Zoning meeting?

Question

I recently sold my house that is in the middle of 3 empty lots of land to a building company that is planning on building luxury townhomes contingent on the rezoning to allow it. In DuPage County, IL. We are aware of the neighbors unhappiness with the idea and that they are trying to get it stopped. What factors weigh in the decision and is there anything to do to prepare for the meeting.

The town houses are gonna cost more then 100k more then our house is worth so its not exactly selling out and its still our problem because it is contingent on the zoning

Answer 1

There's nothing for you to do, and no reason for you to speak at the hearing. You have to trust that the developer will do his homework and have a good zoning attorney speak at the hearing. Anything you say at the hearing will be seen as obviously self-interested, since you're under contract to sell and you're leaving the neighborhood . . . unless you still own other properties in the neighborhood, in which case you could say that you feel it would enhance property values, etc. The overwhelming factors will be whether the zoning board feels that the townhouses are architecturally compatible with the neighborhood, whether it will enhance property values, and whether the rezoning follows any existing trends as opposed to being an aberration (which would be labelled "spot" zoning). The best ammunition will be to have pictures of other similar townhouse developments that the developer can point to as successful and compatible with surrounding single-family neighborhoods. If it's a stagnant and undervalued neighborhood, it might be good for them to say that new development is needed to rejuvenate the neighborhood, raise the tax base, encourage other improvements, etc., and that townhouse development (as opposed to single family) is simply the housing type that the market is demanding at the moment.

Answer 2

Nothing for you to do. You've sold out already. It's the property developer's problem now.

Answer 3

good idea