A plan to build a 288-unit apartment complex west of Wood Farm Road in Plainfield is moving ahead.

At the Dec. 1 Plainfield Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously approved site plans for The Nook, planned for 8.8 acres west of Wood Farm Road and north of Lockport Street, behind the U.S. Post Office in Plainfield.

Elevant Development Partners plans to build a courtyard-style project with four residential buildings. Each building would contain 72 units.

As proposed, each building will have its own courtyard with outdoor amenities. A swimming pool is located in the center of the development.

Trustees also approved annexing the land into Plainfield. The land previously was being farmed.

In addition, they approved rezoning the land to R-4 to facilitate the development of the proposed project. As village planner Alyssa Martin noted, the R-4 zoning complies with the future land use designation (multi-family) in the village’s Comprehensive Plan.

They also approved several variances. The village code allows a maximum of 15 dwelling units per acre in the R-4 zone district. Elevant requested a variance to allow 32 dwelling units per acre.

In addition, code allows only 24 units per building and the applicant was requesting 72 dwelling units per building.

“These variances would allow for greater density near the downtown and provide needed rental properties in the area,” Martin said.

Also, village code requires a minimum floor area of 750 square feet for a one-bedroom unit, 950 square feet for a two-bedroom unit and 1,150 square feet for three or more bedrooms.

Elevant requested an allowance for studios ranging in size from 450 to 550 square feet and one-bedrooms ranging in size from 625 to 700 square feet.

“This would allow for greater flexibility in rental products for residents needing smaller or more affordable spaces,” Martin said.

Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 is currently working with the developer to potentially create a rental assistance program instead of the standard school impact fee, Planfield Economic Development Director Jake Melrose told village trustees.

“School impact fees for residential developments are typically collected by a school district in lieu of getting land essentially or a contribution of land,” Melrose said. “So instead of doing that, they’re potentially trying to work through a rental assistance program.”

Plainfield Village President John Argoudelis said such a program would be beneficial.

“At a time when so many people are having a hard time finding housing that they can actually afford, especially young teachers, I think it’s really a nice, creative move,” he said. “Anything that can be done to reasonably address the affordability of housing in our towns is important. There should be a place for everybody.”