Plus: Letter below – Please email it to County Commissioners today!

After submitting letters upon letters and providing hours of testimony detailing valid concerns to the DuPage County Zoning Board of Appeals, which had the good sense to not approve the Trillium Farm petition, it was shocking for many of us to hear the Development Committee callously sweep all those concerns aside — as well as the concerns expressed by the ZBA.

The memorandum the ZBA sent to the Development Committee cited the fact that the petitioner’s request does not meet ANY of the Seven Standards for Conditional Use, which is supposed to be a requirement for approval of Pulte’s request. The Seven Standards are in place to ensure developments responsibly consider factors including the impact on safety, traffic and property values. The Development Committee has not magically made Pulte’s proposal compliant with the Seven Standards Simply by mandating the development be age-restricted and impeding access to Purnell Road for neighboring homeowners.

This fight comes down to Tuesday’s County Board meeting. We need to show our County Commissioners just how important this vote is to their constituents. Can you be there? Can you bring someone with you? Even if they don’t live in the neighborhood? We need to FILL THE ROOM! Please be there!

DuPage County Board Meeting

Tuesday, February 25, 10 am

421 County Farm Road in Wheaton

Can’t make it? Can make it but willing to do one more thing? Please take just a few minutes to send an email to our County Commissioners an email letting them know you object to the Trillium Farm proposal. Send your email to sally.karner@dupageco.org with your letter addressed to the County Commissioners and it will be distributed to all County Commissioners. Easy!

Not sure what to write? We’ll make it even easier! Copy and paste this into your email:

Subject: Concerns Regarding Petition #Z19-062

Dear County Commissioners,

February 24, 2020

Re: Zoning Petition # Z19-062

Dear County Commissioners,

I’m reaching out to you today because I am concerned about the Trillium Farm development proposed by Pulte Homes, Petition #Z19-062.

As you are likely aware, the Zoning Board of Appeals determined the petitioner’s request failed to meet any of the Seven Standard for Conditional Use. Compliance with the Seven Standards is supposed to be a requirement for approval of the petition, yet the Development Committee recommended approval despite the ZBA’s troubling finding. Mandating an age restriction and implementing a few turn restrictions does not make the petition compliant with each of the Seven Standards it has previously been found to have failed.

Additionally, it is important to note that the traffic “calming” measures the Development Committee mandated as part of their recommendation will have a substantial negative impact on existing homeowners in the area. The traffic engineers hired by Pulte Homes to dream up such “calming” measures took no consideration for existing homeowners into account when producing their recommendations. These recommendations will re-route homeowners for miles around already heavily congested intersections, making drive times 7-8 times longer than necessary! How is this “calming” traffic? This is merely dispersing it to other already congested areas and prolonging the painful commutes of the couple hundred residents who live off of Purnell Road.

Additionally, this zoning variance is a glaring departure from the current R-2 single family zoning that exists for this parcel. This zoning, with its large lot sizes and abundant green space, is the reason we chose to live in this area. Introducing this kind of density will have a negative impact on the values of the surrounding real estate.

This parcel does not require a Conditional Use in order to be developed. It can be developed with its existing R-2 single family zoning. While this may not be as profitable for Pulte Homes, I believe our DuPage County representatives are here to represent me and my neighbors above the interests of a company that wants only to build and sell its homes and leave us behind as quickly as possible.

According to Pulte representatives, the seller has withheld the portion of the land along Roosevelt Road with the intention of selling it for commercial or retail use. Selling a small portion of that part of the property to Pulte to allow an ingress/egress along Roosevelt Road would greatly reduce the impact of the development on Purnell Road. While this may not be the first choice of the seller and Pulte, this is an easy option that you could mandate as part of any approval in the best interest of safety and quality of life for your constituents.

Thank you for your time and consideration of how this development, in its current form, will impact its neighbors along Purnell Road.

Sincerely,

<Sign with your name and address>

Send your email to sally.karner@dupageco.org today!