Upscale St. Charles townhomes clear first hurdle
The St. Charles plan commission gave thumbs-up this week to a high-end residential and office development near downtown, despite objections from some nearby homeowners.
The project includes 28 duplexes and nine triplexes expected to range in price from $600,000 to $1 million on 38 acres known commonly as the Norris/Collins estate. The site is adjacent to Delnor Woods Park, between Route 25 and Persimmon Drive.
Plan Commission Chairman Todd Wallace said the developer, Lannert Group Inc. of Geneva, plans to demolish a nearby medical office and erect a 10,000-square-foot single-story office building in its place. In addition, builders agreed to put up an attached two-story building with apartments that qualify under the city's affordable housing initiative.
To the south, along Collins Circle and Route 25, there will be eight lots ranging in size from 1.5 to 2 acres targeted for single-family houses expected to cost $2 million to $6 million. Wallace said the townhouses will be roughly 3,600 square feet each and surrounded by "a lot of green space," pedestrian paths, six ponds and a large storm-water detention area.
"I think it's going to be a beautiful development," Wallace said Wednesday, a day after the panel voted 5-0 to recommend city council approval.
The recommendation came as a blow to Rebecca Morency, who lives southeast of the site on 11th Avenue, and other homeowners who opposed the development.
Morency said the city is giving developers too much leeway by agreeing to zoning changes that could set the tone for future projects.
"I'm concerned this will now become the new precedent," she said.
The project still needs approval from the city council to become reality. Officials also must finalize a developer land donation, or potential land swap, with the park district and hammer out how much the school district will receive in impact fees.
Wallace said city officials are aware of opposition.
"It's not going to be a win-win for everybody," he said, "but I think they'll be surprised when they see what this development is going to look like."