Homes for a Changing Region Phase 3: Implementing Balanced Housing Plans at the Local Level
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Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800 Chicago Illinois 60606 312-454-0400 [email protected] www.cmap.illinois.gov Homes for a Changing Region Phase 3: Implementing Balanced Housing Plans at the Local Level Year Seven: Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora, and St. Charles The following funders made this project possible: The Chicago Community Trust, the Harris Family Foundation, and National Foreclosure Settlement award funds distributed by the office of the Illinois Attorney General. This project was supported through CMAP’s Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, which is funded by the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Chicago Community Trust. The project team also wishes to thank Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, Shodeen Homes, and Teska Associates for providing input on the development of this plan. FY15-0002 44673_Homes2014-Cover.indd 1 12/11/14 9:37 AM 44673_Homes2014-Cover.indd 2 12/3/14 2:51 PM 3 Homes for a Changing Region Phase 3: Implementing Balanced Housing Plans at the Local Level Year Seven: Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora, and St. Charles Summer 2014 44673_Homes2014-Body.indd 3 12/3/14 2:19 PM 4 September 2014 Over the last year, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, the Kane County Development and Community Services Department, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), and the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) have collaborated on a forward-looking housing planning exercise with four central Kane County communities — Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora and St. Charles. These groups have worked with local offi cials, their staffs, and residents to develop housing policy plans for each community. The group also examined current and projected housing data for the entire four-community group, developing general recommendations on which they can collaborate. We want to thank outside contributors to the project — the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Initiative, the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Chicago Community Trust, and the Harris Family Foundation — for their fi nancial support. We also want to thank Mayor Jeffery Schielke of Batavia, Mayor Kevin Burns of Geneva, President Dale Berman of North Aurora, and Mayor Ray Rogina of St. Charles, as well as their staffs for the extensive help they provided for these community studies. Allison Milld Clements of the Caucus; Brett Hanlon, Ellen Johnson, and Mark Vankerkhoff of Kane County; Nancy Firfer and King Harris of MPC; and CMAP staff provided oversight to the project. MarySue Barrett President, Metropolitan Planning Council David Bennett Executive Director, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Randall S. Blankenhorn Executive Director, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 44673_Homes2014-Body.indd 4 12/11/14 9:58 AM 5 Table of Contents Subregional Report and Recommendations 7 Housing Policy Plan: Batavia 23 Housing Policy Plan: Geneva 49 Housing Policy Plan: North Aurora 77 Housing Policy Plan: St. Charles 99 Appendix 125 List of Acronyms 140 44673_Homes2014-Body.indd 5 12/3/14 2:20 PM RD. DENKER RD. 6 IL-25 CORRON RED GATE RD. ARMY TRAIL RD. BOLCUM RD. DUNHAM RD. Wayne BURR RD. IL-64 SMITH RD. N. KIRK RD. Campton POWIS RD. Hills F o x R i v e r DEAN ST. IL-59 NORTH AVE. N. 5TH AVE. E. MAIN ST. CAMPTON HILLS DR. W. MAIN ST. DUPAGE ST. AIRPORT GENEVA RD. LAFOX RD. CHARLES IL-38 KAUTZ RD. KAUTZ KIRK RD. PECK RD. W. STATE ST. N. 1ST ST. KRESS RD. KRESS Metra Union Pacific West Line S T GENEVA E S TATE KESLINGER RD. W. ROOSEVELT RD. West Chicago CRISSEY AVE. E. FABYAN PKY. W. FABYAN PKY. BUNKER RD. RANDALL RD. RANDALL N. BATAVIA AVE. WENMOTH RD. FABYAN PKY. BATAVIA COUNTY COUNTY E. WILSON ST. MAIN ST. KANE DUPAGE S. RIVER ST. RIVER S. S. KIRK RD. KIRK S. NELSON LAKE RD. S. BATAVIA AVE. HART RD. HART Warrenvi BUTTERFIELD RD. BLISS RD. TANNER RD. HEALY RD. OAK ST. NORTH DEERPATH RD. AURORA ¨¦§88 W. DIEHL RD. Sugar S. RIVER RD. RD. MITCHELL DIEHL RD. 0 Grove1 2 Aurora N. EOLA RD. Naperville MILES N. LAKE ST. ORCHARD RD. E. INDIAN TRAIL RD. W. INDIAN TRAIL RD. AURORA AVE. INDIAN TRAIL RD. N. AURORA RD. LEGEND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AVE. FARNSWORTH N. COUNTY BOUNDARY UNINCORPORATED AREAS W. ILLINOIS AVE. Metra BNSF Railway Line GALENA BLVD. N. HIGHLAND AVE. HIGHLAND N. L-56 NORTH AURORA I METRA STATIONS W. GALENA BLVD. GENEVA METRA LINES E. NEW YORK ST. BATAVIA EXPRESSWAYS E. GALENA BLVD. PRAIRIE ST. S. LAKE ST. S. EDGELAWN DR. EDGELAWN S. ST. CHARLES MAJOR ROADWAYS 75TH ST. OGDEN AVE. JERICHO RD. RD. EOLA S. S. BROADWAY HILL AVE. HILL 5TH ST. Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora, and St. Charles participated in this study. Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. 