Apartment complex project proposed near Fox River in St. Charles clears plan commission

Shaw Local News Network

Over the objections of neighboring residents, the St. Charles plan commission voted 5-3 on Tuesday to recommend approval of plans for a five-story building proposed near the Fox River in downtown St. Charles that would house one- and two-bedroom apartments along with retail space.

The River East Lofts project is proposed to be built at the southeast corner of Illinois and Riverside avenues on the site of the former St. Charles Chamber of Commerce building. Developer Curt Hurst and his son Conrad own Frontier Development, which has been involved in several projects in downtown St. Charles.

Voting against the project were plan commission Chairman Peter Vargulich and commissioners Karen Hibel and Jeffrey Funke. St. Charles aldermen will now review the proposal.

The latest plans call for 43 total residential units, including 27 one-bedroom apartments and 16 two-bedroom apartments. Previous plans called for 48 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

The building would be 59 feet, 8 inches tall. But the zoning district for the area allows for a maximum building height of only 50 feet.

Vargulich voiced several concerns about the plan.

"You still have sidewalks adjacent to curbs, and you have your higher traffic volumes on Illinois and on Riverside," he said. "From a pedestrian standpoint, that's not improved."

Commissioner Laura Macklin-Purdy was one of the five commissioners who supported the plans and their "creative and efficient use of land."

"This development will enhance the landscape of the Fox River by creating a beautiful gateway to our downtown," she said. "... It is imperative that we focus our efforts on supporting the businesses that have already invested in St. Charles by supporting the economic viability and providing a much-needed diversity of housing in our downtown area. The apartment sector is a necessary category of a healthy downtown housing inventory, which is currently underrepresented."

Commissioners Colleen Wiese, Suzanne Melton, Zachary Ewoldt and Laurel Moad also recommended approval of the plans.

Several residents and nearby business owners spoke out against the project, including Janet Foster, owner of Wilson Travel and Cruise, located near the project.

"My office window faces the project in question," Foster told commissioners. "The biggest concern I have is the density. To dump that many people in that tiny spot, I think, does not work, period. It's just way too many people for the street. Those are small neighborhood streets. They are not big runways."

"And allowing a variance to make a building go higher so that you can jam more people in there, I think, makes no sense and is not in the best interest of anyone," she added.

In talking about the project, Curt Hurst had told plan commissioners the proposed development will "better add to the diversity of available housing options within the city, while having less impact on the city's resources than a conforming use, including parking, infrastructure, schools and traffic."

The project is set to generate $225,000 a year in new taxes for the city, Hurst said.

"We think that's a significant opportunity for the city," he said.

The project calls for Indiana Avenue to be vacated, which Hurst said will create many opportunities.

"The vacation of Indiana allows us to create a more cohesive open space experience than currently exists," Hurst said.

He said a traffic study determined that the street's closure will have little to no impact.