The city of Naperville is poised to grow its municipal boundaries by 10 acres and, in the process, bring with it a proposed 68-unit townhome development, based on plans unveiled at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Wednesday, June 18.
M/I Homes, which has developed housing projects throughout the Chicago region, is behind the proposal, referred to as Everly Trace. Bridge Street Properties LLC is serving as the petitioner.
The site of the potential development is currently situated within unincorporated Will County on the south side of 111th Street, where 111th Street intersects with Cedar Drive. The site currently has two established addresses: 25013 W. 111th St. and 25035 W. 111th St.
Nearby developments include the Clifford W. Crone Middle School and its recreational fields to the east, as well as Creekside Park to the south. The single-family Ashwood Creek, Ashwood Park, and Ashwood Place subdivisions are also near the site.
Townhome, rowhome buildings included in project plans
Russell Whitaker III of the Naperville-based real estate law firm of Rosanova and Whitaker served as a spokesperson for the project at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
Whitaker spoke to a number of details associated with the project, including proposed building styles and accents such as pedestrian-friendly features around the perimeter of the site, landscape buffering, and stormwater management features.
“M/I is one of the leading builders in the Chicago region,” said Whitaker, who noted the company is marking its 50th anniversary next year. “(The company) has an established footprint across the Chicago region and are leading experts in the homebuilding industry.”
Everly Trace, as proposed, will include a mixture of two-story, front-loaded townhome units and three-story, rear-loaded rowhome units.
In his presentation, Whitaker indicated the development proposal is intended to address the “dramatic shifts in population” within Naperville and help satisfy the identified need for more diverse housing stock options within the city.
From a marketing standpoint, M/I is planning two specific products within Everly Trace: the Charlestown Series, comprised of dwellings in the range of 1,777 square feet and 2,116 square feet, and the Town Square Series, comprised of dwellings in the range of 2,104 square feet and 2,328 square feet. Each product type would offer between two and three bedrooms.
Town Square series proposal, image courtesy M/I Homes
Nearby residents weigh in with concerns about townhome proposal
A number of nearby residents shared concerns about Everly Trace in its current configuration. The concerns touched on density, traffic and safety, property values, and infrastructure impact.
Jeff Doden, board president of the Ashwood Creek Homeowners Association, said he and his neighbors first learned about the Everly Trace proposal in late May by way of a mailing and a subsequent neighborhood information meeting. He and other organizers have since embarked on a vigorous campaign to have their concerns heard.
“I actually started a petition, just this past weekend, after attending that meeting,” Doden said. “At this current moment, I have 213 signatures from most of the residents of Ashwood Creek and nearby areas that are opposing this specific development — not development, in general.”
Doden said they’d prefer single-family homes in that area, rather than townhomes, due to their concerns about overpopulation.
Fellow nearby resident Kelly McWhertor was one of more than a dozen neighbors who sent in written comments to the Planning and Zoning Commission, prior to the June 18 meeting.
“This area is too small and already in the middle of an established neighborhood,” said McWhertor, who indicated she favored single-family housing on the parcel as an alternative.
Commissioners give project proposal a favorable recommendation
At the conclusion of the public hearing, all commissioners in attendance gave Everly Trace a favorable recommendation, meaning the proposal advances to the decision-making city council for a definitive vote at an upcoming meeting.
Commissioner Whitney Robbins, who chairs the appointed group, said there are lingering issues that should be addressed, including traffic impact, with Clifford W. Crone Middle School in close proximity.
“I hear, I read all of your comments,” Robbins said, addressing the concerns raised. “They are valid.”
But speaking specifically to the Planning and Zoning Commission’s purview, Robbins added, “I think (the project proposal) meets all of the master plan requirements. I think it’s right in line.”
Other commissioners, including Mark Wright, also shared why they were backing the proposal.
“I think it makes sense,” Wright said. “I think there was a lot of thought put into this.”
Image courtesy: M/I Homes
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