2 New Springbank Neighborhoods Get Reapproval From Plainfield Trustees

PLAINFIELD, IL — The Springbank subdivision west of Drauden Road and south of Allison Road will expand, the Village Board unanimously voted.

Trustees voted on March 17 to extend approvals for two neighborhoods, known as Springbank Unit 3A and Springbank Unit 10.

Trustees directed the village attorney to draw up an ordinance to grant a special-use permit for Unit 3A, allowing for up to 156 single-family detached houses to be built on 54.6 acres of undeveloped agricultural land. It's located south of the existing "Springbank Unit 3."

The new approval gives Avanti Properties Group two years to begin developing the land.

"There seems to be so much feedback about why we keep approving more housing," Trustee Cally Larson said during the meeting. "I think this accomplishes the goal that we talked about with the Board and the staff with the existing developer in town because we have an issue with an expiring annexation agreement. ... I just want to say thank you for working with us and for working with staff and doing something that's not blanketing something for another 10, 20 years."

During a discussion at the March 10 Committee of the Whole meeting, the Village Board was generally supportive of the request to reestablish prior approvals of the neighborhood but shared concerns over the duration of the approval.

"Staff also wants to ensure that the various developer obligations and associated deadlines/milestones for Springbank are understood and that the developer is committed to fulfilling those obligations," Director of Planning Jonathan Proulx noted in a report summary in which he indicated reapproval is appropriate.

"Springbank Unit 10," sitting on about 48.3 acres backing the DuPage River, has received two six-month extensions but didn't get recorded "due to market conditions that prevented us from initiating the project," Vice President Ryan Lefkowitz wrote in a letter to Proulx.

The Village Board first OKed the final plat for Unit 10 on March 21, 2022, then re-approved it on Sept. 19, 2022, and again on March 6, 2023. Village code requires plats to be recorded within 180 days.

The developer plans to market the neighborhood to builders and move forward with construction this year.

"The applicant is confident that the plat will be recorded extended approval window following Village Board reapproval," village documents read.