I am cautiously in favor of the town homes, even though it will undoubtedly be a nuisance during the construction process (blocking our garage at times, tons of construction dust in the air and in our yard, etc). Unfortunately, it's going to displace over a hundred parking spots in an already tight-parking village; that's going to be very sad for the people displaced who have to park further away.
But it's sort of an accident that those parking spots exist at all -- back in the 1900s, there used to be a livery stable there, and that was where all the horses parked. Given how desirable Oak Park is as a location, it's not surprising that that big space wouldn't last forever, and I think from our point of view, this will long-term make our lives better.
It should reduce traffic in the alley, making it safer for the kids, increase lighting, and repave the massively broken asphalt. I'm guessing it will also raise our property value eventually. They're estimating around $500K for each town home, so if you're looking to buy in Oak Park, with a move-in two years from now, you could live across the alley from us.