Local officials denied plans for a multifamily development in northwestern Chicago suburb Schaumburg.
Schaumburg plan commissioners voted 6-2 on Wednesday to reject a contentious proposal for development of the Loeber Farm property, a 33-acre site at 2014 North Meacham Road, the Daily Herald reported
The plan, put forth by Elmhurst-based developer Nitti Group, called for the construction of 357 total residential units across 32 low-rise buildings off Meacham Road near Algonquin Road.
Plans for the southern phase of the Nitti proposal included six four-story apartment buildings with 270 units. The northern phase plans included a mix of townhouses and row houses, ranging from 1,600 to 2,000 square feet.
Despite Wednesday’s setback, Nitti Group plans to present the proposal to the Schaumburg village board on Aug. 27 for final consideration.
The commission’s vote was heavily influenced by a report, requested by Commissioner Dale Litney detailing police service calls from nearby multifamily properties. There were 1,933 requests for police assistance among 3,233 residences across eight multifamily properties in Schaumburg in the year ending July 1. The report included all calls made for any reason. The number of calls for police assistance at single-family homes and commercial businesses wasn’t reported. Nonetheless, commissioners and residents complained that apartments put too much strain on police.
Palatine Township Elementary District 15 Superintendent Laurie Heinz sent a letter in opposition to the project because added population could negatively impact the school district.
Other critics have argued the development does not align with Schaumburg’s comprehensive land-use plan, which recommended single-family homes for the site. However, Schaumburg Community Development Director Julie Fitzgerald rebuffed that criticism, noting that the comprehensive plan is a policy document rather than a strict requirement.
The project has received support from the property’s seller Paul Loeber, CEO of Loeber Motors. Loeber’s family has been trying to sell the tract for over 20 years.
“I think these people can do a fine job of building there,” Loeber said.
The development’s future now hinges on the upcoming village board decision.
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Meanwhile, Nitti is working on another project in Schaumburg. The firm is developing 149 single-family homes on 62 acres formerly owned by Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211.
Another development that is underway in Schaumburg is UrbanStreet’s redevelopment of the former Motorola headquarters site, which will include 300 apartments alongside retail and restaurant spaces.
— Andrew Terrell