Saint Charles committee advances annexation, rezoning for Pheasant Run industrial site

The Saint Charles City Planning and Development Committee voted to forward a package of items related to the proposed annexation of 12.25 acres east of Pheasant Run Industrial Park, owned by the DuPage Airport Authority, and to recommend rezoning the site to the city's M2 industrial district upon annexation.

The committee heard from planning staff member Russell, who said the property contains driveway connections in the industrial park subdivision plans that would provide access to Keel Road and, via that private road, to Route 64. Russell said the developer, GSI Family Investment of Arizona LLC (GSI), determined the site must be annexed into Saint Charles to construct the access drives. He told the committee the city would not incur improvement or service costs because the site cannot be developed with buildings due to airport restrictions.

The committee was presented four related actions: a boundary-line agreement amendment with the City of West Chicago, an annexation agreement among the city, the DuPage Airport Authority and GSI, a petition for annexation for the 12.25-acre parcel, and the Planning Commission's recommendation to amend the zoning map to M2 upon annexation. Russell said West Chicago must approve its boundary and de-annexation steps first; the city would not bring final ordinances to council until West Chicago completes those actions.

Committee members asked for clarification on costs and the length of annexation agreements. Russell confirmed the developer would reimburse any city costs and that state statute limits annexation agreements to a maximum 20-year term. No additional conditions or amendments were proposed during the committee discussion.

The committee made and seconded motions to forward each item to City Council. Roll calls were taken for the boundary-line amendment, the annexation agreement, the annexation petition and the zoning map amendment; each vote passed on the committee's roll call.

Russell said staff scheduled a public hearing for the annexation items at City Council on April 21; final council action would follow West Chicago's approvals. The rezoning to M2, he said, would align the parcel with the existing industrial park and be compatible with the airport use.

The committee did not take other policy actions on the annexation package at this meeting; each item will return to City Council for ordinance-level consideration after the intergovernmental steps with West Chicago are completed.

Ending: The committee advanced the annexation package and the Planning Commission's rezoning recommendation to the full City Council, subject to West Chicago's completion of its boundary and de-annexation actions. Staff indicated the items will be set for a council public hearing on April 21 but not for final action until the neighboring jurisdiction's steps are complete.