.”

At the same time, he was also concerned about the size of the proposed building.

“I have a lot of sympathy for this use. I have a lot of sympathy for townhomes and transition homes for empty-nesters,” he said, while adding for Dial’s representatives, “You’re early on this, but for me, the bottom line is there’s a lot of mass in this particular location.”

After hearing multiple public comments in opposition to the proposal, Dearborn — who will be taking over as village president in May after Rintz terms out of office — suggested that the Indian Hill lot be included in future council discussions regarding ongoing development. This includes potential redevelopment of the post office site and other areas currently under construction.

“We can double-back and look at this property as well,” he said. “I think we maybe need to have a bigger conversation about these specific properties and development and what we want to do. How we want to handle open space.”

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