The Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission recently voted 5-2 to recommend denial of a concept plan for a residential development near the Fox River.
Rigut Dgubgra, a representative of Naperville-based Property Addon, and Carrie Hanson, director of planning and government services at Oswego-based Schoppe Design Associates, on behalf of the developer, were seeking preliminary concept review of a proposal to build 20 townhomes and 40 condominiums on about 6.7 acres of vacant land on the east side of Route 31 just north of River Run Boulevard near the Fox River.
The property is directly adjacent to the Fox River in an area designated as a downtown district. The site would require annexation to the village and rezoning, village officials said.
The majority of the commission had concerns over the proposal’s density and potential impact on surrounding residential properties.
Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Charlie Pajor suggested commissioners consider a motion to recommend a concept plan with reduced density of about four to five units per acre rather than a density of 8.95 units per acre. However, the motion failed for a lack of a second.
The developer proposes to build the townhome units in five buildings on the west side of the site near Route 31.
The condominium building would be located to the east closer to the Fox River, village officials said.
Half of the condo units would directly face the river while the others would face west towards the rest of the development, village officials said.
“We recognize this is the first project west of the river, east of Route 31 to propose a development that is consistent with the downtown district vision,” Hanson told commissioners.
“It is for that reason, we want your feedback,” she said, adding the proposed uses are “consistent” with the village’s 2015 comprehensive plan downtown district designation and its goal to generate population within walking distance to retail stores and restaurants.
“The current size of the downtown is constrained, and the comprehensive plan recognizes this and expanded the geographic footprint of the downtown,” she said.
The village’s comprehensive plan “envisions the Fox River at the center of the expanded downtown, tying Village Hall and new development to the west and the historic district core to the east,” Hanson said. “We feel our proposed use is consistent with this aspirational goal.”
The proposed concept plan “creates a highly desirable residential project overlooking the Fox River,” she said.
The proposed density of 8.95 units per acre is consistent with a traditional townhome development, Hanson said. Approximately 37% of the site would remain open space, she said.
Commissioners were concerned with the impact of the proposed development on single-family homeowners to the north, south and west.
“This seems to be another development that is out of place,” commissioner Justin Sather said, adding he would rather see three large homes built on the site. “It’s probably the most beautiful part of Oswego.”
Hanson said “the comprehensive plan identifies this entire area for downtown district development. We looked at it in terms of the village’s desire to create density and a population base near the downtown.
“The direction we took was from the village’s own plan,” she said.
“If this isn’t the way the village wants to go, it’s good that we learn that now before the developer invests more time and money in developing a more detailed plan or neighbors worry over a concept plan that does not have support at the village level,” Hanson said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
