The majority of Oswego planning and zoning commissioners believe that a concept plan to build 20 townhouses and 40 condominium units on 6.7 acres on the east side of Route 31 is too dense and out of place with the surrounding neighborhood.

Commissioners reviewed the proposal at their Jan. 8 meeting. Naperville-based Property Addon submitted the concept plan for the property, which is just north of River Run Boulevard in Oswego and directly adjacent to the Fox River to the east.

The land currently is unincorporated.

“It just feels so out of place with what’s there right now,” commissioner Lisa Hillman said.

Commissioner Justin Sather agreed. He noted there are single-family homes to the north, to the south and to the west of the proposed development.

“This just seems to be another development that’s out of place, that doesn’t fit,” Sather said. “I’d rather see three large homes built there. It’s on the river. It’s probably the most beautiful part of Oswego. Why can’t we have the three-acre lots with million-dollar houses on a river instead of cramming as many people we can to the smallest spot possible shoehorned into the area.”

Commissioner Kim Bradshaw said she would be more comfortable if the condominium building was eliminated from the plan in favor of perhaps more townhouse buildings.

Bradshaw said she would like to see luxury townhouses.

“I just think a condo building is going be another eyesore, especially there,” she said.

Commissioner David Rood, however, supported the proposal.

“I think this is the thing we need downtown,” he said. “This is exactly what we need.”

Rood said such a development would bring more people to the downtown and help the downtown attract more businesses. He admitted the development doesn’t look like many of the buildings in the downtown.

“It is a little more modern than all of the quaintness we have downtown, but it’s 2026,” he said.

The townhouse units would be located on the west side of the site with the closest proximity to the entrance on Route 31, Oswego Development Services Director Rod Zenner said in a staff report.

“There will be five buildings with access drives onto the entrance drive,” Zenner said. “The condominium building will be located with the closest proximity to the river to the east. Half of the condo units will directly face the river while the others will face west inwards towards the development.”

As proposed, the condo units would be in a five-story building. The building’s first floor would contain enclosed parking and the residential units on the four upper floors.

Zenner estimated the building would be between 50 and 58-feet high, based on typical construction.

“By comparison, the single-family residential home located directly to the south is approximately 32-38 feet in height [not counting the copula at the top of the home],” he said. “The senior housing project adjacent to Village Hall has a height of 42.5 feet.”

The building will have a flat roof to minimize the overall height of the structure, Zenner said. Each unit will have a balcony that is provided on all four sides of the building.

The developer will need to have a traffic study done to determine what improvements the village or the Illinois Department of Transportation will require.

Sidewalks will be provided along Route 31 and additional walking paths will be installed to provide pedestrian access near the Fox River, Zenner said.

Several residents also spoke against the project, including Renee Atkins, who lives on the riverfront along Route 31 in Oswego.

“This exact plan is not compatible with the homes around it,” she said. “I feel like riverfront properties are inherently different than everything else. ... I’m not opposed to growth. I just think there are probably better areas in the Oswego area that are suited for this.”