A housing development first announced last fall near downtown Naperville is set to move forward, despite concerns from nearby property owners. The project is set to take root at the site of the former Calvary Temple Church property.
M/I Homes, the Chicago firm behind the project, is planning to construct an 11-unit housing development known as Benton + Main on the 0.82-acre property, which encompasses four separate parcels: 109 W. Benton Ave., 129 W. Benton Ave., 133 W. Benton Ave., and 5 N. Main St.
Project proposal unveiled in October, had PZC backing
According to the approved plans, Benton + Main will consist of seven single-family attached units and two duplexes. The buildings are to include 100% brick or masonry materials, oversized windows, ornamental detailing, and traditional rooflines with rooftop terraces.
The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the Benton + Main project details in October and gave a favorable recommendation with a 7-2 vote.
Benton + Main’s dense design has been a focal point of the recent reviews, though project representatives have defended it. The development’s building height of 46 feet — higher than the 35-foot threshold permitted under city code — has also been scrutinized.
But Russell Whitaker III, a partner with the Naperville-based law firm of Rosanova and Whitaker, defended the plans submitted. The density, he said, provides a transition between single-family residential areas and the downtown core.
Whitaker, who spoke to the council at its Tuesday, Feb. 17, meeting, pointed to the size and density of another downtown-area residential development, the Charleston Row buildings, asserting Benton + Main is not precedent-setting in the immediate area.
“Charleston Row was very well received by the community — so much so that it’s been replicated in two other locations,” Whitaker said. “If the community was comfortable with Charleston Row, there is absolutely no reason to believe that the size and the scale of Benton + Main would be received any differently by the community.”
Neighbors oppose development, submit petition to reconsider
Neighbors adjacent to the Benton + Main site have been vocal in their opposition of the size and scale of the development. Nine neighbors spoke out against the plans as submitted at the council’s Feb. 17 meeting.
The council ultimately approved plat and planned unit development documents that same evening on a unanimous vote. More recently, the concerned neighbors have submitted a petition to the city council, asking for a reconsideration of the prior vote.
Chris Carlsen, who is among the nearby residents, provided the council with written comments at its Tuesday, March 3, meeting on the request to reconsider. The residents’ petition was filed with the city Friday, Feb. 27.
Carlsen, in his written comments, said he viewed the proposal as being akin to a series of “irreconcilable inconsistencies” within the lens of the Naperville Municipal Code.
“The city’s decision creates a dangerous precedent by allowing the planned unit development process to effectively override the foundational protections of the transitional use zoning district and master plan,” Carlsen wrote. “The PUD approval process appears to be subjective and not grounded in, nor bound, by the city’s land use requirements.”
Speaking during public forum at the March 3 council meeting, fellow neighbor Julie Carducci also implored the council to reconsider its previous vote.
“The Karis Data Center was rejected because the developer could not demonstrate the project would not harm surrounding properties,” Carducci said. “That is the current application of the conditional-use standard.”
As for the project near her home, Carducci added, “Approving Benton + Main townhomes, with nine neighbors testifying to substantial harms, is an inconsistent application of the same rule. We recognize Karis was a different land use, but the conditional-use standard was identical.”
Whitaker in his comments at the Feb. 17 meeting said the developers have made a few tweaks to the plans — particularly in terms of denser and more robust landscaping — with neighbors’ concerns in mind.
“In the last few weeks, we’ve been looking for ways that we could potentially work with and improve the plan for the benefit of some of the neighbors,” Whitaker said before the council granted its approvals.
City Council weighs in with thoughts on the project
No one on the council dais directly responded to the petition to reconsider at the March 3 meeting. But a number of the elected officials did weigh in on the plans before they were approved at the Feb. 17 meeting.
Councilman Patrick Kelly described his “yes” vote as a “close call” after hearing the residents’ concerns. But he also noted there are dense residential developments in the immediate area.
“I’ve struggled with this one, to be honest with you, for a couple of months,” Kelly said. “I’ve told the neighbors I walk past this all the time.”
Councilman Ian Holzhauer said he, too, was appreciative of the residents’ comments on building height, streetview appearance, building setbacks, and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.
“Those are very reasonable things for people to care about — particularly people who live within a block of it,” Holzhauer said.
But the councilman also took note of the unique location and the value the new development could bring to the immediate area.
“For me, it’s really important to keep in mind where this development is being proposed,” Holzhauer said. “In general, in America, we just don’t have that many transit-friendly, walkable spaces at all. This is very walkable to the No. 2 most used Metra station in Chicagoland.”
Rendering courtesy: M/I Homes
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