Readers Respond: City OKs Courthouse Square Senior Housing Plan

Wheaton City Council members last week approved a developer's proposal to build a 167-unit senior housing facility in downtown Wheaton.

Council members voted 4-3 in favor of requests to amend the Courthouse Redevelopment Project Area Plan and Program and allow construction of a senior housing development instead of a previously approved condo building.

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Readers responded to City OKs Courthouse Square Senior Housing Proposal. Here is what they had to say:

• Mark said, "Hopefully, the residents will remember the four members who voted for this project and replace them during the next election. I am sure the residents of Wheaton will be excited to spend their hard earned tax dollars to defend the City from the lawsuits that are sure to follow."
• John said, "Why even bother with a zoning board. Good to see that at least three members stood up for the residents. I am disappointed in Phil, the other three I didn't expect much.
  Hope the residents of the courthouse take the next step against the city,focus and airhart."
• Karen said, "I'm glad to see there will be more housing for Seniors in Wheaton! This location is ideal for foot traffic to the library, the new Mariano's, train, etc. Wheaton has so many Seniors whom will eventually want or need to down size but would love to stay in the area. Hey, I'll be one of them some day!"
• Jonathan said, "@Karen Parent, It is a rest home with a dementia care unit!!!!!!!!!! How are they going to get around??? Wheaton just sold itself out cheap to a developer that took millions of tax payer dollars. Maybe Phil Suess should see if TIF has anything to do with pure free enterprise. I wonder how much money did Focus and its lawyers pump into the campaigns of Ives? Duty Honor Money... Just another cheap politician"
• John said, "@Karen Parent, I don't think the new Mariano's will be getting a lot of business from Seniors who have meals provided as part of their contract with the senior facility. Fact is these seniors will provide far, far, less tax dollars to the city than condo owners would."
• JDA said, "Well I guess it's better than having a ditch with a fence around it. But this will certainly devalue the completed condos, which are already listed at a fraction of their original cost. All in all, I'd say this project was a failure, considering the difference between what was proposed originally and what we'll actually end up with."
• David said, "What the City doesn't want anyone to talk about is that they failed to protect tax payer dollars because they never took proper collateral from this developer that essentially couldn't fund completion of the project. Now they want to bail out this developer by going against a zoning board that voted 6-1 against it. A real free market would allow foreclosure of this property and bring in a new developer that could still satisfy the original PUD proposal... Fear not though. What this article fails to mention is the City also voted against the legitimacy of an abutter's petition that if validated would require a supermajority vote of 5 council members which this City doesn't have. This will go to the court and will be out of reach of the politicians to influence. It may have been hasty to vote on this issue without proper guidance as to the validity of the petition."

Tell us what you thought of the decision in the comments below.