Plans to build 401 houses and town houses on the site of a former 110-acre polo grounds could provide Naperville with affordable homes for families with household incomes of less than $126,000.
Pulte Home Co. wants to annex property at 119th Street, between Route 59 and Book Road, into Naperville for the Naperville Polo Club subdivision, which would have 252 single-family homes, 149 town houses, a central park and two multiuse playing fields.
A hearing on the planned unit development will be held by the Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Naperville Municipal Center.
Pulte, which has built Atwater, Ashwood Pointe, Ashwood Crossing and Columbia Park Townes subdivisions in Naperville, is proposing four styles of homes.
The 59 largest homes would be from the company’s Estates series, which would be built on lots of between 7,903 and 15,448 square feet abutting the South Pointe neighborhood on the north. A landscape buffer is planned to separate homes in the two subdivisions.
Also on the north side would be 54 Meadows series houses on lots ranging from 6,720 to 10,499 square feet.
Homes in the Meadows and Estates series also are offered at Wagner Farms and Naper Commons subdivisions.
The 139 town houses from the Springs series would be built near the center of the development and 149 units from the Townes series would be contained in 33 buildings, flanking the southern portion of the property.
For years the city has been trying to increase the affordability of its housing stock. Recently, the Naperville City Council has been discussing an incentive program to spur the building of affordable units as part of market-rate residential developments.
Pulte attorney Russell Whitaker told city officials in a letter that his client is responding to the growing demand for diversified and affordable housing in the city.
While the council has not adopted any measure requiring affordable housing, Pulte designed Naperville Polo Club in response to the city’s stated priorities, Whitaker said. They are committing to sell 20% of the town homes at an affordable level based on area median income, or AMI.
“Pulte will target buyers at 80-100% Naperville AMI consistent with household income targets set forth in SB Friedman’s Affordable Housing Program,” Whitaker said in the letter. “This target demographic for for-sale housing represents household incomes of approximately $100,000 to $125,000 and translates to a home purchase price below $440,000.”
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The Naperville Polo Club also would provide about 28 acres of common open space or 38% total acreage, planning documents show. This exceeds the 30% minimum area required by Naperville ordinances.
The open space includes landscaped buffer areas and stormwater management ponds.
A walking/biking path would be built along the north side of 119th Street and would connect to a path that runs north-south through the development along Book Road, which will be moved slightly to the west from its current location.
In addition the open space, Pulte is proposing two multiuse fields with parking lots and an outlot that will be dedicated to the Naperville Park District. Donated land is not calculated in open space requirements.
Children living in the subdivision would attend Plainfield District 202 schools.
Pulte anticipates homes sales at Naperville Polo Club could begin in spring 2024. The final homes would likely be sold by 2030.
This is not the first time the city has considered a housing development on the property.
In the 2010s, DR Horton shopped multiple proposals to Naperville.
The final version of the project presented to the council called for 325 homes and 155 town houses, substantially fewer than the 723 units — a mix of town houses and apartments — initially requested in June 2018.
None of the proposals passed muster, and the council in February 2020 tabled the plans indefinitely.
DR Horton’s application has since expired, and the property has remained in unincorporated Will County. It currently is used by the Galaxy Soccer Club for training and game fields.