Village of Oregon Board trustees approved a finalized request for proposals (RFP) for the village-owned properties at 249 and 267 N. Main St. at their Monday, Feb. 6 meeting.
The RFP was drafted by Director of Community Development Elise Cruz after a community engagement process revealed that residents have mixed preferences for the site’s future use, but agree on a general desire for park and open space, environmental preservation, effective stormwater management and low- to moderate-density uses.
Cruz accordingly laid out several project goals that organizations or developers hoping to secure the site should include in their proposals. The RFP encourages interested parties to:
- Dedicate a portion of the lot to passive recreation and public park amenities
- Preserve healthy, mature trees
- Meet stormwater requirements and address issues
- Ensure a commitment to the neighborhood’s existing character traits
- Prioritize low- to moderate-density development if necessary
- Allow the village to recoup its investment on the property
Proposals are due Friday, April 14, and will be presented to the Village Board for review and a final recommendation at an open meeting on Monday, May 1.
Trustee Michael Wunsch voiced his concerns that the request was too vague and that potential developers would take advantage of that to overlook the community’s aforementioned preferences.
He and Trustee Carlene Bechen attempted to amend the RFP’s language to require a certain amount of acreage be park space, but the motion to do so ultimately failed due to concerns from their peers.
Other trustees said they wanted to keep the RFP as open as possible to receive a wide range of options, knowing that the final decision would ultimately lay in their hands and that a preference for open park space was already established within the document.
“It’s already there,” Trustee Derek Below said. “So if the proposals we get do not meet these criteria, it more than likely is not going to make it through the board.”
The motion to accept and approve the RFP as presented was passed 6-1, with Wunsch as the sole opposing vote.
