Intersection For Massive Cricket Stadium OK'd As Some Residents Fight To Stop Project

OSWEGO, IL — If the proposed cricket stadium, or any other development, for that matter, gets approved for the Orchard Road corridor in Oswego, it will get a full-access intersection into the property, thanks to a unanimous vote of approval from the Kendall County Board.

The Board met for a regular meeting Tuesday night as members discussed and voted to approve an ordinance granting variances to the Kendall County Highway Access Regulation Ordinance, allowing a new intersection leading into the proposed development that would be built about halfway up Orchard Road between Tuscany Trail and Galena Road.

"We support the petition, regardless of the specific development," Public Works Director and Village Engineer Jennifer Hughes said at the meeting. "The specific development is still under review; however, we believe the quarter-mile spacing is appropriate for this location."

The 24,000-seat Breybourne Stadium for professional cricket is proposed to be built on 33.48 acres of land in a largely residential area near the Blackberry Knoll subdivision just west of the Fox River. Plans include an associated clubhouse and restaurant, a hotel and various restaurant outlots, Patch reported.

Plans also call for a parking lot with only 1,100 spaces to accompany the stadium that would seat more people than the United Center.

RELATED: 24,000-Seat Cricket Stadium Proposed Near Orchard Road, Tuscany Trail

As a condition of the approved variance, Chakra360, LLC, who is petitioning the Village of Oswego to build the stadium, Orchard Road will have to be widened to a five-lane cross-section beginning north of Tuscany Trail and ending south of Galena Road. Two lanes will be dedicated to through traffic in each direction, and cars will have continuous left turns at Tuscany Trail, the full access and Galena Road, according to documents. A southbound right-turn lane will also have to be built on Orchard Road prior to the full access.

The developer will also be required to install a new traffic signal at the intersection, and would require being connected to signals at Tuscany Trail and Galena Road.

Other improvements required by the Board include a five-foot-wide sidewalk along the stadium's entire frontage of Orchard Road from Tuscany Trail to the stadium's north property line, as well as roadway lighting along the west shoulder of Orchard Road.

"It is my understanding the developer has no issues with those conditions, and I think that is very sufficient to be accompanied with this development," board member Zach Bachmann said at the meeting.

If the cricket stadium proposal fails in Oswego, the village would still want to have the full-access intersection "as an incentive for economic development in that corridor," according to County Engineer Fran Klaas.

Oswego residents are not all in favor of the development, especially not homeowners on the property line with the stadium, Patch reported.

Some took to Change.org to call for locals to band together to stop the development from threatening to "disrupt our quality of life." So far, more than 1,700 people have signed the petition.

Lorie Witzel and Dawn DeRosa, both Oswego residents who live near the proposed stadium, teamed up to organize a GoFundMe to raise legal funds to represent Oswego and Yorkville residents to "help us fight against this ill-conceived project."

RELATED: Proposed Cricket Stadium: Oswego Residents Share Their Opinions

"We can retain a land use attorney to represent us and ensure that we are properly protected," Witzel said. "The Village and County are failing us."

Both told Patch they're not opposed to the stadium itself but to its proposed location.

"I believe the suggested development location is uncomfortably close, 50 feet from some of our back doors, and will have more negative impacts than positive," DeRosa said. "Some of these include parking, traffic, potential increased crime, noise and light pollution, environmental impacts, a strain on infrastructure, increased EMS response times, [et cetera]."

Witzel echoed her sentiments, adding, "The developer said this is his dream. Is it right that one man's dream is squashing the dreams of thousands of us? Owning a home has always been at the top of the list for the American dream. With today's economy, it's even more difficult to purchase a home. We all have said this isn't an issue of cricket coming to Oswego. This is just not the right location."

The campaign's goal is to raise $10,000. So far, in its two days live, eight people have donated.

"The residents of Oswego and surrounding areas need legal representation because the developer has legal representation," DeRosa said. "We, as everyday citizens, do not have the full understanding or knowledge of how legal proceedings work. As impacted citizens, we need to protect ourselves from unknown issues being agreed upon without our full understanding of all aspects of this development and how it will impact our community."