Residents of the Arbor Ridge subdivision turned out in force to a recent Montgomery Plan Commission meeting to voice their opposition to a proposed sports facility in the village.
The plans are for a domed soccer facility on 13 acres at 170 Montgomery Road. The facility would consist of an outdoor field and a dome with sports fields on the inside.
Planning Commission members said the area is zoned residential which is why the developer would need a special use to build the Don Bosco Sports Complex.
Residents showed up at the meeting after some received certified letters from the village regarding the public hearing on the project.
“I am opposed. I appreciate your desire to build something for children to play in but this is not the right location,” said resident Kelly Palacios.
Resident Mark Strassburger said it was a great sounding project, “but this is the wrong area. We already have an overcrowded field and garbage blowing into our yards.”
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Ronald Kuhlmann, engineer for the project, said once the structure is up and operating an additional parking lot will be needed.
“There will be 300 people coming each day for tournaments. A lot of them will come on a bus and then the parents in cars. I have already looked at their property, they can add additional parking,” he said.
“There are going to be three to four soccer fields on the inside. Have you looked at any other location in the village besides this?,” asked Plan Commission member Tom Yakaitas.
Plan Commission member Patrick Kelsey had questions for the developer concerning the site.
“Have you addressed the drainage? Have you begun conversations with the Kane County Department of Transportation about the widening of Montgomery Road?,” he asked.
He said he thinks the project is fine, but the site isn’t.
“We need this,” he said. “It is a really cool thing but on this site at that location I have a hard time with it.”
“There are a lot of engineering issues and they didn’t come prepared to address those issues,” he said. “The people who live in the neighborhoods deserve safe roadways… As it is currently configured it can’t meet the parking, storm water and flood plain needs. If that is the case I think it is important they go back and look at the plan and make it work or consider another site.”
Commissioner Tom Betsinger said he thought the idea was a great one but was also concerned about the site.
“For the kids to participate in, it’s function is really just a way to get kids in the building during the winter,” he said. “My concern is it is so deficient in parking. This isn’t going to do it. It will overflow into the neighborhood block by block. We need this, it is a cool thing but on this site at that location I have a hard time with it. I think what you are trying to do is amazing, but not at that site.”
The commission sent a recommendation against the plan to the Village Board, which may discuss it later this month.
Judy Pochel is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.