The Aurora City Council this week delayed consideration of a proposed townhome development near Eola Road at the site of the former WBIG and WMRO radio stations.
It is the second delay involving the proposed 54-unit townhouse development on the 22-acre site off Old Eola Road, which runs just to the west of Eola Road. The delay comes as developers, the city and nearby residents try to work out solutions to objections to the development, particularly from those living in the about 20-home Riverstone subdivision.
“I think we will get to a point where everyone’s generally happy, that we will get to some kind of resolution,” said Ald. Brandon Tolliver, 7th Ward. “That is my hope.”
The 54 units would be between 1,883 square feet and 2,508 square feet with three and four bedrooms.
Development officials have said the proposed subdivision plan has been configured to fit into a small, specific space, and includes a lot of landscaping, screening from neighboring residences and plans to try to improve traffic conditions.
But residents nearby, not only in Riverstone but also in the Aventine at Oakhurst North Apartments, have said the townhomes would be shoehorned into their neighborhoods and back yards, also causing more traffic problems along busy Eola Road.
One Riverside resident, Greg Bolger, has said that Buildings 2 and 3 in the planned subdivision are very close to his house and that of a neighbor. He also this week restated past concerns about the added traffic to Waterstone Drive, which is the only access point for the subdivision, out onto Eola Road.
Because of heavy traffic along Eola, compounded by a median on the roadway right at Waterstone, making a left turn is difficult. Interstate 88, Metea Valley High School and Granger Middle School are all north of Waterstone, making it necessary for many people to make left turns onto Eola, he said.
Residents were backed up in their comments by the traffic engineer for the developer, Pulte Homes.
Bolger expressed concerns about what might happen to the value of his property if the development is built.
“Between the egress nightmare and having houses so close to my back yard, I’m sure our house value will go down,” he said.
Tolliver and Ald. Ron Woerman, at large, have been talking to residents and the developer about changes that could be made, and aldermen this week voted to delay a vote on the development plan to keep discussions going.
“Some of the residents would appreciate the opportunity to suggest alternatives to the development being proposed,” Woerman said.
Caitlin Csuk, an attorney representing Pulte, said the DuPage County Department of Transportation has already said traffic counts do not warrant a stoplight at Waterstone and Eola, both due to traffic counts and the number of accidents at the intersection.
But she added that developers “are certainly sympathetic to the residents with respect to this intersection.”
The developer has already said it would widen Waterstone to put in separate right- and left-turn lanes, and would even build a second right out only street to Eola.
She also said the developer is “happy to keep putting pressure on DuPage County for some improvements at this intersection.”
“We want to work together, we want to work with the city, we also want to work with the residents,” she said.
In addition to having the subdivision plans before it, the City Council also has a request for rezoning the property R-4 residential zoning. It currently is zoned M-1 manufacturing, which prompted Csuk to point out that the landowners could always come back with a plan for a much more intense, manufacturing use on the property.
“It could generate even more traffic,” she said. “We think this is the highest and best use of the land.”
The plan could next be considered at the Nov. 26 regular City Council meeting.
slord@tribpub.com
