Empty nesters could find new rentals in south Naperville
A subdivision of 60 ranch-style townhouses targeted at empty nesters who want to stay in Naperville could be coming to the far south side of the city.
Members of the city's planning and zoning commission and the senior task force praised the subdivision planned for the northwest corner of 111th Street and 248th Avenue for meeting a housing need among older adults.
"I think this proposed development fulfills a growing need in Naperville," said Jim Hill, 63, a member of the city's senior task force. "The design appeals specifically to seniors like me who want to stay in Naperville. Like a lot of seniors, I'll be ready to move out of my two-story, four-bedroom home."
With the unanimous recommendation of the planning and zoning commission, the 10-acre development soon will be considered by the city council. To gain approval, the land must be rezoned from commercial to a medium-density multifamily residential classification.
The site near Crone Middle School and Commissioner's Park is bordered on two sides by other residential developments. It was zoned commercial when the land was annexed into the city in 2004 as part of a 370-acre package.
Kasey Evens of the city's planning services team said staff members support rezoning because nothing commercial has developed on the site in more than a decade. Any retail built there would struggle to compete against all the shopping options on nearby Route 59.
"There is an oversupply, in many cases, of retail, and I think the Route 59 corridor is a prime example," said Russ Whitaker, an attorney representing Blue Napervillas LLC, the Michigan-based ownership group proposing the townhouses.
The townhouses would be built in 14 buildings of either four or five units, with three designs alternating throughout the subdivision, Whitaker said. Each unit would be roughly 1,300 square feet with a two-car garage and built on a slab without any steps up or down to enter the living area.
Exact rents have not been determined, but they likely would be in the ballpark of $2,000 a month, Whitaker said.
Karen Courney, co-chairwoman of the senior task force, encouraged the developer to work to make the units affordable for those on fixed incomes, although she acknowledged the definition of "affordable" varies.
The rent might be a bit high, said Timothy Messer, vice chairman of the planning and zoning commission, but the development still had his support and the approval of the rest of the panel.
"There is certainly a need for empty nesters who are aging and may not want to buy," Messer said. "I appreciate this more than the higher-end townhouses and duplexes that are targeted at empty nesters but are out of reach of much of the population."