Split Darien Council OKs Duplex Development

DARIEN, IL – A divided Darien City Council on Monday approved a subdivision of duplexes on 87th Street, although neighbors expressed concerns about flooding, among other things.

Previously, two Darien committees recommended the Woodland Glen project, which is set for the 2900 block of 87th Street.

The developer plans to market the duplexes for those 55 or older. Prices for the homes would start in the upper $500,000 range, the developer said. It would require the demolition of at least a couple of older houses.

Resident Tony Antiporek said he and his neighbors don't want the area to change, asking for aldermen to have their backs.

"They just want to be in their neighborhood like they have for a very long time," Antiporek said. "Let (the developer) take down the three houses and put up six houses and there could be $2 million a house."

Alderwoman Mary Sullivan asked Scott Stevens, vice president of Donven Homes, whether the company could remove one or two of the 17 duplexes from the plan.

Stevens said that with all the site work, it would not be economically viable to remove any of them.

"There is excessive per-unit cost for the site improvement work alone," he said. "That means removing any dwelling units would cause a problem where we would not be able to do the community."

Residents have argued they already have a flooding issue and that it would get worse with the duplexes.

But Jim Healy, the developer's lawyer, said it was hard for people to understand that the project's retention pond would slow down the water flowing to nearby homes.

Alderman Joe Kenny asked whether the flooding problem should be fixed before construction begins. Audience members said, "Yes, yes, yes."

Mayor Joseph Marchese said it was DuPage County's responsibility because the nearby properties were in an unincorporated area.

"We're going to build something that's going to help them, not hurt them," the mayor said.

The audience disagreed, with one woman saying it would help the developer.

Sullivan added, "It's still a slow drip, but it's going to get there."

Alderman Eric Gustafson, whose Ward 6 includes the area in question, said with more concrete, the flooding problem would likely get worse.

He also said his biggest concern was the safety of drivers going in and out of the subdivision onto 87th Street.

Marchese countered that a similar situation existed across the street, but no one seemed concerned about that.

"To me, it seems like we're being hypocritical here," the mayor said.

Gustafson said the new subdivision would add to the problem.

Sullivan agreed with Gustafson's traffic concerns. The speed limit on 87th is 40 mph, but she said virtually everyone goes faster than that.

A 4-3 council majority backed the concept for the development. Tom Belczak, Ted Schauer, Ralph Stompanato and Gerry Leganski supported it, while Sullivan, Gustafson and Kenny dissented.

Officials said the final plans would come before the council later.