Residents worry senior housing could cause flooding, more traffic

Roselle officials on Monday may decide the fate of a proposed 128-unit senior housing complex near the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway that has some neighbors worried about increased traffic and possible flooding.

The village's planning and zoning commission discussed the proposed Tall Grass Senior Living community last week at a meeting that attracted roughly 90 residents.

The panel voted unanimously to recommend the village deny plans for the complex, which would be built on four acres of a 41-acre site at the end of Poplar Avenue near a residential neighborhood.

Several residents fear such a development will aggravate flooding in an area already prone to standing water, said Patrick Watkins, Roselle director of community development. They also worry about additional traffic and the impact on roads because the project allows for new street access off Plum Grove Road.

The village board, meeting as a committee of the whole, will consider the plan Monday night at village hall, 31 S. Prospect St.

Village President Gayle Smolinski said she's studying whether the project fits the village's needs.

"The majority of the time we really listen to what the planning and zoning (commission) has done and take their recommendations very seriously," Smolinski said. "And a majority of the time we agree with them, though (the village board) has not had any pre-discussion on this subject."

Tall Grass Senior Living would feature 128 units for residents ages 50 and older, as well as a pool, fitness facility, parking accommodations and a multipurpose room. The land currently is zoned for manufacturing.

When 12M Partners Inc. approached the village with the senior living proposal about 18 months ago, Smolinski said she thought neighbors would prefer it over a manufacturing plant.

"It's a type of housing we currently don't have in Roselle," she said.

But some homeowners, like Tim Trudell of Medinah, whose home on Hawthorne Avenue is near the proposed site, said the current project is too bloated and likely to cause more problems than a manufacturing building. Trudell and his wife plan to speak out against the proposal at the April 13 meeting.

"It's going to cause a lot of traffic and make a lot of people's lives miserable," he said.