The Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission has unanimously recommended approval of a concept plan for a development which would include multi-family and single-family homes, a commercial area and possible commuter parking for a proposed Oswego Metra station.
The development, called Tuscany Station, is proposed for 98.3 acres on the west side of Orchard Road north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway.
The property abuts the BNSF rail line and is a potential location for a Metra commuter rail station, village officials said.
The Oswego Village Board in March 2015 locked in a purchase of a 15-acre parcel for a future Metra commuter parking lot at the northwest corner of Orchard Road and Mill Street. A Metra lot would go on that property if a commuter station is built.
The plan calls for 20 acres of multi-family housing with approximately 320 units, 4.3 acres of commercial area, 12.4 acres of mixed-use development including another 124 to 248 housing units and 10,000 to 20,000 square feet of commercial space, 22 acres of single-family housing with approximately 76 lots and a commuter parking lot that would accommodate an estimated 1,769 vehicles, Oswego Village Planner Natalie Zine said in a report to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The concept plan also includes nearly 3 acres of wetlands and 2 acres of park space, she said. The property is currently zoned for limited manufacturing and single-family residences.
“Based on the adjacent residential uses, the potential for the Metra station, the adjacency to Orchard Road and previously approved concept plan designs for this area, staff feels this mix of higher density residential uses mixed with commercial/retail is generally appropriate and would fit the character of the site and serve the community’s future needs,” Zine said in her report.
The site is designated as “high density” residential on the village’s 2015 comprehensive plan, she said.
An original concept plan was approved for the site in 2014.
The village’s acquisition of property for a future Metra parking lot will not speed up any Metra decision, but it would demonstrate Oswego’s continued support for the station, village officials have said.
The concept plan still needs to be approved by the Oswego Village Board.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
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