With overflow seating at City Hall, residents framed their opposition to a “high-density” subdivision proposal near St. Charles as a matter of the farm and “the circus.”

M/I Homes returned for a second crack at developing 38.8 acres of historic Red Gate Farm, this time with 76 homes instead of the 83 in an earlier iteration. The average 0.297-acre lot sizes of Claibourne Farm would feature three-car garage homes expected to cost around $800,000.

Opposition to the concept plan has united residents from the neighboring Rivers Edge, The Reserve of St. Charles, Red Gate, Traditions and the Red Gate Ridge subdivisions. They described existing traffic leading to St. Charles North High School as an overcrowded “circus” already causing significant safety concerns.

They said the plan’s solitary access point, onto Rosebud Drive in the Reserve of St. Charles subdivision, would compound traffic and safety woes.

The plan was discussed during the City Council’s committee of the whole meeting on April 20. If the developers decide to pursue the project further, applications for annexation into the city, rezoning and subdividing the land would need to be filed. All applications must receive final approval by City Council.

During the meeting, city officials echoed residents’ concerns that a second access point should be installed and that a traffic and safety study must be conducted.

City officials criticized the original concept plan for the density of homes, the small sizes of the lots and the lack of green spaces and landscape buffers. Council members said the plans should better match the density of surrounding homes.

Resident Jaimie Waite said the residential roads are not designed to handle the level of traffic coming from doubling the area’s density.

“Responsible growth should enhance the community, not overwhelm it,” Waite said. “I understand the development is necessary, but safe development is essential.”

Waite requested multiple access points and a traffic impact study during peak school and work hours.

“This places convenience over safety,” Waite said. “We are the people who will be walking those roads, crossing those intersections and living with the consequences of this decision every day during the school year.”

Alderperson Vicki Spellman said the single point of access with a “heavy traffic load” is a real concern. She said a second access point should lead to Red Gate Road.

“I am supportive of homes going into that parcel,” Spellman said. “That is what it’s zoned for. It’s the property owner’s right to sell that land. [It’s] in the comprehensive plan. It would be nice to put green space, but it is appropriate that homes go there.”

John Hoscheit, representing MI/Homes, said the property owner, Jim Cooke, has no plans to develop the rest of the farmstead. Hoscheit said with every new subdivision in the area, similar concerns were expressed by residents but the issues were addressed by engineers and staff.

“We’re confident it will enhance the neighborhood, continue to provide additional housing stock to new people that want to come to St. Charles,” Hoscheit said.

Several residents called for the development to preserve the character of the community. They said a group called Citizens For Responsible Growth has been established and legal counsel retained.

Resident Ryan Madigan said he’s “opposed to irresponsible development that poses risk to both the safety and infrastructure of the city.”

‘Still very high density’

After the initial plan faced significant criticism at a November plan commission meeting, city officials told the developers to meet with residents surrounding the farm.

During the April 20 meeting, a resident turned and asked the overflow audience how many were notified by the developers. No hands went up.

“Not one person here has been notified,” resident Chris Balodimas said. “That’s the type of character we’re dealing with. I don’t want a neighbor like that in my backyard. They’re not here for us. They’re here for themselves. We’re going to be stuck with all of this.”

Alderperson Bob Gehm said after all the feedback from the first plan, the new plan only eliminates seven homes. He said the plan “is still very high density.”

Gehm said development should be “congruent, balanced and thoughtful with the surrounding community, and the way this stands right now, it does not look congruent, balanced and thoughtful to the community.”

Addressing the lot sizes and density, Russ Whitaker, representing M/I Homes, said: “Many buyers in today’s market don’t want an expansive yard and the maintenance obligations.” He said people favor downtown recreation over “mowing the lawn and tending the flowers.”

He said lot sizes have only been increased along the development’s boundaries.

Whitaker said new residents are “moving to the suburbs for affordability, for access to schools, for proximity to jobs.” Residents laughed at his affordability claim when Whitaker said the expected home prices.

Whitaker also said M/I Homes has engaged a traffic engineering firm and conducted a traffic count on Rosebud Drive, Red Gate Road and Illinois Route 31.

He said the “surrounding roadways could reasonable accommodate the development.”

The previous concept plan proposal involved cutting down many mature tree.

Alderperson Bryan Wirball asked the developers to work with city staff to “try to keep as many mature trees” as possible. Wirball said he supports the plans with one access point, but if the rest of the farm is eventually developed, a second connection must be made to Red Gate Road.

The unincorporated property along Red Gate would need to be annexed to St. Charles before construction could begin.

Over several decades, Red Gate Farm has been sold off a parcel at a time for development. The site is now surrounded by residential subdivisions.