Proposed Charles Farm development puts Elburn on the edge

When Elburn Village President Jeff Walter learned of Pulte Homes plans for 970 acres outside of St. Charles in an article on the Kane County Chronicle and the Daily Herald websites, he was surprised.

“This is a big surprise to us that something like this would come this far west,” he said.

Pulte has submitted a concept plan for the proposed Charles Farm with a request for annexation to the City of St. Charles to build a 970-acre residential development of more than 2,000 residential units. The plan calls for a Del Web 967-unit active seniors community plus 846 single-family homes and 198 townhomes as well as 15 acres of commercial development.

The western border of the proposed development, Harley Road, places it about a mile from Elburn’s border at Keslinger and Pouley.

“For decades, Elburn has worked with the La Fox community and others to promote growth while also preserving green space delineation between our communities,” wrote Walter in a statement to St. Charles Mayor Vitek and the St. Charles Development Director. “This proposal will jump St. Charles over a large open space complex and land a large residential development on top of La Fox with no connectivity to St. Charles.

Walter said that this proposed development would also result in confusing layers of school districts, fire districts and other agency lines.

Walter said that the Village of Elburn along with a number of other surrounding government agencies have supported Drew Frasz, former Kane County Board member and President of the La Fox Civic Association, in coming to terms with several developers over the past 24 years to oppose large-scale, high-density developments that would have disrupted the rural community identity of La Fox it wants to maintain.

The area includes the La Fox Historic District, Rustic Road designated Brundige Road, and over two miles of Mill Creek which contains endangered species.

After four years of working together, Frasz and the other members of the La Fox Association were successful in reaching an agreement between La Fox and a developer to build “Settlements of La Fox” community of 1,275 dwelling units on 1,200 acres with a density of 1.06 units/acre and 45 percent open space with Kane County oversight.

The plan was approved by the Kane County Board in 2007, however was put on hold by the 2008 recession.

Frasz said that the development Pulte is proposing to build has a density of 2.27 units/acre vs. 1.06 units/acre, over twice the density of the previously negotiated agreement.

He said that the developer has not reached out to the community of La Fox and their plan ignores the La Fox Historical District and the Brundige Road Rustic Road designation.

Pulte Homes will present its concept plan for the development, Charles Farms, at the St. Charles Plan Commission meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4

People may attend the meeting in person or virtually on zoom, by first registering on the St. Charles website.

People may send their comments to cdstcharlesil.gov up until 2 p.m. on Sept. 4.

People may attend the meeting in person or virtually on zoom, by first registering on the St. Charles website.