ROC Inc. and Wood Partners are proposing construction of a 268 unit apartment complex on 6 acres of land surrounded by Tuthill Road, Plank Road, Naper Blvd. and private residences. This development should be STOPPED due to issues with traffic and pedestrian safety, water management, school overcrowding, and lack of adherence to long-standing City plans. As memorialized in Naperville's Land Use Master Plan, updated as recently as February 2022, this land should be developed in accordance with it's Medium Density Residential designation, calling for 10-12 units per acre or a total of 60-72 dwelling units.

ROC/Wood had a Concept Meeting with City of Naperville staff in February 2022 but have yet to formally submit their proposal. Staff raised concerns with the proposal and City Council suggested ROC/Wood obtain neighbor input. A poorly advertised community presentation was held on September 8th and neighbors in attendance voiced concerns. If ROC/Wood propose any development, a formal process for annexation and zoning requirements will be held. This petition is intended to let the Naperville Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council know that we will oppose this project vehemently if it is submitted. It is the wrong development for this space.

Traffic & Pedestrian Safety Issues:

Plank Road intersects Tuthill Road at about a 45 degree angle, instead of the typical 90 degree angle of most intersections. This alone results in a dangerous situation for cars turning off Plank and onto Tuthill but add the blind hill just north on Tuthill and the situation becomes deadly. Some day, an eastbound car turning north on Tuthill will have a head-on collision with a car traveling south on Tuthill as they come over the blind hill approaching Plank.

Cars traveling east on Plank back up from the light at Naper Blvd to and beyond the intersection of Tuthill Road. If the entrance/exit on Plank envisioned in the proposed project is added, impatient drivers turning left onto Plank will block eastbound traffic on Plank causing a backup to Naper Blvd where rear-end collisions will become commonplace.

Since ROC doesn't own the 3 lots north of the project area on Tuthill and these homes will likely stay unincorporated, sidewalks will stop and pedestrians walking north to Amazon Fresh, First Watch, Starbucks, etc. will temporarily walk in the street until, someday, one of them is hit by a distracted driver going north on Tuthill.

Since Costco opened, traffic turning left onto Ogden Avenue from northbound Naper Blvd has increased and oftentimes backs up beyond the long left turning lane into the left straight lane, increasing the risk of a rear-end collision.

Some drivers have begun using Plank, Tuthill, Burlington, Naperville-Wheaton and Iroquois to avoid the light at Ogden Avenue on their way to Costco. These drivers trying to "save a minute" by cutting through our neighborhood have already increased the risk for accidents. The 400 or so cars associated with 268 apartment units would only make this worse. Much worse.

ROC/Wood say this location is ideal for their project due to it's location on a major arterial road but that IDOT will not allow an entrance/exit off Naper Blvd. Forcing all the new traffic onto side streets that are already crowded and dangerous, does NOT make this an ideal location. If this proposed project is presented, approval should be dependent on access to Naper Blvd being granted by IDOT.

Water Management:

No plans for water management were shared by ROC/Wood at the community presentation. Given the size of this tract of land and it's location uphill from the 65 homes on Tuthill Road and in the Mulberry Hill and Pheasant Glen subdivisions, ROC should be required to provide the appropriate portion of land for storm water retention. Plank Road just west of Naper Blvd already floods when it rains heavily. Without proper water management, this will only get worse.

Impact on Schools:

Another grave issue facing the area, if the ROC/Wood project was to proceed as designed, is the additional strain it would put on the area's already struggling schools.  Both Beebe Elementary and Jefferson Jr. High Schools are no longer the sought after schools they were 20-30 years ago.

Currently rated 260th of 1,948 public Illinois Elementary Schools, Beebe has the worst rating in the entire Naperville 203 District. It has been consistently and severely underperforming relative to the other schools in the 203 district such as Meadow Glens and Highlands rating 17th and 30th, respectively.  Beebe is currently bursting at the seams with 624 students in the school, where many makeshift classrooms are divided by a partition to account for the growing need of classrooms without any significant additions/renovations to the building in over 20 years.  Many of these 'add on' classrooms do not have access to daylight or windows and recently even storage areas and closets have been rehabbed into teacher offices.  Unlike the other schools in the district, Beebe does not have a standalone cafeteria or additional gymnasium so when conditions for outdoor recess are unacceptable, children are forced to stay in their windowless classrooms for recess as well.

Jefferson Jr. High is only marginally more capable of withstanding a surplus of additional children. It is rated 209th of 1241 public Illinois Elementary Schools, and like Beebe also struggles to keep up with its 203 counterpart schools; the other near Naperville 203 Jr. High Schools, Kennedy and Washington, rank 14th and 90th out of 1241, respectively.

Overwhelming these schools with a potential of 260 more families is unfeasible for these already underperforming schools.  Furthermore, if we keep these schools as such outliers in performance from the rest of the district, any potential residents willing to buy or lease near the property of ROC/Wood would likely choose a different location in Naperville with better rated schools.

Contradictions with Land Use Master Plan:

Naperville's Land Use Master Plan clearly spells out considerations when development is proposed for additional density through variance or rezoning. The proposed development fails in every case to adequately address these considerations.

Place Type Transitions - The proposed development does NOT provide a transition from the existing single family homes on it's immediate border and the many more homes just beyond it's border. A transition to a 4 story apartment complex might include setbacks, added open space, modest building heights along Tuthill Road, etc.   

Compatibility with Adjacent Uses - The proposed development bears no resemblance to the adjacent area - a 4 story sprawling megastructure vs. modest 1 and 2 story homes on mostly small lots. Pedestrian connections will be difficult at best given the unincorporated status of the surrounding area and the busy roads surrounding the development. 

Improvements to Neighborhood Living - The proposed development provides ZERO improvements that benefit the neighborhood in which the project would be located - no additional green space, no park for children to play, no reduction in traffic issues, no addressing of school issues, etc.