Above / The Public Hearing for the Avenida Senior Living project continues beginning at 7PM Wed., Feb. 15, at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, held at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street.
By 7:15PM on Wed., Jan. 18, two public hearings before the Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission had resulted in two positive outcomes—one for the Naperville Park District Maintenance Facility and the other for River Main. Members of the commission approved parking in the “required front yard for the property at 427 Martin Avenue.” Eight Plan Commissioners also approved a request from developer Steve Rubin “to establish a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and a Preliminary/Final PUD Plat for River Main” along Water Street at Main Street in downtown Naperville. Both proposals now go to the City Council for final approval.
Above / (Updated photo the morning after Plan Commission approval) River Main, a proposed 4-story (52′ 8″) mixed-use development, is planned to fill the vacant property at the west end of the Water Street District across the street from Moser Plaza at Main Street.
The third hearing on the agenda was a proposal for the Avenida Senior Living project, located on the south corner of Mill Street and Commons Road. The hearing attracted roughly 40 residents from neighboring subdivisions Cress Creek and Century Farms, many of whom voiced their opinions and concerns about the 55-age-restricted living facility, the first of its kind in Naperville.
Commissioners urge homeowners and petitioners to meetÂ
The petitioner seeks approval to rezone the 6.6 acre parcel to Office, Commercial and Industrial (OCI) District upon annexation. In addition, the request seeks conditional uses for the 175-unit multi-family dwelling as well as to establish “a planned unit development and approval of a Preliminary PUD Plat with deviations to reduce the required lot area and the required number of off-street parking spaces.”
Most of the residents in attendance were unfamiliar with the project until recently, many of whom said they were not given notice of previous community meetings held in recent months.
After the comprehensive presentation by attorney Russ Whitaker for the petitioner, it was noted that more than 25 residents had signed up to speak. Most expressed concerns about height, density, bulk, parking, accessibility and landscaping during nearly 90 minutes to address the commission. Repeatedly, homeowners were urged only to offer new objections or comments of support when they expressed a wide range of views.
Above / Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission listened to the petitioner and public comments for more than 90 minutes before extending the public hearing until Feb. 15, 2017. Meanwhile residents are urged to find out more about the project.
Without taking a vote on the proposal, Commission Chairman Kamala Martinez and commissioners supported keeping the public hearing open until Feb. 15, 2017, so the petitioner and the homeowners could meet to work out their differences and “scale back” the plan. Homeowners were urged “to take action” with their suggestions and objections to the project as presented at the Jan. 18, 2017 Planning and Zoning Commission.
Since lists of homeowners’ addresses and emails are kept private by homeowners’ associations, considerable time was spent regarding how best to notify residents with information about the project and subsequent meetings. Residents noted not everyone uses social media or checks email daily.
View the Jan. 18, 2017, Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting
Watch the presentation with public input saved in the City’s archive, featured around the clock at Jan. 18, 2017, Planning and Zoning Commission.  Members of the subdivisions in close proximity to the development are urged to pay attention and follow times for community presentations before the next meeting at 7PM Wed., Feb. 15, 2017.
According to the City’s website, “The purpose of the Planning and Zoning Commission is to maintain the city’s Master Plan–a blueprint of future growth needs. The Planning and Zoning Commission conducts public hearings on a variety of land use matters, including variances, conditional uses, planned unit developments, and subdivisions, as well as updates to the city’s Zoning Ordinance (Title 6 of the Municipal Code).”
Also note the City saves public meetings such as City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, Transportation Advisory Board and workshops for public viewing at any time. Click here for Archives of City Meetings.
Editor’s Note / We are reminded of a time about 20 years ago when a developer wanted to reach residents in our subdivision. In a spirit of cooperation, a few volunteers from our homeowners group accepted envelopes stuffed with letters and stamped from the petitioner, then affixed labels and mailed them to our residents.Â
