Palos Heights business plan taking shape

By Jeff Vorva

It may take a while before downtown Palos Heights buildings get face-lifts and parking lots get makeovers, but significant movement was made with a business district plan.

The city council voted 7-0 on Aug. 15 to adopt an ordinance for the approval of the business district plan and designation of the Palos Heights Business District No. 2 Harlem Ave. corridor. Alderman Brent Lewandowski was absent.

The council voted 6-1 to adopt an ordinance imposing a business retailers’ occupation tax and a business district service occupation tax in the businesses in the corridor. The tax is essentially a 1% sales tax that will be collected from businesses in the new district and can only be spent on improvements within the district.

Alderman Jack Clifford voted against it, citing the businesses should have gotten more notice.

The overall good of the plan, according to city officials, is that money will be able to be provided to the businesses so they can make improvements on their buildings, sidewalks or parking lots.

“Everybody points out LaGrange or any downtown,” said Ken Busse, the city’s economic development coordinator. “When you step outside of the building, you are on a public sidewalk. When you get into your car, you are on a public street. When you drive away, you are on a public street.

“That street, that parking space and that sidewalk are all paid for and maintained by the municipality that the traditional downtown it’s at.”

That’s not the case in Palos Heights, he said.

“Here, you step outside, and you are on a private sidewalk, and you are on a private parking spot and you drive away on a private aisle. That expense all gets put on the property owner’s shoulders.

“We’re trying to compete, if you will, with the traditional downtowns of, say, Hinsdale, LaGrange and the likes. We don’t have a conventional shopping area where you have the sea of parking and the building way in the back. We’re trying to compete and we’re trying to maintain and preserve the character of the old Palos area.”

He said the 1% sales tax will not impact property taxes.

Mayor Bob Straz said the last time there was renovation in the downtown area was in the 1960s. Owners who bought property put money in to remodel.

He said that improvements have fallen short since then. This initiative will give owners an incentive to make changes, especially in building facades and fixing parking lots that have “land mines” on them.

“This is one vehicle that can do that,” Straz said. “What we are doing here is creating the vehicle to do it.

“This is done by increasing the sales tax in the business district and that money is put into a pool just for that. That’s all it can be used for. It can’t be used for the city’s coffers or anything like that. It’s very specific as for what it will be used for.”