It Ain't All Big Hair and Cadillacs

11/9/2007 2:17:00 PM Email this article • Print this article
Waguespack rejects Orloff garage
Alderman says size, neighbor opposition influenced decision

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER
Editor


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A controversial parking garage proposal by a luxury car dealership in Bucktown was rejected today by 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack.

The four-story garage proposed for the corner of Cortland and Hermitage by Howard Orloff Imports was already turned down by the Bucktown Community Organization's zoning subcommittee and the East Bucktown Neighbors, a group that formed earlier this year in opposition to the proposal.

"The community as a whole was vehemently against it," Waguespack said. "They had concerns regarding the damage the project would have done to the predominantly single-family neighborhood, and that's something I can't ignore."

Orloff has argued the garage would help consolidate its fleet of Jaguars, Land Rovers and Volvos that are now stored at various parking lots throughout the neighborhood. Orloff representatives could not be reached by press time.

Orloff has said the company still can build a smaller garage under the existing zoning, but it will not include many of the enhanced design features community organizations have bargained for under the four-story garage proposal.

Philip Edison, chairman of the BCO zoning committee, said the full membership has still not weighed in on the company's request for increased zoning.

"It was rejected [by the BCO zoning committee] really for the overall reason of the building is just too big," Edison said. "We felt the benefit the Orloff guys were getting from a zoning perspective was greater than the benefit the public was getting from the improvements of the garage being there."

He said his committee would reconsider its vote if the car dealer agrees to bring the building down a level by excavating or taking one story off the top.

"We do believe that the idea of building a garage and bringing cars in, rather than having them spread over the neighborhood, would have been improvement," he said.

CONTACT: timinklebarger@chicagojournal.com