Naperville still debating 75th Street proposal

The Naperville City Council will take a few more weeks to study controversial guidelines for future land use along 75th Street.

Councilmen did not reach an agreement late Tuesday as they discussed the recommendations from city planners for a mix of commercial, residential and office uses along the corridor.

For residents and councilmen alike, the main issue has been whether commercial development would be appropriate in light of the fact that it is a high-traffic area or whether adding commercial development would be a detriment to residents in the area.

Last year, planners began a study of 75th Street, between Washington Street on the west and Palomino Drive to the east, with the goal of updating the previous land-use plan from 1998.

The two major areas in the study that have sparked the most debate have been 75th Street and Wehrli Road and 75th Street and Naper Boulevard.

At the southeast and southwest corners of 75th and Wehrli, planners are recommending "transitional" land use, the intent of which has caused confusion among councilmen and residents alike. Community planner Rory Fancler said the area could accommodate a variety of uses, including residential, offices or neighborhood convenience retail.

Fancler said because much of the land along 75th Street is unincorporated, the city will have oversight as to future zoning and land use through the annexation process.

A developer already has submitted a proposal for the East Naperville Commons retail center at the southwest corner of 75th and Wehrli that would be anchored by Walgreens. The council will consider the proposal separately as early as next month.

For the area southwest of 75th and Naper, staff recommends "mixed use." Fancler said the primary use would be residential with commercial or office developments being secondary. The nonresidential developments would be located along 75th Street.

Councilmen Doug Krause, John Rosanova and Richard Furstenau all expressed concern about the intersection of 75th and Naper being mixed use.

Krause said he fears adding commercial development would increase traffic congestion and the accident rate.

"I don't want to see 75th Street in Naperville turn into like 75th Street in Downers Grove or Darien, where all of a sudden you've got commercial on both sides of the street because that's the highest and best use," Krause said. "They come in and say, 'Well, it's just a plan. It's flexible.' And, unfortunately, you're going to see this turning into commercial."

But Councilman James Boyajian said he supports planners' recommendations and said commercial uses are appropriate on major arterial roads.

"The fact that you've got 55,000 cars a day going up and down 75th Street is a hard thing for me to overlook and a hard thing for me to suggest that with that type of traffic ... that we need to freeze this in time for residential," he said.

The city's plan commission recently reviewed the recommendations and concurred with most except with the exception that two parcels at the northwest and northeast corners of 75th and Oxford Lane be designated as low density residential and that Oxford Lane be closed at 75th Street.

City staff does not concur with closing Oxford Lane. Several councilmen, including Boyajian, Furstenau and Kenn Miller, also do not want to see it closed.

The council is expected to continue the discussion during its Oct. 7 meeting.