Aurora council approves Eola Preserve plan after months of resident protests and developer concessions

The Aurora City Council on Dec. 10 approved an ordinance and a preliminary plat allowing Pulte Homes to build a 54-unit townhome development called Eola Preserve at 620 North Eola Road, voting 9–3 on both items after weeks of resident meetings and negotiated changes.

The approvals include a conditional use plan (ordinance 240708) and a preliminary plat and plan (resolution 240709). The council received extended testimony from nearby residents who said the project would worsen an already difficult left turn from their subdivision onto Eola Road and increase traffic and privacy impacts on adjacent single-family lots.

City staff and the developer presented a traffic study that was reviewed by Aurora engineering staff and DuPage County traffic engineers; those professionals concluded the intersection has enough capacity for the additional trips generated by this development and that a traffic signal was not currently warranted. The developer also presented comparisons that a hypothetical 30 single-family-home alternative would produce only three fewer left-turns in the evening peak hour than the proposed 54 townhomes.

Developer representatives described a number of concessions negotiated with staff and aldermen since the project was first presented in October. Key changes included removing two end units from Lots 2 and 3 and relocating them elsewhere on the site; eliminating rooftop terraces on buildings adjacent to existing homes; increasing the northern setback to 48 feet (the applicant said the 15-foot setback is the code minimum and the revised plan doubles and then exceeds that); and dedicating approximately 11 acres of the 21-acre site as a preserved wetland to be owned and maintained by the homeowners association.

The project also now includes restrictions in the proposed covenants and restrictions (CC&Rs) limiting rentals so that no more than 30% of units may be rented. Landscaping requirements were increased: staff said the petitioner agreed to the option of an 8-foot solid fence along the shared northern and eastern property lines or an enhanced landscape buffer equal to roughly three additional trees per 100 feet, to be finalized at final plan and plat review. The applicant said it will work directly with adjacent homeowners and bring a landscape architect to tailor screening plans to individual yards.

Councilmembers and staff reiterated that Eola Road and the Waterstone Drive intersection fall under DuPage County jurisdiction; DuPage County engineers rejected proposed median modifications and declined to install a traffic signal at this time, but city and developer representatives said they will continue to work with the county on signage and nonstructural safety measures. Councilmembers asked staff to request DuPage County replace or install signage that clarifies that protected lefts and permitted U-turns are available at the intersection.

Aldermen who voted no said the design changes did not address the neighborhood’s primary concern about density and the difficulty of the left turn. Aldermen who voted yes said the developer’s concessions—combined with the professional traffic reviews and the preserved wetland—produced a materially improved project.

Motion and vote details: the ordinance (240708) was moved by Alderman Smith and seconded by Alderman Franco; the roll-call vote on the ordinance was 9 yes, 3 no. The preliminary plat (240709) was moved by Alderman Smith and seconded by Alderman Franco; that motion also passed 9 yes, 3 no.

The council recorded several direction items to follow up: staff will continue to coordinate with DuPage County on signage and enforcement options; the petitioner will finalize the landscape/fence plan at final plat; and the city will require the CC&R rental cap and the rooftop-terrace restriction as conditions of approval. No traffic signal, additional lane widening or other county-controlled structural changes were approved at this meeting.

The council’s approvals permit the developer to move to final plan and plat review, where staff and residents said they will continue negotiating the exact landscaping, screening and construction staging details.

Votes at a glance for the two Eola items: the council approved both the conditional use plan ordinance (240708) and the preliminary plat resolution (240709) by 9–3. The motion maker on both items was Alderman Smith; the second on both was Alderman Franco. The minutes record the council’s direction to continue coordination with DuPage County and the applicant on safety and screening measures.

The project remains subject to final plan and plat review and to any county-required approvals for work that affects Eola Road.