ComEd Blamed For Holding Up Darien Condo Project

DARIEN, IL – A top Darien official on Monday blamed ComEd for holding up a 16-unit condo project on Plainfield Road.

"Apparently, it's been about a year, if not longer, that the developer has been trying to get poles relocated," Dan Gombac, the city's public works director, told the City Council. "There seems to be a lag there."

He said he hoped "our friends in the press can reach out to ComEd again," apparently referring to instances in which Patch has contacted the utility about projects.

Gombac said the city has issued permits to the condo developer for grading and stormwater detention.

"The plat can't get recorded because utility companies such as ComEd, AT&T and Comcast need to sign off on the plat," he said. "It's really slow going."

He also said the developer plans to send a letter to the city that Gombac can forward to ComEd executives.

ComEd, however, said the timeline for installing new electric facilities for the project has been affected by delays in receiving documentation from the developer, including site plans, electrical load information, and other design details need for engineering reviews.

"ComEd has communicated with the developer, providing updates on engineering reviews and making clear that an easement would be required for portions of the proposed infrastructure," spokesperson Thomas Francis said in an email. "ComEd continues to work with the developer and other stakeholders to advance the project and provide service to the development as quickly and as safely as possible."

The developer, Atlantic Homes, is planning two eight-unit condo buildings at 1225 Plainfield Road, near Modell Funeral Home. The site once contained a dental office.

The condos are expected to go for $350,000 to $375,000, depending on the market.

Darien officials have pointed to ComEd for holdups before.

Last spring, Alderman Ted Schauer publicly asked about a streetlight at Hinswood Drive and Frontage Road, east of Cass Avenue.

The city installed the streetlight, but the utility did not bring power to the pole for a month.

In 2023, ComEd explained the delays in doing its part of the job to get a traffic light up and running at 67th Street and Clarendon Hills Road.

Gombac had expressed his concern about the issue at two council meetings in a row.