By Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
As the controversial plan to build a massive warehouse at 143rd and Steiner move forward, the village board will now consider a new residential development just blocks from that site.
On Nov. 5, the board of trustees reviewed an annexation agreement for the proposed Greenbriar subdivision. Developers from Kipling Homes are hoping to develop 98 acres along Steiner Road, just south of the 143rd Street intersection.
Plans for the new Greenbriar subdivision would add 124 single family homes, 64 duplex homes, and 240 condo-style apartment homes south of the Steiner Road and 143rd intersection. The village board has asked for more details before approving an annexation agreement on the site, which would also include a five-acre park site, open space, trails, and a clubhouse.
The subdivision calls for 124 single family homes, 64 duplex homes, and 240 condo-style apartment homes, plus a five-acre park site, open space, trails, and a clubhouse.
“We believe that this is a very creative, highly innovative land plan,” said Director of Planning Jonathan Proulx. “The vast majority of the lots, especially the single family detached lots, abut open space on a park or trail… so there are very few instances where there are homes opposing each other with no proximity to open space.”
But folks in the neighboring Liberty Grove subdivision voiced objections with plans to connect a walking path in that subdivision to one in the new Greenbriar area.
“I really don’t have a problem with the development, it looks a little different than we had over the years,” Frank Peroni, President of the Liberty Grove Board of Directors, told the trustees. “I think it will co-exist fine, except, we do have one bit of uniqueness to our subdivision in that all of Liberty Grove’s amenities, to include the private walking paths, parks, pool, ponds, you name it, are privately owned property of the homeowner’s association rather than the village or the park district. The paths and all of our other amenities exist for the exclusive enjoyment of Liberty Grove residents. The paths are not public ways.”
Peroni told the board that if the Liberty Grove pathway is attached to Greenbriar, it would require the removal of a newly placed privacy fence, replaced two years ago for $50,000.
Since the Liberty Grove pathways are owned and maintained by the association with money collected by HOA dues, Peroni said the residents of Liberty Grove would be responsible for any damage caused to the path or open areas by people who come in from outside the neighborhood.
Trustees agreed that Liberty Grove residents shouldn’t have to share their privately-owned amenities with neighboring areas.
Board members took it a step further, suggesting that the property location so close to the new Seefried development slated to house a 1.5 million square foot warehouse at 143rd and Steiner is too close for comfort.
“During the Seefried properties controversy, it was brought to our attention several times, why would the board put developments to include houses and apartments and whatever residential areas near a truck route that was going to in the future have warehouses,” said Trustee Brian Wojowski. “Within two weeks, we have a proposal for another subdivision… I think it’s irresponsible if we approve this just based on its location, just as it was when Dayfield was proposed and approved and Liberty Grove was proposed and approved.”
“The Seefried project is a game changer,” added Trustee Margie Bonuchi, noting that the developer would have an obligation to let people know about the warehouse development nearby. “I think we need to do due diligence and be very transparent, these homes are there and their proximity.”
Other trustees noted that while they’d like to see more housing options in Plainfield, the plan so far has more questions than answers, including lack of a time frame for when each phase will be built, and design of through streets that would connect Liberty Grove to Steiner.
The board did not make any approvals on the annexation agreement, but rather, said they’d like to see staff work with the developer to clear up some of the language in the paperwork.