Lake County Gazette

At its June 19 meeting, the Village Board of Round Lake Beach voted unanimously to approve an ordinance which will allow the development of a 204-unit apartment complex on a vacant lot by changing the zoning from C-3 General Commerical to R-4 Multi-Family Residential District.

"This is an extremely difficult decision for the board ruling staff and for me personally, it's one we do not take lightly, but we must follow the state and local statutes and consider only what is allowed by law when making our decisions," Mayor Scott Nickles said. 

The property is privately owned, and the developer proposed the zoning change to the Village in order to build the apartments.

The ordinance has sparked outrage from residents, many of whom shared their opinions at the meeting. Citizens cited a range of concerns from the impact on wildlife to traffic and safety concerns. 

Round Lake Beach resident Joseph Pitt responded to the mayor's comment saying, "You have to follow the law, but at any point you could have denied the motion to take it up in the first place. So I hope you're all satisfied. You have a room and now a neighborhood full of people who vote. And we'll remember this."

One citizen said of the decision, "It's a travesty and it's an example of corrupt government at the at the most basic level. You know, we're all sick of government from the top." Other residents claim that the board is not representing the people who voted them into office.

In response to the backlash, the board has published a memorandum to answer  questions and objections raised during public comment. The memorandum addresses safety, demographic, traffic, and other concerns. The memorandum also explains the board's decision-making process and includes letters from the community including a petition in opposition to the development with over 250 signatures. This document can be found on the Village of Round Lake Beach website.