Elmhurst Changes Accommodate Big Apartment Building

ELMHURST, IL – No dedicated delivery area was set up when a developer built a big downtown Elmhurst apartment building six years ago.

That has created problems at First Street and Addison Avenue.

In the years since, delivery package volume has grown nationally by more than 50 percent, according to studies.

Built by the Minnesota-based Opus Group, The Marke complex, northwest of First and Addison, consists of 164 apartments, plus ground-floor businesses.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted to reduce the center-striped median to allow more parking for delivery vehicles' brief stops.

This year, Elmhurst police have seen a big increase in stopping and standing of delivery and ride-share vehicles in the westbound lane of First, just west of Addison, according to a city memo.

Before the vote, a couple of residents urged aldermen to oppose the plan.

"It's difficult to find a long-term solution, especially given the narrow roadway due to The Marke," resident Laurie Buzzell told the council. "That area has always been a tight area of activity, which makes it hard to believe a dedicated delivery area wasn't incorporated into the design. It feels like a big oversight."

Larch Avenue resident Ellen Greer said the building owner should step up.

"Before we alter First Street yet again to the detriment of homeowners, The Marke should address solving their own delivery problems with the city that does not involve significant accommodations," Greer said. "Public safety includes those traveling by car, by bicycle or on foot and is not just a stopping and standing issue."

Alderman Rex Irby, who expressed concern with the city's plan, was the lone no vote. Aldermen Mike Brennan, Jennifer Veremis and Noel Talluto were absent.