Neighbors press developers over stormwater as board approves Pebble Nest annexation with HOA limits

The Village of Carol Stream on April 2026 held a public hearing on the proposed 32‑unit townhome project known as the Reserve by Pebble Nest at 26 W. 181 and 26 W. 241 Lees Road. Neighbors urged the board to weigh stormwater and groundwater risks before permitting construction; developers said the project will capture on‑site runoff in a detention system and that the board approved annexation and related development approvals with conditions.

Why it matters: The site sits upslope of several existing backyards that residents say routinely receive surface and subsurface water after storms. Any development that changes grading or increases impervious surface can alter neighborhood drainage patterns, making engineering plans, permitting, and post‑construction inspections central to whether the project reduces or worsens flooding for adjacent homes.

Residents described repeated flooding and groundwater pressure. One nearby resident, María, told the board: “My main concern is about the water…when it rains, all the water comes down.” Longtime neighbor Scott Saraziga said the parcel drains onto the neighborhood and recounted previous incidents where surface water reached garages and basements; he asked whether regrading, fences and potential groundwater flows had been fully addressed.

The developer and engineer responded with site plans and measurements. Rich Gerard, representing the owner and builder (PN Lees LLC), summarized staff review and told the board: “No water at all that falls on this site will go on any of the homes around it.” ERA project engineer Nick Porchetto (introduced at the hearing) explained existing versus proposed conditions and gave the project’s hydrology figures: in a 100‑year storm he said existing tributary peaks could be about “3,000 gallons per minute” for the largest flows, while the development’s allowable release from the site would be about 0.35 cubic feet per second (roughly 100 gallons per minute). He said the detention system will provide approximately 1.5 acre‑feet of storage (about 49,000 gallons) and that release rates are designed to pass stormwater into the municipal system over 48–96 hours.

On groundwater, the developer reported multiple borings that largely showed homogeneous clay and told residents that clay conditions make rapid subsurface migration unlikely; the engineer acknowledged that isolated seams remain a possibility, and said the standard FEMA‑style clay packing approach can be used where needed. When asked who will inspect the work, the village engineer said staff engineering inspectors will be on site throughout construction and that the project will carry a one‑year maintenance/security period after acceptance.

Neighbors pressed for details on grading and fence placement. The developer said some cuts on existing mounds are planned to balance site soils and that the project team was negotiating fence solutions with neighbors; the developer also said it had requested a variance to allow a six‑foot fence (city code generally allows five feet). The petitioner’s representative said construction timing would place sitework and detention basin installation before most vertical construction, and a Pebble Nest representative estimated land development would take four to six months and vertical construction would be phased, with full completion expected by about 2028.

Online public comments read into the record asked about ComEd capacity for added households and who inspects underground overflow pipes; the clerk and engineering staff said utilities would be coordinated with the developer and that inspections of storm and utility installation would occur daily during construction.

What the board did: After the hearing the board approved the annexation agreement and moved forward on associated ordinances and plats for the Reserve by Pebble Nest. As part of the annexation motion a trustee added a stipulation that the homeowners association declaration be amended to prohibit accessory structures such as sheds and pools; the developer accepted that condition on the record and the board voted to approve the annexation, zoning map amendment to R‑4 (multiunit residence), and special use permit for the planned development.

The board’s recorded approvals were by roll‑call votes; staff said final engineering, permitting and county approvals remain required before construction commences, and the developer will return with final engineering details as part of the permitting process.

The village clerk read supportive and concerned written comments into the record but no further public testimony changed the board’s decision. Next steps are final engineering approval, permitting, and inspections during site construction; neighbors and staff indicated they will monitor performance during the project’s one‑year maintenance period after acceptance.