With a 4-4 vote from the Planning and Zoning Commission, the latest Polo Club development proposal gets no recommendation from the group.
Since their last presentation in July, developer D.R. Horton made many revisions to their plans to annex and develop a subdivision on the unincorporated 119th Street Polo Fields.
The number of units was lowered from 723 to 500, apartments were taken out completely, and two parks and a 30-foot landscape buffer were added.
“So the density has been reduced from 6.6 dwelling units per acre, to 4.74 dwelling units per acre. We feel that that’s a substantial move in decreasing units,” said Danielle Dash, with land acquisition for D.R. Horton.
Comparatively, the surrounding R1 neighborhoods have an average 1.6 households per acre.
That’s a sticking point for nearby residents and some commissioners who think the R3 mixed-residential plan is too large on the 110-acre property.
“So when I’m looking at this strictly from a zoning perspective, I do not feel it is compatible with what is around it, completely,” said Commission Chair Kamala Martinez. “But because it’s not compatible, we have the other issues that come out of this. The traffic, the road improvements. All these things are systematic of that it doesn’t fit. It’s not compatible.”
Residents from the “Plan For Us” group agreed, sharing a video demonstrating their other major concern – that the development would add too much traffic going westbound on an already problematic 119th Street.
“A car at the end of the backup would have to wait for at least four complete light cycles, or over nine minutes in duration, just to get to the Route 59 intersection,” said Chris Leshock, in the “Plan For Us” video.
D.R. Horton conducted a traffic study that found the 119th and Route 59 intersection will get 10 percent worse if nothing is done to it by 2025. Their plans would add a proper right turn lane at that intersection on their own dime.
“So with the intent to try to solve something on a property that is not owned at all in any way whatsoever by the petitioner, [for them to] still try to solve a problem that should be solved by the state, by the townships, by other communities around us, it’s a step in the right direction. There’s no doubt that all of that needs to be resolved, but that progress has to happen in order for that pressure to be put,” said Commissioner Bruce Hanson.
Commissioners Losurdo, Morin, and Fessler joined Hanson in voting yes, with commissioners Marguilies, Habel, Athanikar, and Chairwoman Martinez voting against.
That left a tied vote and no recommendation either positive or negative for the proposal, as it advances to Naperville City Council.
Naperville News 17’s Christine Lena reports.
