Naperville resident seeks variances to create group home, greenhouse and accessory dwelling in DuPage County

David Nelson, a Naperville resident and the petitioner, told the DuPage County Zoning Board of Appeals on April 30 that he seeks conditional-use approval and nine zoning variances to operate a group home, a greenhouse for wholesale sales, and a detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at his property on Plank Road.

Nelson, who said he and his wife have adopted children with intellectual disabilities, described a shortage of appropriate single-level housing and explained the proposal’s purpose: "With the tight housing in in DuPage County, we sort of said, well, let's take the bull by the horn," he said, describing plans to transition his property into a charitable group-home model. He told the board the nonprofit Naperville Group Home Inc. (NGHC) would own the property as a 501(c)(3) and the charity would receive rent to support residents and operations.

The petition, read into the record by Chairman Robert Carthell, requests a conditional use for three uses and nine variances. Among the…