How Business Park will Affect Home Values, Traffic, Wildlife

The following information is taken from the transcript of the Oct. 3 public hearing regarding the development of an office and warehouse facility for Edward Don & Company. 

This informations pertains only to phase one of the development of the Edward Don & Company facility, not to the entire proposed 80-acre business park.

Property Values 

Resident Karen Gormley asked about the impact of the business park on the values of homes located just across the street. 

Emily Rodman, senior planner for the village, said similar business parks in Woodridge, like Internationale Centre and Wood Hill Crossings, are also adjacent to single-family residential homes. 

"...and we have not noticed a decline in property values to those homes that are adjacent to those parks once they're established," Rodman said. "They have been very good neighbors to the residents from what we understand." 

Traffic 

According to a traffic study, traffic performs at a A through C level at the intersections of Woodward Avenue and Westminster Drive, Hillcrest Lane, Heritage Parkway and 101st Street. This means little or no congestion. 

Woodward Avenue and Boughton performs at an E level during peak a.m. hours and a D level during peak p.m. hours. That means longer delays and more congestion. 

The study looks at street changes needed to support a full build-out of all four corners of the intersection. It's determined DuPage County will need to add additional lanes in the next 12 years. 

Once those lanes are added, the intersection is expected to operate at a D level instead of an E in the morning. 

If the development was pure office space like it is currently zoned for, 1.3 million square fet of office space could be developed. That would generate 1,433 trips during the peak a.m. hours of 7:15 to 8:15 a.m. 

Then there would be 1,502 trips during the peak p.m. hours of 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., totaling would generate 9,448 trips daily. 

Under the proposed business park plan, the land will be developed into 1.1 million square feet of industrial space and 81,000 square feet of office use. 

That would generate 471 trips during peak a.m. hours and 450 trips during peak p.m. hours, totaling 5,096 trips. 

Noise 

A noise report suggests by adding Edward Don's facility, there will be a reduction of noise from I-355 by 8 percent, and when the whole park is completed, it will be a reduction of 12 percent, according to Dan Fogarty of McShane Development Company. 

However, it's not known if noise from increased traffic will cancel that out.

Trees and wildlife 

A sample tree survey showed that about 1,640 trees needed to be removed for the Edward Don project. A majority of those were in poor quality or dead, according to Emily Rodman, senior planner for the village. 

A total of 249 replacement trees are required on the site. More than 25 percent of the site will be "green space." 

The development includes a proposed berm that will be 2.5 feet high between the detention pond and Woodward Avenue (refer to the plans on the right). The berm would be planted with a variety of trees and shrubs. 

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has determined there are no endangered or threatened species, natural preserves or land and water reserves on the site. 

Resident Karen Gormley asked about the fate of wildlife on the property, such as coyotes and deer. 

Rodman responded: "You know, the wildlife that's out there tends to just migrate to land that's vacant like they do in any subdivision. They move to areas that can accommodate them." 

To which Gormely replied the animals were boxed in by I-355 and the surrounding developments and are running into the street. 

Light pollution 

The lighting on the site follows village code, with one exception: the lighting on an internal road for the property, which the amount of lighting needed exceeds village code.