It was a long four hours, disappointing for some, as the Planning and Zoning Commission voted in favor of D.R. Horton’s Polo Club’ subdivision proposal, for the area near book road and 119th street in south Naperville. The 6-1 vote was the first in favor of the proposal that’s been in limbo the last year and a half.
Revisions To D.R. Horton’s Polo Club
In June 2018 D.R. Horton first presented their proposal for a 723 unit subdivision but no decision was made at the planning and zoning meeting. In February of 2019 they presented their revised proposal, dropping the number of units to 500. But the commission was split on the decision, with a 4-4 vote.
Since then they’ve changed even more – decreasing the total number of home to 480, and dropping the density from the original 6.6 units per acres to 4.55 The biggest improvement to traffic flow were revisions to 119th Street, which included widening the road and adding an additional turn lane and entry point.
Decreasing Traffic Time
“If nothing is approved, in 2028, the average delay on 119th Street will be over 14 minutes. With the Polo Club subdivision being built and the infrastructure, we’re proposing that delay will be just over three minutes,” said Danielle Dash from D.R. Horton.
D.R. Horton had an independent third party look at their analysis along with city staff. But members from “Plan For Us”, a group comprised of south Naperville residents, question how queue time would be reduced with all the extra residents from the Polo Club.
Plan For Us’s Concerns
“Eight hundred extra cars are going to be on this street and there’s going to be 80% reduction in traffic versus it not being there right now? It just doesn’t compute,” said Jeffe Macick, a member of the “Plan For Us” group. Members from the “Plan For Us Group” also shared concerns that the additional traffic could cause more reckless driving.
City Council Next Step
Most commissioners agreed that there are still improvements to be made at 119th Street, but voted in favor of the proposal. It will now go to city council, which have the final say on the development.
Naperville News 17’s Christian Canizal reports.
