Plans were greenlit this week for an eight-unit duplex development on South First Street in downtown St. Charles, and construction could begin this year for units expected to be priced over $1 million.

The Council approved the townhome development in a split vote Sept. 15, despite several holdouts on the council who said they didn’t want existing trees removed from the vacant site.

Alderperson Mark Foulkes said while he shares some of the same hesitations with other council members, he was in favor of getting the project started.

“The fact that that place has sat there for so long underdeveloped... I’m very appreciative of what you guys are trying to do, so we can finish out that land on First Street,” Foulkes said. “As long as you have the confidence that this can get started and get completed... I think that’s a good thing for the city.”

St. Charles developer J&B Builders Inc. plans to build an eight-unit duplex development, called River 504 Rowhomes, at the northeast corner of South First and Prairie streets.

J&B representatives Julie Salyers and Brian Buoy said each unit is expected to cost upwards of $1.9 million, and they intend to pay a $14,687 fee instead of providing affordable units.

The project includes four buildings, each with four stories, on the last remaining vacant lot of the Brownstone planned unit development on South First Street downtown.

Council approved the development plans with the conditions that brick pavers are used in place of cement sidewalks along First Street without trees and the existing trees are replaced with the largest locally grown trees possible.

Development plans for the area, approved in 2001, includes the Brownstone townhomes along the riverfront and the mixed-use Milestone Row building along South First Street, just north of the planned River 504 site.

Plans include 15 diagonal public parking spaces along the east side of South First Street. Developers would also be responsible for connecting the Prairie Street sidewalk to the riverwalk.

Developers proposed amendments to the original plan to scrap the commercial element, increase the building height limit from 49 feet to 57 feet and reduce the setback along South First Street from 5 feet to just under 3.5 feet.

Council members approved the preliminary plans and the planned unified development amendments in a 5-4 vote. Alderpersons Ron Silkaitis, Jayme Muenz, David Pietryla and Bryan Wirball voted no.

The sticking point for council members who voted against the project was the plans to remove the existing mature trees from the southwest corner of the site.

During a Planning and Development Committee meeting Sept. 8, developers and city staff said removing the trees was the most efficient way to install sanitary sewer lines.

Multiple council members said they would not support the development if the existing mature trees on the site were to be cut down and asked staff to explore alternative options.

At the Sept. 15 City Council meeting, community development director Russ Colby said the only other feasible option would be to run the lines from the south side of the project, under Prairie Street.

Colby said while running the sewer under Prairie Street would allow the trees to remain standing, the work would require multiple closures of the street while the work is performed.

Developers were not in favor of the change. Salyers said not only would it increase their budget and likely increase the price of the units, but it would delay their construction timeline to next spring at the earliest.

Salyers said they intend to start building this year, but moving the wastewater utilities would require additional engineering work before construction can begin.

“If we’re required to redesign the Sanitary line, it’s going to be very difficult to start the project before the year ends and the weather changes. This will impact the whole project,” Salyers said. ”We have a couple prospective buyers and if our pricing increases, which it likely will, it could make it not viable."

Before the vote, Wirball and Silkaitis held to their convictions that keeping the trees was non-negotiable, regardless of the effect on costs, traffic or construction timelines.

“I appreciate you wanting to replace the trees, but the existing trees that are there are probably 25 to 30 years old,” Wirball said. “It’ll be 20 to 30 years before it gets to that point again... If those trees are going to be removed, I’m not going to support this plan.”

“St. Charles is a tree city and I just have trouble removing mature trees when there are other options to do it,” Silkaitis said. “If there were no other options, I’d probably agree, but we do have options to relocate the lines, so I wouldn’t be in favor of this unless we can keep the trees.”

Muenz raised concerns over the development being done in phases. She said she would be more comfortable with starting construction of every unit at the same time, due to fears of the city being left with a half-developed site, should the project fall through.

“If we were building all of these at once, I think I would be far less concerned with what’s happening with the entire footprint of that site,” Muenz said. “Only building one at a time leaves us with a situation where they may only build the one unit, and could leave us with an open lot afterwards.”

Developers intend to start building the first two units this year, beginning at the north side of the site near the corner of South First Street and Cobblestone Drive.