Oswego board approves Polo Crossing annexation, rezoning and preliminary PUD after debate over setbacks and housing types

The Village of Oswego on Nov. 4 approved an annexation agreement, rezoning and a preliminary PUD for Polo Crossing, an 80.5-acre residential development that will add 320 dwelling units to the Wolf’s Crossing corridor.

Developer Shopee Design Associates and the Drake Group presented a revised plan that reduced the project from an earlier 345-unit concept to 320 units: 120 detached single-family homes (86 traditional lots and 34 “middle-market” lots) and 200 attached units (175 townhomes, 10 duplexes and 15 triplexes). The project includes a 4-acre park site to be dedicated to the Oswego Park District, a roughly 3,000-square-foot clubhouse and a proposed pool near the main entrance at Wolf’s Crossing Road.

Why it matters: The developer committed significant infrastructure and fee-related contributions intended to advance village priorities. Those include a 90-foot right-of-way dedication totaling about 4.5 acres for Wolf’s Crossing Road, a permanent 15-foot and temporary 40-foot easement to accommodate a 36-inch Lake Michigan transmission main for the DuPage Water Commission, and multiple impact fees and land-cash equivalents to local districts.

Carrie Hansen of Shopee Design Associates laid out the financial commitments: a combined park contribution of 4 acres plus $356,557.50 in cash (total park cash equivalent listed at $808,893.10); approximately $378,817.50 in cash to School District 308 plus $566,070.40 in school impact fees (total to schools stated as “just under $1,000,000”); Oswego Fire Protection District impact fees of $243,251.20; Oswego Library District fees of $121,728.80; village transportation fees of $612,800; and water connection fees totaling $1,664,000. “Altogether,” Hansen said, “the total cash equivalent of land, impact fees and right-of-way dedications for Polo Crossing totals approximately $5,576,878.”

Developer Tom Drake described the project as a response to local planning goals for “missing middle” housing. “Polo Crossing is different,” Drake said, adding the developer re-engineered portions of the site to accommodate the water main and agreed to construct the two south lanes of the ultimate Wolf’s Crossing improvement as part of the development’s first phase, subject to a trigger tied to townhome permits.

Trustee concerns centered on the 34 middle‑market lots that would use a 5‑foot side-yard deviation (resulting in roughly 10 feet between homes) from the UDO. Several trustees expressed a preference for larger side yards or owner-occupied housing on those lots. The developer said the small-lot product was intended to respond to market demand and had not been designated owner-occupied or rental; the applicant said market research would inform that choice and emphasized professional property management if units are rental.

School and infrastructure impacts: Village staff estimated the development would generate roughly 170 students (about 90 elementary, 38 junior high and 42 high-school students) based on bedroom counts; staff also estimated building-permit and inspection fees in the neighborhood of $600,000 for the project. The developer said the two south lanes of Wolf’s Crossing would be constructed by the developer after issuance of the 60th townhome building permit; if bids exceed the townhome fees collected, the village may defer the permanent north lanes and the developer would construct interim turn-lane improvements instead.

Board action: After extended Q&A, the board moved, seconded and approved the annexation agreement, the annexation ordinance, the rezoning and a preliminary PUD and subdivision plat, and a resolution approving the plat of dedication for Wolf’s Crossing. Roll call votes on the ordinances carried with six trustees voting yes and Trustee McCarthy Lang voting no.

What’s next: Village staff will finalize the annexation agreement language, the developer anticipates starting vertical construction in 2027 under a best‑case schedule, and the village expects follow-up engineering and permitting steps before building begins.

Sources: Presentations and figures provided by Shopee Design Associates and Drake Group to the Village of Oswego board on Nov. 4, 2025. Vote counts and trustee statements from the Nov. 4, 2025 meeting transcript.