Fifth Ave. study gets Naperville council OK
Naperville is keeping its options open when it comes to future developments near the downtown train station.
City councilmen this week gave their approval to the Fifth Avenue Study, which calls for "mixed use" land designations for most of the area. That could include offices, neighborhood retail and residential components.
In addition to land use, the study also looked at commuter parking, transportation and streetscape in the area. It is meant to guide future development.
Planners focused on the area around the Metra station and both sides of Washington Street between Benton and Ogden avenues.
The area was last studied in 1998. Since that time the city's public works facility that was once near the train station has moved to the west side of town.
Councilmen said the mixed use designation for the area will give them flexibility in considering future development.
"Being a former resident of this neighborhood, it's eclectic, a little bit of this and a little bit of that," Councilman Grant Wehrli said. "So you can't just stamp it and say this is what you should put here because it is different street by street, even block by block."
Councilman Richard Furstenau, the lone "no" in an 8-1 vote, said he had reservations about not having a better definition of what mixed use will entail. He also believes area should be a "transportation hub" dedicated to helping residents get to and from Chicago.
The city plans to amend its zoning ordinances to define a mixed-use zoning district and will set rules for things like building size and permitted land use. The public will have additional chances to comment during that process.
To improve transportation near the train station, the city plans to conduct a feasibility study for a bus depot. Councilmen and residents alike have pushed to keep buses from lining up on neighborhood streets.
The city will also request development proposals for the Kroehler Lot and former public works site east of the train station in hopes of finding creative ideas for the two sites that incorporate both development and commuter parking.
While staff had originally proposed a parking garage near the train station, councilmen have shown little support for asking taxpayers to foot the bill. However, the city may eventually explore a public/private partnership for additional commuter parking.
Councilman Jim Boyajian and Robert Fieseler were among those Tuesday who said the city should be encouraging people to park remotely instead of adding to the congestion near the station.
In addition to traffic issues, the height of future developments has been a concern of nearby residents. The recommended heights in the study councilmen approved call for a maximum of 43 feet along Washington Street and the block of Ellsworth just south of the tracks. A 50-foot maximum would apply to the block of Center Street just south of the tracks and the Boecker property north of the tracks.
The height of developments on the Kroehler Lot and public works site would be determined as the city requests development proposals.