84 Apartments, Mixed-Use Development Proposed Near Settlers' Park

PLAINFIELD, IL — Nearly two years after a 284-unit luxury apartment building opened on Wallin Drive, more apartments are proposed to be built in the village, this time on about 2.9 acres in downtown Plainfield, just off Settlers' Park.

The Marnette Apartments development, most recently discussed during a workshop at Monday night's Committee of the Whole meeting, would be located at the southeast corner of West Village Center Drive and South Van Dyke Road. Settlers' Park is to the south, and Village Hall is to the east.

The property has been zoned as a B-5 Traditional Business District since 1998, which is the reason a mixed-use commercial and residential development could be built on the vacant, unimproved land many view as an extension of the 20-plus acre Settlers' Park.

"Some of the mistakes of the past are coming to haunt us," Mayor John Argoudelis said, "because more foresight should have occurred back then when the park was designed. ... For whatever reason, that wasn't done. That is one thing we're all battling here because, believe me, and I think I speak for everyone here, all of us would like to see this stay as green space, but we are bound by zoning laws."

Argoudelis explained once a piece of land is zoned in a specific way, only the landowner can change the zoning. A government cannot force a zoning change, he said.

The plan is to build two mixed-use buildings that will house 84 apartment units on the second and third floors of each building. The first floor of each building will include a total of 9,279 square feet of commercial space — 60 to 70 percent of which will be for rent, according to documents.

A parking lot and two recreational courts for residents of the development are also mentioned in the proposal.

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The applicant, Dandelion Development, LLC, proposed a total of 162 parking spaces on site — both indoor and outdoor — for residents, 36 for commercial use as well as 24 indoor bike spaces.

The Plan Commission voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the proposed project at its May 16 meeting.

"The proposed site plan was developed with guidance from the village staff, the goal being to create a vibrant streetscape with a walkable downtown feel," Greg Stahr, with Downers Grove-based Studio21 Architects, said at Monday's meeting. "The architectural style that we were going for was to be transitional in nature. We want it to be relating to all the unique aspects that are around this particular site."

Scott Seger, who owns and will develop the property with his wife, said it's "our intent to be long-term owners and maintain and increase the value of the development over time."

He said rent for the high-end development, which will include amenities such as an exercise room and courts for pickleball and bocce ball, will be based on competitive market rates in the area.

"The project will be market-rate, commercial funding," he said. " With commercial funding, there's no subsidized loans. We are not asking for any TIFs or credits from the village, and there's no low-income housing stipulations tied to any financing or any portion of this project."

Seger said they purchased the property "in good faith, assuming we could create a nice development project consistent with the zoning and the Village Comprehensive Plan expanding the downtown west across the river."

Plainfield residents cite concerns

Residents gathered at the Committee of the Whole meeting to share feedback about the project for almost an hour and a half. The majority spoke against the development, citing issues primarily with the location by Settlers' Park and the fact they'd be apartments and not condos.

Several attendees cited concerns about the additional traffic the development could add. Argoudelis confirmed at the meeting the developer did not do a traffic study to see how the property could impact downtown Plainfield traffic.

"For somebody to want to do this without doing a traffic study, you just haven't been here," one resident said. "You don't know what you're doing. You have no idea what the situation here is. You're just trying to stick something in here and make some money."

Each comment was met with a round of applause from audience members.

"None of us here are happy this is going in," one resident said. "We love the park. Obviously, none of us want to see a gentleman who bought property lose his money, but he took this chance. We need to do as a town what's best for our community and our citizens."

"This Plainfield Village Hall, this is the seed of the government right here," another said. "It's a good-looking building. It's always maintained; it looks clean. [Settlers' Park is] a beautiful park and a great open space, and to put a building like that would be detrimental to the use of the park."

"Homeowners take a little bit more pride in their properties than rentals," another commented.

"Downtown is walking space, it's boutiques, it's shops, it's places somebody wants to come spend a day doing something," a different resident said, "and putting this here doesn't draw people in to want to come to Settlers' Park ... or Electric Park or then walk into town. There's plenty of places in town that are vacant and have been vacant for decades downtown."

Another resident saw potential in the project.

"[We could] work together and really, truly be that 'hipsturbia' that we tout we have become known for."