44673_Homes2014-Body.indd 6 12/3/14 2:21 PM 7 Subregional Report and Recommendations Introduction The four communities that make up the Central Fox This section serves as an introduction to the Central Valley subregion in Kane County — Batavia, Geneva, Fox Valley Homes for a Changing Region housing policy North Aurora, and St. Charles — submitted an plan by putting local housing issues into regional and national context. It goes on to describe the most significant application to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency findings that are the result of both quantitative data for Planning (CMAP) for technical assistance in analysis and discussions between the project team, local summer 2012. These communities requested that governments, and residents. The section concludes the project partners — including the Metropolitan with recommendations for collaboration among the Mayors Caucus (the Caucus), the Metropolitan four communities to address common issues. Individual municipal housing policy plans, including both analysis and Planning Council (MPC), and the Kane County recommendations, follow this section. Development Departmen — take a deep dive to answer questions about current conditions and While each community has its own unique history and the future of the housing market in the subregion. character, they share a few notable strengths. All four communities are nestled on the banks of the scenic Fox With a history of interjurisdictional collaboration River, providing environmental amenities and recreational around boundary agreements, emergency medical opportunities. The communities also share significant services, and code enforcement adjudication, commercial corridors along Illinois Route 31, Randall Road, the communities also requested that the project and Kirk Road, offering ample access to consumer goods and partners recommend strategies to address services to residents. In addition to highway and commuter challenges identifi ed both at the municipal and rail connections to the employment centers of northwest Cook County and downtown Chicago, these communities also subregional level. have access to nearby jobs in Elgin, Aurora, and Naperville. Aurora, Batavia, Carpentersville, East Dundee, Elgin, Geneva, Montgomery, North Aurora, St. Charles, and West Dundee have all completed Homes plans. As such, Kane County Fox River communities have an opportunity to work together toward a prosperous future either collectively or in sub-groups. 44673_Homes2014-Body.indd 7 12/3/14 2:21 PM 8 HOMES FOR A CHANGING REGION Existing Conditions FigureGeneral 1. General statistics statistics CENTRAL FOX BATAVIA GENEVA NORTH AURORA ST. CHARLES SUBREGION 2011 population 25,828 21,550 16,040 31,792 96,210 Change as percent, population 2000-11 8% 10% 52% 18% 18% GO TO 2040 population projection, 2040 33,867 29,998 21,307 41,726 126,898 Change as percent, 2011-40 31% 39% 33% 27% 32% Median household income $88,529 $95,467 $82,355 $77,011 $85,841 Jobs, 2011 14,989 14,182 4,612 20,686 54,469 Source: U.S. Census Bureau and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. The Central Fox Valley enjoys a high median household One potential explanation for this trend is the fact that owner income (see Figure 1) relative to Kane County ($69,496) costs can be “sticky.” That is to say, many owners remain and the Chicago metropolitan statistical area ($62,246)1 as locked in older mortgages and face difficulty attempting to a whole. Tracking the nation, however, these incomes have refinance. Declining incomes and unemployment only make declined in general since 2000, with the exception of North the problem worse. Since the most recent figures include Aurora (see Figure 2). Race and ethnic makeup has remained a rolling average taken over the course of five years, it is relatively constant over the past 20 years, and, as of 2011, more difficult to draw conclusions about trends since the the communities remain predominantly Caucasian with the official end of the recession. However, national and regional Hispanic population as the largest minority (see Figure 3). analysis would suggest that the demand for rental housing has increased during that time, driving up the cost of monthly The average sale price of homes in each community has gross rent. On the bright side, as of 2013 the foreclosure filing declined over the past five years (Figure 4). While it may rate was lower than in 2009 when the recession was in full seem that these two trends should result in an easing swing (see Figure 7). of housing cost burden, the share of both renters and homeowners paying more than 30 percent of monthly income on housing costs has increased since 2000 in all four communities (see Figure 5 and Figure 6). 1. Source: American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, 2007-11. 44673_Homes2014-Body.indd 8 12/3/14 2:21 PM SUBREGIONAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9 Percent change in real median household income 2000-11 Figure 2. Percent change in median household income, 2000-11 What is affordable housing? 5.0% +4.2% One of the most essential elements in understanding local housing dynamics is housing affordability.