A vacant commuter parking lot near Naperville's Route 59 Metra station will become a 65-unit micro-apartment building after the Naperville City Council approved the project, as first reported by the Chicago Tribune.
The development, called Weston Ridge Apartments, will rise four stories at 540 Weston Ridge Drive on 1.5 acres that previously served as commuter parking. The one-bedroom units will range from 506 to 640 square feet. A city memo characterized the units as attainable housing, though that label carries no binding affordability restrictions.
The approval required three code variances: increasing the allowed density from 25 units to 65, raising the maximum building height from 43 feet to roughly 47 feet, and permitting a wall sign on a residential property. The council also approved a major change to the Railway Plaza planned unit development to remove commercial restrictions on the lot, according to the city's Legistar filing.
The site sits north of the Metra commuter parking lot and east of an industrial area that includes a state vehicle emissions testing facility. The city's Land Use Master Plan designates the property as Urban Center, where multi-family residential is listed as an appropriate use. Two Pace bus stops on Route 59 and North Aurora Road are also nearby.
The Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission gave Weston Ridge its unanimous endorsement at an Aug. 19 hearing. No residents spoke against the project at that meeting.
Not everyone was fully satisfied. Commissioner Allison Longenbaugh said at the August hearing that the "attainable" label lacked teeth.
"About affordability, the petition and the presentation both mention attainability, but there are no restrictions tied to that … While I'm sure this will be added to the council catalog of affordable wins, it is not binding, which is kind of disappointing since there's just been a whole lot of talk about affordability in town," Longenbaugh said.
She still voted in favor.
Commissioner Mark Wright also backed the project at the PZC hearing but urged the developer to hold to its pricing promises. The building will include 73 on-site parking spaces, one per unit plus eight for guests, and is projected to generate 19 new vehicle trips during peak hours.
Amenities listed in the plans include a fitness center, community room, bike storage, storage lockers and an outdoor patio. Eleven ground-floor units will have private outdoor entrances.
Naperville's prior housing needs assessments have estimated the city needs between 11,700 and 13,000 new housing units by 2040, NCTV17 reported. Rent prices and a construction timeline for Weston Ridge have not been announced. The project still requires building permits before construction can begin.
In the same action, the council approved a 1,471-square-foot four-season room addition at Entourage restaurant, 796 S. Route 59. The expansion will add seating and storage. Three ADA parking spaces will move to the west side of the lot and five total spaces will be eliminated, a city memo said.
City Hall week ahead
Naperville City Council and commission meeting schedules are posted at naperville.il.us. Residents can check the site for upcoming agendas, public hearing notices and Zoom links.
