Could an ordinance cracking down on chronic nuisance properties be added to Naperville’s municipal code? The possibility was raised at a recent city council meeting after multiple residents took to the microphone during the “public forum” portion of the agenda and shared a litany of concerns about a specific Naperville rental property.
Within the past two years, Naperville police have reportedly been called numerous times to a home near Modaff and Gartner roads that has been linked to a number of alleged incidents, including disorderly conduct, theft, and an aggressive dog. The home is near three venues children frequent: Happy Times Preschool, St. Raphael Catholic School, and Elmwood Elementary School.
Parents, children witness fight
An early morning incident at about 8:15 a.m. Friday, Jan. 31, prompted a group of concerned parents and residents to head to the municipal center and speak to the city council at a meeting Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Five of the 10 speakers who addressed the council during public forum had specific concerns about the rental property and its impact on the quality of life in the immediate area.
According to information residents shared, and corroborated by Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres, the Jan. 31 incident involved a nonresident of the rental home who arrived at the property to fight one of the tenants. The non-resident, described as covered in blood and dirt, stopped by one of the nearby schools, according to reports, and began yelling obscenities as children were lining up for school before eventually leaving. Police ultimately apprehended the person.
Concerned neighbors demand action
Resident Dana Schultz was among the speakers who shared concerns about the issues stemming from the rental property.
“Naperville prides itself on being the safest city in America,” Schultz said. “Why do we have to stand here, begging for action? What’s it going to take to remove this danger from our neighborhood? At the very least, we are demanding immediate and ongoing police presence at school drop-off and pick-up times. But this is just a Band-Aid. The rental property has to be addressed. This is unacceptable.”
Resident Richard Jecha, who lives near the property, said he has experienced a number of issues from the property — most notably his dog, who he said sustained injuries from the “aggressive” dog living at the rental property.
“These issues have escalated to the point where many of us are no longer feeling too confident or comfortable in our own neighborhood,” Jecha said.
Sandra Garcia, co-owner of Happy Times Preschool, said the ongoing issues at the nearby home could ultimately negatively impact the business, which currently has 82 children enrolled and was founded in the community in 1968.
“The track record for this property speaks for itself,” Garcia said. “The increased and more violent erratic behavior puts not only our families, but our staff, at risk. Now it has begun to affect our enrollment, putting our business at risk. Families do not want to enroll their children in a school where this unpredictable presence is allowed to torment a neighborhood.”
Chief weighs in on police response at Naperville rental property
Arres said Naperville police are doing what they can, from an enforcement standpoint, as issues arise at the property. He confirmed the agency has responded to the home on numerous occasions within the past two years.
“I empathize with your frustration, for sure,” Arres said to the speakers. “What I can promise is when crimes are committed, we will continue to take people to jail.”
Targeted enforcement, and an increased police presence, is anticipated in the immediate area, Arres said, particularly during pick-up and drop-off times.
“We assigned our strategic response unit to this,” he said. “That’s our problem-solving unit, and I realize it’s not fully solving the problem right now, but they have been out there, providing patrols. It is very easy to add even more patrols during school drop-offs. Those three schools are in very close proximity to each other.”
Chronic nuisance ordinance exploration
During the council’s response to public forum comments, Councilman Josh McBroom suggested the possibility of the chronic nuisance ordinance to address isolated incidents such as the frequent calls that have occurred at the home near Modaff and Gartner roads.
City Attorney Michael DiSanto shared his view of what currently is in Naperville’s municipal code, in reference to nuisance properties.
“Our code has different provisions that deal with chronic nuisances,” DiSanto said. “I’m not sure we have an umbrella nuisance ordinance. We could look into it and see how it works in other communities. But typically it’s for chronic problems that haven’t been resolved over a period of time.”
During the “new business” portion of the meeting agenda, McBroom suggested city staffers look into having a chronic nuisance ordinance on the books. All nine council members affirmed the referral.
“This sounds chronic to me,” McBroom said of the specific property. “Maybe council needs to look into it. You have to be careful with something like that. People do have property rights. You wouldn’t want for something like this to be abused.”
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