Plank Road plans find opposition

The potential for commercial development near Plank Road on Naperville's northeast side has sparked concern among nearby residents and councilmen alike.

City planners are calling for residential uses for most of the 136 acres in their Plank Road Study, but left open the possibility of commercial development just northwest of Plank Road and Naper Boulevard near the Ogden Avenue retail corridor.

The proposal didn't go over well with everyone.

"I believe commercial would only erode that character and quality of life that's in that area today," Councilman Paul Hinterlong said.

The Plank Road Study updates part of a 1998 plan and includes unincorporated properties near Plank Road from Columbia heading northeast to the area just east of Naper Boulevard. The majority of the study area is either single-family residences or vacant.

Community planner Amy Emery said staff is recommending the area west of Naper Boulevard and north of Plank Road be a mix of residential, office and limited commercial uses because of the visibility of the high-volume traffic on Ogden and Naper. Planners recommend any nonresidential development have a residential style, be one to two stories tall and have landscape to screen it from nearby residences.

Several neighbors and councilmen spoke out against the idea Tuesday.

"I think it would totally destroy the initial intent of (Naper) Boulevard as a thoroughfare to move traffic past the Burlington tracks," said John Gorey, who has lived in the area for 25 years.

Others expressed concern about density, the removal of trees and flooding.

Councilman Doug Krause called commercial development inappropriate.

"The traffic it's going to generate is going to be horrendous," he said.

Allison Laff, operations manager with the city's planning team, tried to assure them commercial use is not intended to be the dominant land use in the area, just an option the city could allow sparingly.

In other recommendations, planners are calling for rural estates on the east side of the study area while the remaining areas, with the exception of a utilities site, are recommended to be low or medium density residential.

The planning process for the study began in May 2009 and included several open houses for residents to give input. The city's plan commission recommends approval of the study.

Councilmen will continue to discuss the Plank Road Study when they meet June 1. It can be viewed at www.naperville.il.us/plankroadstudy.aspx.