The Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended a developer reduce density and review traffic patterns in a residential development proposed near Oswego East High School.
Silvethorne Homes has requested consideration of a concept plan for 182 single-family homes and 295 townhome units on a vacant 102-acre parcel north of Wolfs Crossing and just west of Oswego East High School.
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The property is currently zoned for agricultural use in unincorporated Kendall County.
Commissioners voted unanimously last week to have their concerns about density, private streets and road system configurations be considered by the developer and brought back to the group prior to the panel making a recommendation on the project to the Oswego Village Board.
The concept plan has 295 townhome units located towards the southern portion of the development. The smaller-sized townhomes, with a smaller building footprint, would be located in the southeast corner of the site nearest the entrance to Wolfs Crossing, while the second set of townhomes, with a larger building footprint, would be located further into the development and adjacent to townhomes within the Churchill Club subdivision, Oswego Village Planner Jeff Lind said in a report to commissioners.
The village’s comprehensive plan shows the property designated for medium-density residential, Lind said.
“The single-family homes are located, generally, on the northern two-thirds of the property, and the townhome units are located to the south, closer to Wolfs Crossing Road. Density diminishes, going south to north, so that the largest and widest single-family lots are found to the north and northwest, mirroring the abutting Ogden Falls and Churchill Club single-family lots,” Lind said.
The concept plan shows several access points for the development, two of which would be street extensions traveling south from the Ogden Falls subdivision and two that are street extensions traveling east from the Churchill Club subdivision.
An extended Ogden Falls Boulevard, a collector street, is shown as providing the main north-south artery for the development, Lind said.
“This marks our second project in Oswego,” Paul DeKruiff, a Silverthorne Homes representative, told commissioners.
The developer recently received approval for the Pine Ridge Club townhome project in Oswego, he said.
The proposed subdivision would be called Lodi Grove, intended to be “in honor of the trailblazing spirit” of the village’s early settlers that named the town Lodi.
“We believe ultimately this achieves your goal with respect to getting that middle housing,” Dekruiff said.
A good portion of the housing fits the idea of “middle housing,” he said, adding the proposed development would provide a variety of housing types.
“We believe that our proposed development … will provide a mix of housing availability to residents at all active stages of life. We believe the density is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan,” he said.
“This is a huge development and there is no green space or parks,” Commissioner Kim Bradshaw said.
The developer’s representative said the park district did request two to three acres. There is 1.75 acres of green space that could be dedicated to parks near the townhomes.
“We could revisit that,” DeKruiff said about parks.
“I understand you may work in an acre or two based on what the park district is looking for, but what we are looking for is a design that is a little more open rather than so dense,” Commission Chair Charlie Pajor said.
Pajor said he was also less inclined to support private streets in the development.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.