Westmont board clears redevelopment at 98 E. Naperville, approves Primrose preschool and keeps Salt Creek Ballet on site

The Westmont Village Board on May 29 unanimously approved multiple zoning and incentive requests tied to 98 East Naperville Road that will keep Salt Creek Ballet in the building while allowing a Primrose School franchise to open on the first floor.

The actions include a special-use permit and a variance to a 100-foot separation requirement for Salt Creek Ballet to occupy the second floor; a zoning variance, site and landscape approval, and parking-stall waiver for Kitvest LLC (doing business as Primrose School of Westmont) to operate a daycare on the first floor; and a Tier 3 Downtown Incentive Program grant of $105,000 awarded to Kitvest LLC and NVS Properties 44 LLC to help fund building rehabilitation.

Community Development Director Joel Hennefein said Salt Creek Ballet has been at 98 East Naperville Road “for many years” and that the move to the second floor requires a special-use approval because performing-arts studios are treated as special uses under the village zoning code. He explained, “Special use means that it might be okay. We need to know a little bit more about the use,” and noted the special condition that typically requires a 100-foot separation from residential districts.

Carl Newman, a member of Salt Creek Ballet’s building committee, told the board the ballet company has operated at the address for more than 25 years and that scheduling minimizes overlap with the daycare operator: “The daycare students are there during the day, and the Salt Creek Ballet students are there in the evenings and on Saturdays and weekends,” Newman said. Salt Creek representatives said they have three full-time and seven part-time employees and that parking has not been a persistent problem.

Primrose representatives told the board the proposed school would serve infants through preschool and estimated licensed capacity at roughly 180 children, with licenseable ages from about six weeks up to five years. A presenter for Kitvest LLC said most customers would be within a 10-minute drive of the site and described the project as a substantial gut renovation to upgrade infrastructure and code compliance.

Director Hennefein described the Tier 3 DIP rules: a minimum applicant investment of $50,000 is required and projects in Tier 3 can receive up to a $100,000 grant; the $105,000 award for this project reflects additional bonus incentives the board approved for higher-quality materials and fixed improvements that will remain with the building. Hennefein said the applicants listed roughly $1,200,000 in fundable activities eligible for partial reimbursement and that the downtown incentive program is funded with tax increment financing (TIF) dollars. He told the board $250,000 remained available in the current allocation and that the $105,000 award would be drawn from that balance.

All motions passed on roll call votes. Trustee Scales moved and Trustee Plowman seconded approval of the Salt Creek Ballet special-use and variance; the board voted unanimously to approve. Trustee Little moved and Trustee Scales seconded approval of the Primrose variances, site/landscape plan and parking waiver; the motion passed unanimously. Trustee Little moved and Trustee Barker seconded approval of the Tier 3 DIP grant; that motion also passed unanimously.

The approvals include conditions required by Planning & Zoning, which gave the projects a unanimous positive recommendation on May 14. Village staff said the grant includes a three-year maintenance/recapture condition requiring that funded improvements remain with the property for at least three years or face penalties.

The project will move forward to design and permitting; the board and staff said they expect the extensive interior and exterior work to begin once necessary building permits and tenant finishes are approved.