'Nasty' 2021 Debate Over Apartments Recalled

DARIEN, IL – A four-story apartment complex was planned in Darien.

Neighbors objected, saying they'd prefer condos to apartments. Some said they feared the apartments would turn into Section 8. Others raised the prospect of crime.

This was Darien of the last few weeks. It was also Darien in 2021.

Darien is not unusual for this type of battle. It can be found across suburban America.

Many single-family homeowners don't want to be near apartments, even though they may have been renters once upon a time.

Meanwhile, housing becomes less affordable across the country.

On Monday, the City Council approved the proposed 156-unit complex for the Chestnut Court shopping center. This was over the objections of neighbors.

After the vote, Mayor Joseph Marchese said the arguments were similar to those in 2021. That was when the council approved a 70-unit complex called The Jade Residences of Waterfall Glen.

He said The Jade was a "beautiful building," occupied by young professionals. An alderman said something similar recently.

But Marchese said the 2021 debate was different.

"It even got kind of nasty then," the mayor said. "Their opposition to that was more than we heard tonight."

In 2021, Darien officials expressed concern over the tenor of the discussion.

Alderman Joe Kenny said then that the building in question would not be an issue if the developer planned condos instead of apartments.

"You're 100 percent right," a man from the audience yelled out.

Kenny suggested that such a position was discrimination between renters and owners.

Then-Alderman Lester Vaughan said he was embarrassed and disappointed by the written comments against the project.

"I felt some of the comments in the emails came off as really derogatory. The tone in those statements, they came off to be kind of racist, and it promoted a level of classism that Darien is not proud of," said Vaughan, who was the council's only African American.

In response, a man stormed out of the room. Others denied that race was a factor.

But race was explicitly mentioned in one of the dozens of comments that the city posted to its website.

In an email to Alderwoman Mary Sullivan, a neighbor of the proposed complex, Don Letrich Sr., praised her on her recent election victory. Then he expressed his opposition to the planned apartments.

"Now please stand up for us in Darien, keeping it safe and a nice place to live!" Letrich wrote in an email. "Your opponent was ANTI POLICE and his poor showing confirms Darien is a law and order community. We don't want criminals here! HUD (Secretary Marcia) Fudge is an anti-white racist HATER to the MAX!"

Fudge is African American. Letrich provided no evidence for his assertion.

In that case, the council's vote was 4-3 for the complex. Marchese specifically mentioned Vaughan's comments in his reasoning to support the project.

Monday's vote was 6-0. Alderman Eric Gustafson, who represents the ward in question, was blocked from taking part in the meeting remotely.