









by BRIAN NADIG

Construction of several three-story residential buildings on Elston Avenue is being planned for Gladstone Park, while a proposal for a 7-Eleven gas station at the intersection of Montrose and Austin avenues is not moving forward in Portage Park.

Two zoning variation applications were filed recently with the city to allow the construction of a three-unit building on a vacant lot at 5979 N. Elston Ave.

One of the applications calls for front and rear yard setback variations due to the odd shape of the 5,300-square-foot site, which is bordered by Austin Avenue on the west, Peterson Avenue on the north and a multi-family building to the east.

The second application requests a reduction in the number of required parking spaces from three to two. Preliminary plans call for the two outdoor parking spaces to be accessible from a planned curb cut on Elston.

The Zoning Board of Appeals is expected to hear the variation requests this summer.

Meanwhile, the zoning board at its May 18 meeting approved applications for special uses to allow the construction of two six-flats at 6109 and 6115 N. Elston Ave., where a plumbing business operated last year. The special uses are required to allow ground-floor residential use in a business district.









Also, a proposal to rezone the former bank site at the northwest corner of Montrose and Austin avenues has been dropped after residents objected to the planned gas station and convenience store at a community meeting in February, Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th) said. He said that there might be a new buyer for the property.

Sposato also reported that he plans to move forward with the rezoning of the former Nick’s Cocktail Lounge site at 7427-29 W. Addison St. from B3-1 to B2-2 to accommodate the construction of a building with four condominiums. "It’s definitely upscale (and) high 200s," Sposato said.

In the 41st Ward, a proposal to build a four-unit condominium building at 6187 N. Northwest Hwy. where a bungalow would have been demolished, has been withdrawn.