Oak Park plans to sit down with a developer to discuss the "art of the possible" regarding a project planned for the 400 block of North Maple Avenue.

That could include a land swap, or other creative alternatives that would leave developer Bob Allen with the profits he seeks and neighbors with a less dense development.

Allen, who plans to build a four-story, 11-unit condominium building on the block, did not attend the village board's meeting last week, where members agreed that President David Pope and Trustee Elizabeth Brady would lead the village's negotiating team.

But Allen told Wednesday Journal he would listen to new proposals and would consider a deal that would improve his bottom line.

"I have to come out good on this," he said.

Allen has been frustrated by not hearing back from the village more than eight weeks after he submitted alternate proposals for the site. Trustees said they were not aware of the deadline Allen had given, and asked staff to call out time-sensitive issues in the future.

Allen can build his project "by right" on the site-where 403, 407 and 409 N. Maple Ave. used to stand-because it fits with zoning there. Neighbors, however, say the condo building would not fit with the block's historic single-family homes.

The 2007 budget loomed over the village board last Thursday night-a budget that has forced the village to tighten its belt in some areas while raising fees for services such as water, garbage and parking. So the idea of writing a check to a developer for $550,000 or more (the amount Allen would need to be paid to reduce the size of his development) did not get much support.

In fact, Village Manager Tom Barwin began the meeting by saying his administration did not recommend making the payout.

Trustee Robert Milstein said it was "outrageous" that Allen had requested that much money from the village to reduce his building from 11 units to nine. He said the developer should have been willing to discuss other ideas with the village and the neighbors.

"The Allens did not, in this context, act in good faith," Milstein said. The board previously had asked the developer to participate in village-staff-mediated talks with the neighbors to find a compromise.

Milstein suggested the board reconsider an idea he had offered before, "transfer of development rights," whereby the village would allow the developer to build beyond zoning on one project in return for building something smaller at another site.

Barwin said neither he nor other administrators had experience with transferring development rights, but Village Atty. Ray Heise said a land swap might also be an option.

The village owns more than a dozen properties it hopes to be redeveloped in coming years. Allen previously said he offered to swap the Maple properties for the downtown Colt building-which the village paid $5 million for-but never heard back.

"I just wanted to get into conversation with them and they never responded," Allen said.

Pope pointed out that development rights have value, too, and therefore wouldn't differ much from writing a developer a check.

Trustee Galen Gockel disagreed, saying forgoing future profits was different from handing over cash, and that the former is a common practice for governments to encourage certain behaviors.

Milstein also disagreed. But he pointed out that the village should take saving the character of a neighborhood as seriously as it would a business district.

"It's about more than economics when you stand up for a neighborhood," he said.

Trustee Ray Johnson added that when the village bought the land on which Tasty Dog now sits, the seller did not reinvest the money in Oak Park. But in transferring development rights or swapping land, the village might still accomplish that reinvestment.

Residents of the block attended last week's meeting and have said they will not give up on their neighborhood.

CONTACT: dcarter@wjinc.com