Bartlett to consider plan for 98 townhouses on land in now unincorporated DuPage County
Bartlett planning and zoning commissioners will consider a proposed 98-unit townhouse development on 19 acres on the west side of South Bartlett Road between the Durwood Forest subdivision and Canadian National Railway tracks on Sept. 3.
But village trustees, staff and a couple of neighbors shared some initial thoughts and concerns about the Hawk Ridge subdivision at a committee meeting this week before the plan was forwarded to the commission.
As the land is in unincorporated DuPage County, the development’s requirements include annexation and rezoning by Bartlett.
The project is a partnership between the main applicant, Bridge Street Properties, and builder Pulte Home Company.
Neighbors Paul Walsh and Mike Lurquin, who both live on Appletree Lane to the north, expressed concerns about tree line removal, flood plain control, an increase in traffic and the erosion of the rural feel their families sought in Bartlett.
“I am against this,” Lurquin said. “I don’t really foresee a good thing for my neighborhood from having this right across from me.”
Bartlett Planning and Development Services Director Kristy Stone addressed the myriad issues raised.
“There is a significant change in grade on the property from west to east, so there will be a large detention area along South Bartlett Road,” she said. “The far west side of the property is where they’re proposing a park. So those homes on Appletree would be backing up to open space. The petitioner is proposing about a 50-foot setback along that north property line.”
Stone added some trees will be removed for the installation of utilities, but the landscape buffering plan for the north property line far exceeds what’s required. The amount of guest parking will nearly double what the village demands.
The entire site is planned to be 51% open space, while the park to the west would be nearly two acres.
The park district will consider receiving either a land or cash donation from the developer, but the park already is part of the plan. If the park district wants a cash donation instead, the park would be maintained by the homeowners association, Stone said.
Village President Dan Gunsteen said if the park district takes the money instead, the developer should know the village and existing neighbors wouldn’t want any more mature trees than necessary to be removed just to create open space at the park.
“I think they’ve become accustomed to the landscaping and the buffering that are currently there,” he said of the residents he’d spoken with.
All the townhouses would be two stories with front-loading garages, in contrast to a concept plan presented last year made up of 50 two-story, front-loading units and 50 three-story, rear-loading units.
The townhouses will range from 1,883 to 2,508 square feet with three or four bedrooms, 2½ to 3½ bathrooms and two-car garages, divided among three-, four- and five-unit buildings.
The planning and zoning commission will only make a recommendation that will be part of the village board’s later consideration for final approval.
epeterson@dailyherald.com