The Oswego Village Board has approved revisions to a development agreement and a rezoning for a plan that includes the construction of 13 three-story apartment buildings plus a commercial area on land that may include a future Metra commuter station in the village.
Concept plans for Tuscany Station, planned for 98.3 acres on the west side of Orchard Road north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway, were originally approved by the village in 2014 and revised in 2020.
Trustees recently voted 5-1 in favor of revisions to the development agreement and rezoning per the request of the current developer.
The developer requested approval of rezoning for the site from manufacturing and single-family residential to a higher-density residential district and commercial service and wholesale district to allow for the development of 480 apartment units, 7.8 acres of commercial and 18 acres for a Metra parking lot.
The village was deeded a 15-acre parcel in the area for a potential Metra commuter rail station in 2015.
The proposal includes a future 30-acre single-family residential area for possibly 164 homes with a 2.2-acre park site, village officials said.
“The village is actively working to create Metra commuter rail service to Oswego and this location has been identified as the potential future Metra train site. The village has supported high-density residential use at this location,” village staff members said in a report to trustees.
The Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the changes.
The village has owned 15 acres near the site for almost 10 years, Village Administrator Dan Di Santo told trustees.
The arrangement with the previous property owner was for the village to pay $2.4 million for the site for a future Metra station.
“The village agreed when development eventually came, we would credit impact fees to that amount. The amount is still owed,” he said.
Under the revised development agreement, the developer has agreed to provide the village with an additional 3.83 acres to expand the original 15 acres that the village already owns as part of the proposed future Metra site.
The village will reimburse the $2.45 million purchase price of the original 15 acres of land through village impact fee credits.
The Tuscany Station project is estimated to generate approximately $6 million in fees annually for local government in Oswego, including the village, Oswego-based School District 308, Oswego Fire Protection District, Oswegoland Park District and Oswego Public Library, Di Santo said.
“This is a project that has been encouraged by Metra,” the village administrator said, adding a high-density residential property enhances the village’s need to fulfill the demands for a commuter rail station.
Other changes to the 2020 concept plan for the site include an expansion and relocation of the proposed commercial area plus 88 fewer apartment units, Di Santo said.
Bike path extensions will be able to be done and the Oswegoland Park District will get an expanded park site as well, Di Santo said.
The developer has agreed to cover the full cost to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Tuscany Trail and Orchard Road.
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“This will help spur additional commercial and industrial development on the other undeveloped intersections,” Di Santo said.
Naperville attorney Vincent Rosanova estimated the proposed single-family component of the project will come before the village in 12 to 18 months. The work on the apartments should begin soon, he said.
“Based on the demand for the Tuscany apartments, we estimate earthwork will begin in the spring with the first building and clubhouse being built in the fall,” Rosanova said.
The developer is in the process of speaking with brokers about the commercial component of the development, he said.
Voting in favor of the revisions were Trustees Jennifer Jones Sinnot, Kit Kuhrt, Terry Olson, James Marter and Tom Guist. Voting the other way was Trustee Brian Thomas.
Thomas will be facing current Village President Troy Parlier in the Republican primary for village president on Feb. 28.
“I am trying to keep my cool somewhat,” Thomas said. “We passed a resolution at the last meeting optically to make it look like we do not want more rentals.
“This is going to be all on you as a board,” he said. “I don’t want any ill will from what your decisions are. I want this to be one of the best decisions Oswego has ever made but these developments are too fast and too soon. What’s the urgency for putting these through? Why can’t we hit the pause button, see a development through, see the results and if it’s a good decision go to the next phase.”
Jones-Sinnot took exception to Thomas’ remarks.
“I am out in the community continually listening to people,” she said. “We have been waiting as a community for things to come on Orchard Road.
“This is an exciting time. We could have been so far ahead in our downtown development had prior boards not kicked the can down the road,” she said.
Parlier said the development will be outstanding for Oswego, including generating revenues for the school district.
Parlier said the concept plan was originally approved in 2014 and the board has only made it better.
“In 2020 Brian, you not only made the motion for this, but you voted yes,” Parlier said to Thomas. “You need to go back to the memory banks.”
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.