advertisement

Proposed affordable housing program faces questions in Naperville

Naperville’s proposed affordable housing incentive program is facing questions from city council members, including two who said they would not support it.

An ordinance creating the program was on Tuesday’s council agenda for a first reading.

The affordable housing incentive program would offer developers a menu of incentives based on the amount of affordable housing included in their plans. Incentive options include increased density, decreases in parking or setback requirements, a waiver of the city’s brick requirements or park impact fees and increases in lot coverage or building heights.

City council members will vote on the proposal at their Nov. 19 meeting.

Under the proposed ordinance, city staff — not the city council — would have the final say on any of the incentives requested by a developer, provided the project already met zoning requirements.

For example, if a builder sought an increased building height or decreased parking requirements for a project, city staff could sign off on those waivers.

“It kind of takes away from what this council’s responsibility is,” Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli said. “We’re supposed to be looking out for our residents and making sure that the projects that come before us are right for the area they’re getting pushed into.”

Streamlining approval processes and allowing city staff to approve waivers helps reduce a developer’s risk, which in itself can be an obstacle to such projects, said Allison Laff, the city’s deputy director of transportation, engineering and development. She added that any projects that do not have proper zoning or require annexation would have to come before the city council for review, but the incentives would not be part of that review.

Wehrli and others said the city has seen an increase in affordable housing units since contracting with a consultant in 2019 to examine the city’s housing needs. Wehrli listed a number of projects, such as the Martin Avenue apartments or Polo Club, that include affordable housing.

Josh McBroom

“I don’t see a need for the ordinance,” Councilman Josh McBroom said.

Councilman Nate Wilson also said he would not support the ordinance. He said the city has had success on its own in attracting developments that include affordable housing.

Patrick Kelly

Councilman Patrick Kelly, however, cautioned that rejecting the program could send a message to developers that the city no longer wants such developments. He noted the council has had a consistent message of support for affordable housing.

“My concern is that if we don’t move forward with this program, that would send the exact opposite message to developers,” Kelly said.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.