The Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission this week will take a look at a concept plan for a four-story rental residential development for seniors in the village.
The commission Thursday will review a concept plan for a 42-unit affordable senior living project on a 2.72-acre site at the northeast corner of Wiesbrook Drive and Fifth Street on the east side of Oswego.
DeVille Manor Limited Partnership is seeking approval for a proposed senior apartment building similar to one already in the village, Oswego Development Services Director Rod Zenner said.
“The project would be an affordable housing project utilizing a program from the Illinois Housing Development Authority that provides tax credits for affordable housing projects,” Zenner said in a report to commissioners.
Oswego already has Three Diamond Senior Living, an affordable independent senior living project along Orchard Road, he said.
“The Three Diamond project utilized the same tax credit program from the IHDA to fund the affordable housing project as DeVille Manor is intending to utilize,” Zenner said.
He said the developer has proposed a four-story building with 32 one-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom units.
The proposed residential use of the property is not consistent with the village’s current zoning designations, Zenner said. The property is zoned for B-2 Community Shopping District and the village’s comprehensive plan identifies the site for mixed commercial use. However, a change in the zoning may be beneficial, Zenner said in the report.
“Looking at the specifics of the property, the lot has been on the market for an extended period of time without receiving any interest for a commercial use. This may be due to the fact that the parcel is some distance away from Route 30 with limited visibility to the Route 30 corridor,” Zenner said.
The proposed residential development may be a more fitting use for the site and provide additional housing options for the village, he said.
“The location is adjacent to a multi-family development to the west. This site can serve as a buffer between the more commercial and industrial uses to the north and east and the residential uses to the south and west,” Zenner said.
According to the concept plans, the apartment building would be built on the western side of the site facing Fifth Street. A dog park is proposed adjacent to the building on the south side. On the eastern edge of the site would be a shared open space area that would include a grilling station, walking trail and tot lot, officials said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.