ELBURN – Plans for the Elburn Station development moved forward Monday, with village officials creating a list of alterations take to developer ShoDeen as negotiations continue.
Among the village’s proposals:
• The village would split the cost of a planned pedestrian bridge with the developer.
• No phase of development would begin until improvements were completed on the previous one. This addresses an issue that came up in the Blackberry Creek subdivision in which some improvements, such as a final layer of asphalt, remain unfinished.
• There would be a reduction in the number of rental or multifamily units. Village President Dave Anderson said there had been 785; now 600 would be allowed. Any rental units above the first 400 must be identified as senior housing.
Last year, the board was poised to vote on the development, which would bring about 2,200 homes into the village over 20 years in an area near the Metra Station, but discussion was tabled. Since then, there has been discussion of details, but this is the first time a list has been put together to take back to the developer.
There is urgency because the development is part of a plan that calls for the extension of Anderson Road and construction of a bridge that will provide a crossing of the train tracks, a project that is planned for land owned by ShoDeen.
Kane County Board member Drew Frasz handed out information to the board and media that shows more than $21 million in federal, state and local funding is in place for the Anderson Road extension. There is concern that if the Elburn Station plans are not approved, funding could be lost, Frasz has said.
The Anderson Road bridge is a key to allowing traffic to flow more smoothly on Route 47 without the interruption of trains. The pedestrian bridge component of the Elburn Station project is a separate issue, but some on the board consider it vital to provide a way to walk from the existing village to the planned development.
Anderson pushed that discussion, urging trustees give him number-related specifics when there were alternate ideas. When board member Bill Grabarek said he thought officials were “making counter offers without mulling it over,” Anderson stressed there is urgency.
“It’s time to make a decision,” Anderson said.
