Winfield looking to commercialize Roosevelt Road

For the second time in two years, Winfield trustees have agreed to rezone a part of Roosevelt Road to allow for commercial development.

But unlike the controversial vote in March 2013, officials say this decision to include 18 properties along or near Roosevelt in a new planned development district won't need to be repealed in several months.

Instead, officials say they can focus on attracting projects that will generate much-needed tax revenue for the village.

"This time, we did it right," Village President Erik Spande said.

The rezoned area includes the southwest corner of Winfield and Roosevelt roads and the north side of Roosevelt between Wynwood and Winfield roads. The final vote came after months of public discussions. It was a process that helped Winfield create a new zoning classification that encourages commercial development while being "neighborhood friendly," Spande said.

"It was a unanimous decision by the board," Spande said. "The community has finally found consensus."

That's not what happened two years ago when trustees in a split vote rezoned more than a dozen residential parcels along Roosevelt. At the time, village officials argued the zoning classification was too broad.

Spande said previous commercial zoning would have allowed everything from pawn shops to tire stores. Homeowners opposed to the change sued the village.

"It was a mess," Spande said.

So the village board in August 2013 repealed the commercial zoning classification and put the issue of Roosevelt Road on hold until an update of the town's comprehensive plan was finished.

The revised comprehensive plan, which helps guide development in the village, was approved last May. As part of its recommendations, the document calls for a commercial focus with some higher density housing along Roosevelt.

The plan's recommendations didn't surprise those who long pushed for Winfield to commercialize Roosevelt to expand its tax revenue base.

"The reality is that Winfield is strapped for cash," Trustee Tim Allen said, "and there's only so many places that we can raise money.

"It (commercializing Roosevelt) is a political inevitability," he said.

To ensure that future commercial development is neighborhood friendly, the village created a new classification for the Roosevelt parcels that has guidelines for buffers, noise walls and lighting.

"The whole idea is to let people know that we're keeping their concerns in mind," Spande said.

Individual projects also must develop a minimum of eight acres. That prevents existing houses from being turned into businesses.

"We want medium-to-large-scale commercial redevelopment of the area," Spande said. "We want a development that will generate sustainable revenue."

Now the village's goal is to find developers. That search is expected to start in the next couple months when Choose DuPage - the county's public-private economic development group ­- hosts a developer expo for Winfield.

"This is kind of Winfield's first step," Spande said. "We can let developers know what we have and that we've got our act together."

Of course, Allen says getting proposals from developers won't help unless trustees are willing to approve those projects.

"We are going to see over the next two years if any action happens," he said.