The DuPage County Forest Preserve District has agreed on developing a new set of plans for the St. Paschal's Friary after original plans for the building were recently rejected by Oak Brook officials.

Forest district commissioners voted 16-6 Aug. 20 to have staff develop plans to create a skeet and trap range, gas model airplane and boat recreation, a country music venue on the Mayslake Forest Preserve property and convert the adjacent friary into a juvenile detention center, forest Commissioner William Maio said.

Forest district commissioners also haven't given up on the DuPage County Housing Authority's original plan to convert the friary into an assisted-living facility for seniors, Maio added.

"We're just going to have an alternate plan," Maio said. "Our first choice is to work with the (DuPage) Housing Authority to develop an assisted-living facility for our citizens. If Oak Brook doesn't like that, we have to go to Plan B. We have to do something with the property."

Too much time, effort and money has been put into the assisted-living facility plans to let it die, Maio added.

The Oak Brook Village Board in a 5-1 vote Aug. 13 rejected the housing authority's plans to convert the friary into a 93-unit assisted-living facility for seniors.

The forest district agreed to sell the friary to the housing authority for $1 in 2000 with the conditions that the group secure its own money for the project and get zoning approval from Oak Brook officials.

John Day, president of the housing authority, said the organization's board members will not give up on the assisted-living facility idea regardless of Oak Brook's rejection.

"The board is certainly no ready to walk away from this option," Day said. "We think there are (options) and we're going to lay our cards on the table."

Housing authority board members were trying to meet Monday, Aug. 19, to discuss their options. The group, however, was unable to schedule a meeting until Wednesday, Aug. 21, after The Doings' deadline, Day said.

Day offered forest commissioners an update of the situation Tuesday. The forest district doesn't have any control of the housing authority, but the organization wants to keep the forest district informed, Day added.

"We don't need approval (from the district), but because they are the property owners, we want to keep them apprised of what's going on," Day Said. (The district) is waiting to see what we do. I think they were a bit surprised about (Oak Brook's decision) last week as we were."

Day said the housing authority will consider its options, then make a recommendation to the organization's board.

"We could restate the case and how (the project) would be beneficial to Oak Brook," he said. "The (Oak Brook) board seemed pretty set, but we'll continue to be optimistic that the merit of the project will shine through."

The DuPage Housing Authority is exploring its options, including legal action, to continue with the plans to convert the St. Paschal Friary into an assisted-living facility.

Despite the Oak Brook Village Board's recent rejection and the numerous residents who spoke in opposition of the project plans, the Housing Authority's Board of Directors refuses to let the four years of planning end with that decision.

"The (housing authority) board has reviewed its legal options and presented a course of action to the attorneys," said John Howlett, legal council for the housing authority. "We do not believe that Oak Brook can reasonably withhold its approval in this case, especially as we are fulfilling the state mandate."

The Illinois General Assembly created the DuPage Housing Authority to provide housing within the county, said Bob Mork, attorney for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, which owns the friary property.

"Oak Brook (trustees) essentially said you can't have housing here and prohibited the housing authority from what the legislature created and empowered it to do," Mork said. "Basically, they're saying you can create housing in DuPage County, but not in Oak Brook."

The plan to create 93 assisted-living units, 19 of which are designated as affordable housing, was recommended by Oak Brook's Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. The Oak Brook Village Board, in a 5-1 vote, rejected the project at an Aug. 13 meeting.

"We're not abandoning this project. Though we respect the concerns of the village of Oak Brook, the need for this housing is great," said Art Donner, chairman of the housing authority board, in a press release. "There is a market driven demand for these units and we continue to support the friary site as an ideal location."

Ellen Hoye, president of Hoye Consulting Services, conducted a marketing study on the need for housing in the area. She believes the project would be successful, she stated at an Oak Brook Plan Commission meeting in April.

"The level of need that you are currently experiencing is an average level at this point," Hoye said. "What I have seen in reviewing the demographics, for specifically the community of Oak Brook, is that over the next five years, it is going to jump almost 20 percent." Many Oak Brook residents and Oak Brook Trustee John Craig said there was no mention of a residential development being created on the land when the DuPage County Forest Preserve District purchased the Mayslake property, which includes the friary. They also said they were under the impression the land would be kept as open space.

John Day, president of the housing authority, said no open space will be lost with the conversion plans. Even though he knows there will always be people against the friary plans, there are people who do support it, he added.

"Throughout these proceedings there have been people talking in favor of (the plans), but just those people who don't want it were at the (Aug. 13) meeting," Day said. "I think of Thomas Jefferson who said the surest way to fail is to try to please everyone."

The forest district agreed in August to develop a new set of plans for the Mayslake land and friary property after the original friary plans were rejected by Oak Brook village officials.

The forest preserve commissioners voted 16-6 Aug. 20 for district staff to develop an alternate plan for the Mayslake land, including a skeet and trap range, gas model airplane and boat recreation and a country music venue and to convert the friary into a juvenile detention center.

Village President Karen Bushy said until the village receives documents or a notice from the housing authority, Oak Brook trustees and village staff are not allowed to comment on the matter even in closed session.