The Evanston Plan Commission voted unanimously, 7-0, Wednesday to recommend the approval of the proposed multi-family residential complex at 1930 Ridge Ave.

The developer, Evanston Realty Partners, presented a revised plan to the commission with sketches, designs and building samples. Developers proposed constructing a complex with four four-story buildings and an underground parking lot. The apartments would be rental-only, and a portion of the apartments would be dedicated to affordable housing.

This was the third time Evanston Realty Partners approached the Plan Commission. Previous versions of the complex, with 11 and eight stories, were rejected by the Evanston City Council.

“Essentially, it has the same purpose as previously presented: upper-end, luxury apartment buildings,” said Richard Aaronson, manager of Evanston Realty Partners. “What we have tried to do was to graft a little more of the neighborhood character (into the new plan).”

The commission heard from the developers, Evanston residents and other group representatives before discussing the application. Residents were concerned about a lack of parking, the architecture of the buildings, potential traffic problems and potential problems with Northwestern students moving in.

“A significant degree of Northwestern students are not ready to live in a community as adults,” said Daniel Garrison, an Evanston resident and NU classics professor. “Residents will be driven out who do not want to live like students and who are not students.”

Evanston Realty Partners also sought to rezone the property so the company could build more than 200 apartments on the lot. The commission voted to recommend rezoning the property but only for the current proposal. Some members of the commission were concerned that if the property were rezoned without any qualifications, the developer might revert to a plan for an eight-story building.

The commission also decided to recommend several necessary procedural exceptions pertaining to the construction site.

Commission members said they supported affordable housing, the developers’ desire to work with Evanston and the complex’s rental aspect. Plan Commission Chairman John Lyman said the project fills a need in the Evanston market for rental units.

But commission members were wary of potential parking problems and were divided about the building’s appearance. Some expressed concerns that the proposed buildings were too different from the predominantly red-brick architecture found on Ridge Avenue.

The commission can make only recommendations to the council, which makes all final decisions on zoning requests.