Park Ridge Historic Preservation Commission Meeting – September 2, 2026

The Historic Preservation Commission of Park Ridge, Illinois, met on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. Chair Mattingley presided, with Commissioners Ponticelli, McNeely, Healy, Pierce, and Eggert present; Commissioner Rose was absent. The commission approved the prior meeting minutes, issued two 100-Year-Old Home certificates, received a presentation on the L. Hodges Addition intensive historic survey, approved three Historic Preservation Award nominees, and discussed future SHPO grants and meeting logistics. No designation review cases were on the agenda.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the August 5, 2026 meeting minutes with two minor typographical corrections: adding an "s" to make it "application submittals" and striking the word "over" before "discussing this with the public works department."
• No designation review cases were considered.

Action Items: 100-Year-Old Home Certificates

• OH-26-04 – 116 Belle Plaine Ave: Staff reported that Cook County Treasurer records indicate the house was built in 1926. Applicant and owner Robert Kerber said he and his wife bought the house about 50 years ago, are only the third owners, and have come to love its unusual tile roof and the neighborhood. The commission unanimously approved the 100-Year-Old Home certificate.
• OH-26-05 – 108 N Merrill St: Staff reported that Cook County Treasurer records also show a 1926 construction date. Applicants Keith Henneman and Alice Dobrinski said they have owned the home for about 11 years and have worked to preserve details such as a dining-room chandelier that was likely from the 1940s and original closet tie racks. They described it as a yellow brick Chicago bungalow in a neighborhood with a nearly identical house next door. The commission unanimously approved the certificate.

Presentation: L. Hodges Addition Intensive Historic Survey

• Erica Rogero of Maguire Glasking Associates presented the intensive historic resources survey for the L. Hodges Addition, referred to during the presentation as the "El Hodges" edition. The survey area is the neighborhood colloquially called the Pretzel area, roughly bounded by Butler Place on the north, Vine Avenue/railroad right-of-way on the east, Belle Plaine Avenue on the south, and the east side of Courtland Avenue on the west.
• The survey cataloged 193 primary resources and two parks, Rotary Park and Ridge Park. Research included field work, archival records at the city, library, historical society, and online repositories, plus building-period sources such as The Economist, American Contractor, and real estate journals.
• The historical narrative covered indigenous settlement, early Maine Township development, the arrival of the railroad in 1854, the Brickton-to-Park Ridge incorporation in 1873, and developer Leonard Hodges' purchase of about 250 acres in 1871 to create a picturesque neighborhood with winding streets and large lots.
• Of the 193 principal buildings, 171, or just under 90%, were classifiable by architectural style. Single-family residences accounted for over 60% of the primary building types.
• Findings and recommendations included: 10 properties individually eligible for local landmark designation; 121 properties contributing to a potential local landmark district; at least 3 properties individually eligible for National Register listing; 121 properties potentially contributing to a National Register historic district; and 70 properties eligible for a kit-home multiple property documentation listing.
• Rogero recommended owner outreach for designations, expanding the survey to areas west and south of the current boundary that were historically part of the L. Hodges Addition, public access to the interactive GIS map, creation of historic preservation design guidelines, adoption of a citywide demolition delay ordinance, and requiring historic architectural impact studies before demolition. The survey found a demolition rate of about 20% since the end of the addition's period of significance.
• The survey report was submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), with review expected to take a minimum of about 30 days. A city council presentation was anticipated for October, subject to SHPO timing.

HPC Awards Program

• Staff reviewed the second annual HPC Awards Program. Three nominations were received and reviewed by a five-member jury, which unanimously recommended approval for all three.
• The commission approved the following award nominees:
  • 1700 Ballard Road (Maine Township Town Hall) – Stewardship, Exterior/Public Building.
  • 100 Courtland Ave (Community Church) – Restoration/Rehabilitation, Exterior/Religious Building.
  • 1 South Northwest Highway (Chase Building, with residential and commercial use) – Sustainability/Adaptive Reuse, Exterior.
• Next steps include staff contacting the approved applicants, ordering awards, a city council acknowledgment likely at the October 5 meeting, and the awards ceremony on October 14, 2026 at Ian L Studios.

SHPO Grants Update

• Staff reported that the city applied for two SHPO grants and was told it would receive funding for one. The selected survey area is just north of Northwest Highway near the six-corners intersection. The city is waiting for an official state letter before beginning the RFP process.
• The state grant is approximately $20,000, with city funding covering the remainder for a total of just under $30,000.

Meeting Date and Time Discussion

• Staff presented results of a commissioner survey on possible alternatives to the current first-Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. meeting time. Options discussed included the first Tuesday, second Thursday, and second or fourth Monday of the month.
• The first Tuesday and second Thursday had scheduling conflicts for two commissioners. One commissioner said 6:30 p.m. could work on those days due to a child's soccer schedule, while another commissioner indicated Tuesday evenings would not work because of work in Oak Lawn.
• The discussion pointed toward deferring any date/time change to 2028; no formal vote was taken. Staff said the 2027 meeting calendar would be brought to a future meeting.

Other Items

• Staff noted that the owner of 1309 had withdrawn from the proposed historic district, so the district would proceed with four homes and would be on the September 8, 2026 city council agenda.
• Outreach topics included the library exhibit, a possible social media/Spokesman notice about 100-Year-Old Home certificates, a farmers market HPC table with a scavenger-hunt idea, and pending bookmarks and plaques.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the August 5, 2026 minutes as corrected.
• Approved 100-Year-Old Home certificates for 116 Belle Plaine Ave (OH-26-04) and 108 N Merrill St (OH-26-05).
• Approved all three HPC Award Program nominees based on unanimous jury recommendations.
• Received the L. Hodges Addition intensive survey report; staff will coordinate SHPO approval and a possible October city council presentation.
• Confirmed the next SHPO grant for the Northwest Highway area and outlined next steps for the RFP once the state letter arrives.
• Deferred any change to the HPC meeting date/time to 2028, with the 2027 meeting calendar to be prepared for the October meeting.