St. Charles talks possible annexation for 400-apartment complex

St. Charles's far eastern border could become home to more than 400 multifamily residences, a project neighboring West Chicago is urging city officials to deny.

Owners of 27 acres of property off Smith Road want St. Charles aldermen to annex the land into the city. That would help facilitate the eventual development of the land. The owner, Al Petkus, has hired engineers to show the property could accommodate a maximum of 416 apartments or condos in buildings stretching as high as four stories. Those residents would become the new neighbors for residents in the adjacent Kingswood and Pheasant Run Trails subdivisions in St. Charles and the Cornerstone Lakes subdivision in West Chicago.

West Chicago Alderman Noreen Ligino-Kubinski told St. Charles officials Monday night that those Cornerstone Lakes residents don't welcome an apartment or condo development of that size. They would accept a development with less density, such as something involving housing for senior citizens.

That request was a little ahead of the proposal presented to St. Charles aldermen Monday night. The only answers the current owner sought was if St. Charles would consider annexing his property and giving it a zoning designation allowing a development of more than 400 residential units.

Most aldermen said they would be open to annexing in the property. They would only do so, however, while retaining full control over whatever residential project the eventual developer would propose.

That control would include limiting the density of any proposed residential development. Several aldermen said they would not support 400-plus apartments or condos. However, they might look upon a residential development with a similarly high density if a fair portion of the housing was designated for senior living or a similar age restriction.

Whatever development eventually comes to the property must include a 300-foot buffer to neighbors to the north and an additional 30-foot landscape buffer along that entire northern border. Representatives for Petkus said that shouldn't pose a problem. Indeed, the required buffer would accommodate a drainage solution for neighbors who currently sit in a low point and see water flow to their property from the surrounding 230-plus acres. All St. Charles aldermen agreed better drainage in the area would benefit all the surrounding neighborhoods.

The next step would be formal consideration of an annexation request via a vote by aldermen. That vote will come when an official annexation request comes forward. Monday's discussion was only to provide the land owner feedback on the concept of an annexation.