A controversial proposal to build homes in an area designated for a business park on Naperville’s southwest side has been withdrawn from further review and public hearings.
Paul Lehman, president and owner of The Macom Corp., decided to withdraw his plans for the 300-acre White Eagle Lakes development, which he proposed last year for two parcels north of 95th Street at Normantown Road. Indian Prairie District 204 officials were informed of the withdrawal at a meeting earlier this month.
The proposal drew opposition from Indian Prairie District 204 administrators and homeowners’ associations and neighboring business owners.
Lehman said he has withdrawn the plan because the Naperville Department of Community Development is about to hire an independent consultant to study appropriate land uses for the undeveloped acreage.
The City Council earlier this year directed members of its staff to review Naperville’s remaining 1,300 acres of open land within its planning boundaries on the southwest side. The study is expected to start in November and take at least six months, according to city staff.
“White Eagle Lakes has forced everyone to look at the comprehensive master land use plan for Sector G,” said Lehman, referring to Naperville’s southwest area for planning.
“We resolved as many issues as we could, but it wasn’t going anywhere … you can’t keep pushing one piece of the puzzle. It did bring the rest of Sector G into discussion.”
At issue for opponents of White Eagle Lakes was the attempt to build homes on land designated by city planners for a business park.
Officials of Indian Prairie District 204 had not anticipated additional children from the 124-acre parcel west of 248th Street.
The increasing tax burden on residents of the district has become a common theme during discussions about the district’s coming referendum question. The district this year is facing a $6 million shortfall in its education fund because of fast-paced residential growth and the state’s cap on raising property taxes.
In 1992, the tax base in District 204 was 64 percent residential and 36 percent non-residential, according to district statistics. In 2000, the tax base is 79 percent residential and 21 percent non-residential.
“We’re all just waiting to see how it works out,” said Howard Crouse, associate superintendent of District 204, about the review of Sector G. “It’s best that the plans are put on hold until the new master plan is put together.”
Crouse added that he thinks the withdrawal of the White Eagle Lakes plan is only temporary, pending the outcome of the study.
Lehman earlier this month also withdrew a second development planned for Sector G, described as an “active adult community” for 320 acres between 111th and 103rd Streets.
The two proposals together represented more than 600 acres, nearly half the open land in Sector G. That development also was planned for land designated for business uses, and so it also was opposed by the school district.
But the plans were withdrawn before the city held any public hearings.
“How does a developer follow through on his promise that there will be no children?” said Crouse. “And it takes away property from non-residential development.”
Lehman has maintained that these parcels are too far from transportation to attract a viable business campus.
Yet business owners in the area, like Jeff Wehrli, secretary of the Wheatland Business Association, said Lehman has helped create the transportation problems, which will only get worse.
“He took away our access to (Illinois Highway ) 59 when he closed 91st for White Eagle Club,” said Wehrli, president of Wehrli Excavating. “Now he wants to close 248th Street because he said that trucks aren’t compatible with children.”
Wehrli said members of the Wheatland Business Association would like more offices and warehouses in the area, which would boost the value of their own holdings on Normantown Road.
