A 171-unit townhouse subdivision called NorthGate of Naperville is being planned for a site once proposed for a hockey arena near Route 59 and Interstate 88.
Naperville Planning and Zoning commissioners last week reviewed the M/I Homes project, which calls for the transformation of 25 vacant acres filled with scrub brush into a neighborhood of 2- and 3-story townhouses along the I-88 corridor.
But the site’s location at 2255 Monarch Drive, at the northwest corner of Ferry Road and Comfort Drive, is raising some issues for city staff.
Anna Franco, a member of the city’s planning services team, said staff is concerned about the inconsistency of the proposed single-family attached housing with the site’s designation in the land use master plan. The future use for the property calls for a “regional center,” and Franco said townhouse-style units are not listed as a primary or supporting use within that designation.
Townhouse buyers would live near the Monarch Landing senior community to the west, but may not appreciate being adjacent to the Prairie Point business park east of the site, where Franco said the city has supported “intensification” of industrial uses in the past and “will continue to do so as requests are received.”
“Multifamily is more consistent with the plan and better suited to the surrounding development pattern,” Franco said.
Commission members, however, heard M/I Homes’ explanation of how the proposed townhouses would provide an appropriate transition between surrounding uses, and said they agree. The commission unanimously endorsed the proposal, which will head to the Naperville City Council for future consideration.
The NorthGate of Naperville subdivision would include 32 townhouse buildings with a maximum height of 35 feet. Greg Collins, director of land acquisition for M/I Homes, said this falls well below the 60-foot height of the hockey arena that had been proposed for the site in 2018, before those plans fell through.
Subdivision plans call for 10 acres of open space, including 3.4 acres for a Naperville Park District park and playground site. The new neighborhood would have 779 total parking spaces for residents and guests in garages, driveways and streets.
“We certainly believe that a townhome use here will not only be compatible but will enhance the area,” project attorney Eric Prechtel said. “We do believe that the proposed development will provide the area with a complementary and cohesive use in this important location.”
Commissioner Allison Longenbaugh praised another component of the plan, called “visitability.” M/I Homes has designed 25% of the NorthGate units to meet visitability standards, which help people with disabilities gain access through features such as zero-step entry, wide doorways and first-floor bathrooms.
The subdivision also could help support the I-88 corridor by providing housing for people working nearby jobs, Collins said.
“While staff acknowledges the development would expand the city’s housing supply, it’s a market-rate development and does not include an affordability component,” Franco said.
If the proposal gains council approval, Franco said staff recommends the developer “provide a disclosure noting that future redevelopment intensification is permitted in accordance with city’s land use master plan” at the industrial park to the east.
Commissioner Derek McDaniel called this disclosure “a great idea to alleviate any issues” and said he’s in support of the development. Others on the panel agreed.
This site “has been vacant and underutilized for decades,” Commissioner Meghna Bansal said. “Overall, I find the proposal to be a positive development opportunity, and I support the requested approvals.”
Marie Wilson is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
