The Rundown with Allison Longenbaugh

Meeting video: naperville.granicus.com/player/clip/...

No new updates. Here's a picture from NBC5 news just now.

BNSF delays!

Live link to meeting: naperville.granicus.com/player/event...

Full agenda: naperville.legistar.com/MeetingDetai...
You have until 4pm Tuesday to submit written comments and until 6:30pm to sign up for public comment. www.naperville.il.us/government/b...

3. Naper & Plank- approve final plat for the 90-unit development. This was another win for visitability. All 34 townhomes are visitable (no-step entry)!

2. Food & Beverage Tax (F&BT) - close the drive-through loophole by applying it to places like 7Brew, Dunkin Go, etc. Those have been exempt from paying the 1% tax because they don’t have seating, but it is an inequitable application of the tax. It could bring in $200K in F&BT revenue.

Council has a full docket with fall budget season, so this is a relatively short agenda. Of interest:
1. 2027 Priorities Plan presentation. Updates on Public Safety, Utilities, & Environment/Community Design.

We did not vote on the Data Center last night. We extended to 11:15p after a detailed presentation from petitioner & 20 public speakers. Rushing through questions & deliberations was not the right thing to do on this important decision. The public hearing continues on Nov 5.

Meeting ended after 11pm. Video: naperville.granicus.com/player/clip/...

Lots of height along this corridor.

The property is both Special Planning (stars) and Multi-Family (brown), each having different height limits.

This passed 7-2 (NO-Bansal & Castagnoli). I empathize with speakers who were concerned w density, setbacks, & height. Given its location, density is appropriate, & the height is commensurate with the surrounding buildings. I was happy that they flipped unit 2 so its entrance would be on Benton.

This passed 9-0 with very little discussion.

OH! This is the AT&T building at Main/Franklin. Did you know it used to be a brewery and a mushroom farm?
www.chicagotribune.com/2024/03/01/s...
(And it's 45 feet tall.)

Agenda: naperville.legistar.com/MeetingDetai...
Sign up to speak at Public Forum at the Municipal Center before the meeting starts.

Going forward, You have until 7pm Tues (24H before the meeting) to submit written comments/position statements on-line. www.naperville.il.us/government/b...

3. Karis Data Center (1960 Lucent Lane) - continuation of the public hearing started on Sep 3. The biggest change is that they eliminated Phase 2. That’s the building that would have been close to Naper Commons.

Benton+Main. The larger rowhouse building will have 7 units with entrances on Benton.

Benton+Main. These are the 2 rowhouse buildings with 2 townhomes in each building.

2. Benton+Main (109 W Benton) - M/I looking to build 11 townhome units across 3 buildings (7 in one rowhouse building & 4 in 2 additional rowhouses). They are looking for density, HEIGHT, setback, & coverage variances. The height is a biggie; 35 ft is permitted & they want 46 ft.

I’ll be back on the dais Wednesday for my first Planning & Zoning (PZC) meeting. Three items on the agenda. It could be a long meeting.
1. DJK (557 S Washington) - converting a residence to their design studio. Needs setback & rear yard coverage variances to be able to provide ample parking.

SECA has come up at recent Council meetings. As the former council liaison, I have experience with the process. City staff and commissioners dedicate hours & hours of work to ensure a transparent and robust review. I covered a number of FAQs on my website.
www.allison4naperville.com/post/seca-faq

Livestream: naperville.granicus.com/player/event...

7. Wright (W) - Villa-Prairie. Lots of gaps to fill in!
8. Highland (S) - Wright-Columbia. I can see the need here.

Agenda details. It explains the evaluation process staff uses: naperville.legistar.com/LegislationD...

5. Laird (W)- Douglas-Wilson. There are stop signs on Douglas E-W but not on Laird N-S. The SW corner is blind, & neighbors say many drivers ignore the stop signs. This is a win for kids' safety.
6. Vest (W)- Lockwood-Bauer. This strip could use a sidewalk (though it’s unincorporated).

3. Franklin (S)- Julian-Huffman. There’s a sidewalk on the north already. The properties to the south are heavily landscaped. This one would have been a no for me and residents were against it (per the comments).
(4. Kildeer wasn’t in running distance.)

2. Douglas (S)- Washington-Webster. It’s across from WJHS so it's a bit of a shocker that there isn’t a sidewalk. (Though possibly safer for them to stay on the north side, closer to the school?)

1. 6th (N)- Ellsworth-Center. The property on the south side is for sale which would mean a sidewalk eventually, but who knows when. Given that there are no sidewalks on either side, it’s needed for kids walking to school.

Whoops! I missed mentioning the Sidewalk Program in my recap for tomorrow’s meeting. It’s buried in the Consent Agenda but will likely get some discussion. Most of the locations are in walking/running distance from my house so I checked them out before the September TAB meeting.

Full agenda: naperville.legistar.com/MeetingDetai...
You have until 4pm Tuesday to submit written comments and until 6:30pm to sign up for public comment. www.naperville.il.us/government/b...

6. The Water Department was approved for a $3.5M, 30-year no-interest loan from the IEPA that will allow us to replace 100% of lead pipes in the city. I love that they reapplied and got the loan!
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/24/n...

5. Metra station Washington Bridge stairwell improvements - new handrails and updated signage.

Some other items on the agenda that caught my eye:
4. Downtown streetscape improvements (Jefferson/Main/Van Buren). Preliminary design work only. Project ETA 2030. Similar to the Washington Streetscape improvements, I hope residents have a chance to weigh in.

Option A-approve; Option B- deny. Staff supports option A but recommends future ordinances requiring the property owner to promptly address parking and traffic complaints, if they occur.