Developer treads slowly on Oakbrook Terrace plan

Big projects require long explanations.

Thursday's DuPage County zoning board of appeals meeting provided the first opportunity for developers of a massive multiuse proposal near Oakbrook Terrace to plead their case. They took up nearly all three hours allotted with their presentation.

Developers are being so thorough due to the amount of resistance they are receiving from opponents who were also able to grill some of the developer's experts Thursday at the county complex in Wheaton. More objections will be heard at the board's next meeting Tuesday when the board could vote whether to recommend or reject the proposal.

The Lakes of Royce Renaissance project would rest on roughly 82 acres of open land between Butterfield Road and 16th Street. The property was voluntarily deannexed from Oakbrook Terrace in late 2007 after years of battles between the city and property owner Robert Krilich over its use. Krilich gained notoriety after being imprisoned in 1995 for rigging a hole-in-one contest to pay off a bribe to then-Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Richard Sarallo's son. He was released from federal prison in 2006.

Krilich is seeking to get the parcel rezoned to allow multifamily housing as well as commercial use.

The majority of the parcel would be developed as residential with a variety of townhouse and condominium construction planned, including housing aimed at senior citizens. About a quarter of the parcel would be developed for commercial use and half of that would be set aside for a 302-room Holiday Inn hotel project, according to Thursday's testimony.

The development would require a number of variances, including parking and setback deviations from county law. Much of the development's parking would be underground or underneath the buildings. The developers also pointed out that setback of adjacent buildings are less than what they are requesting. Opponents complain the project is too dense and would create storm water issues and add to congestion on Butterfield Road, which is the only way in and out of the development.

Critics are also concerned about the height of some of the buildings, which would top out at 235 feet. But developers note those buildings are more than 800 feet from the nearest residential property.

Opponents consist of Oakbrook Terrace, the city's park district and some residents from adjacent neighborhoods.

Park district officials complained the development's proposed dedicated park land would be located in an adjacent park district even though 80 percent of Krilich's property is in the Oakbrook Terrace Park District.

There are some residential neighbors who favor Krilich's proposal because it would likely thwart plans by Oakbrook Terrace to open roadways that would add more traffic through their neighborhood. Officials from Villa Park have also expressed an interest in eventually annexing the property.

Objections: Building height, traffic top concerns