Divided St. Charles council approves plans for $1.9 million rowhomes
St. Charles officials have greenlit plans for an eight-unit duplex development on South First Street in the city’s downtown, and construction could begin this year for units expected to be priced over $1 million.
The city council approved the development in a split vote, despite several holdouts who said they didn’t want existing trees removed from the vacant site.
Alderperson Mark Foulkes said while he shares some of the same hesitations as other council members, he is in favor of getting the project started.
“The fact that that place has sat there for so long underdeveloped … I’m very appreciative of what you guys are trying to do, so we can finish out that land on First Street,” Foulkes said. “As long as you have the confidence that this can get started and get completed … I think that’s a good thing for the city.”
St. Charles developer J&B Builders Inc. plans to build an eight-unit duplex development, called River 504 Rowhomes, at the northeast corner of South First and Prairie streets.
J&B representatives Julie Salyers and Brian Buoy said each unit is expected to cost upward of $1.9 million, and they intend to pay a $14,687 fee instead of providing affordable units.
The project includes four buildings, each with four stories, on the last remaining vacant lot of the Brownstone planned unit development on South First Street downtown.
The approved plan includes conditions that brick pavers are used in place of cement sidewalks along First Street without trees and the existing trees are replaced with the largest locally grown trees possible.
Development plans for the area, approved in 2001, includes the Brownstone townhomes along the riverfront and the mixed-use Milestone Row building along South First Street, just north of the planned River 504 site.
The proposal also calls for 15 diagonal public parking spaces along the east side of South First Street. Developers would also be responsible for connecting the Prairie Street sidewalk to the riverwalk.
The sticking point for council members who voted against the project was the plan to remove mature trees from the southwest corner of the site.
“St. Charles is a tree city and I just have trouble removing mature trees when there are other options to do it,” Alderpeson Ronald Silkaitis said. “If there were no other options, I’d probably agree, but we do have options to relocate the lines, so I wouldn’t be in favor of this unless we can keep the trees.”
During a Planning and Development Committee meeting Sept. 8, developers and city staff said removing the trees is the most efficient way to install sanitary sewer lines.
“If we’re required to redesign the sanitary line, it’s going to be very difficult to start the project before the year ends and the weather changes. This will impact the whole project,” Salyers said. “We have a couple prospective buyers and if our pricing increases, which it likely will, it could make it not viable.”