Neighbors criticize 47 townhouse units proposed for Little Friends property in Naperville
The historic Kroehler mansion serves as the centerpiece of a developer's plan to construct 47 townhouse units on the Little Friends campus in Naperville.
Preserving the more than century-old house has been deemed a priority by community members and city officials, whose desires for the Wright Street property also have included a public park and rear-loaded garages, attorney Russ Whitaker said. Those requests have been incorporated into a revised redevelopment plan that is also financially feasible — a balance he says is only possible with more residential units than were previously proposed by contract purchaser Ram West Capital.
“Those are all the things that have been the rallying cry of the neighborhood,” Whitaker said. “(What) we're proposing is, I think, very respectfully done, and it really pays homage to the Kroehler mansion.”
But several neighbors and historic preservation commissioners voiced opposition to the project Thursday, saying its size, scope and density would not fit with the character of the city's historic district. Many said they feared the construction of 12 new townhouse buildings, each three-and-a-half stories tall, would appear monotonous and intrusive compared to the surrounding single-family homes.
“It is clear that this is not anywhere in keeping with the neighborhood,” commissioner Mark Urda said.
A request for a certificate of appropriateness for the Kroehler mansion and townhouse facades was shot down by the commission in a 5-3 vote. That denial can be appealed to the city council.
Members also voted 6-2 against a conditional townhouse use and variances pertaining to height, density and property setback. That negative recommendation now goes to the planning and zoning commission before final consideration by the city council.
Commissioner Emily Ory, who voted in favor of both measures, said she believes there needs to be a compromise, such as reducing the number of units or varying the height of the buildings. Any alternative proposal for the property — even single-family homes — would likely face just as much scrutiny because it won't blend with the rest of the subdivision, she said.
“In my opinion, we're always going to have this issue when there's new construction,” she said.
The nearly 4-acre block has never conformed with the surrounding residential properties, Whitaker said, pointing to its most recent use by the Little Friends disability services agency for decades.
The nonprofit has been trying to sell its legacy campus so it can relocate to a new facility in Warrenville that officials say is more suitable for serving its students.
Little Friends was granted permission by the city council to clear the site, allowing the property to be sold to its highest bidder. But council members later offered the agency a $450,000 incentive to sell the campus at a lower price to a developer who would save the Kroehler mansion.
Ram West Capital's initial plan for single-family houses and duplexes gave little thought to the mansion, other than pledging to preserve it, Whitaker said. Based on feedback from the community, he said, the developer revised its proposal to not only repurpose the structure into three townhouse units, but also to use it as the palette for building out the rest of the property.
“This is a great compromise that reflects everything we've heard,” said Patrick Skarr, a spokesman for Little Friends. “Little Friends is seeking closure of this chapter, and we want to leave our legacy property behind and do what we do best.”
The plans to restore and repurpose the mansion were supported by several neighbors Thursday — but not if it means foregoing historic district guidelines, said Tim Messer, a board member for the East Central Homeowners Organization.
If a downsized project can't be economically viable, he said, “the demolition of Kroehler mansion may be a better long-term solution for preserving the character of the neighborhood while permitting respectful new construction.”