Swansea considers controversial plan for subdivision of 274 homes to be rented, not owned
Swansea trustees are expected to make a decision in early September on whether to annex and rezone 49 acres of farmland to accommodate a controversial plan for a new type of housing development.
The 274 homes would be rented instead of owned, following a national trend of “build-to-rent” subdivisions that are billed as an alternative to apartment complexes for people who can’t afford or don’t want to buy.
White Oak Commons would be on the north side of Thouvenot Lane, which connects with Frank Scott Parkway, between Old Collinsville Road and Hartman Lane.
“For the village, it’s a different housing choice,” said Joe Iliff, building and zoning director. “It’s another option that we (could) give people who want to live in Swansea. It’s not just you either live an apartment or you buy a house.”
Several area residents voiced opposition to the development at a Planning and Zoning Board meeting on July 12, citing potential problems related to traffic, property values, stormwater runoff, subdivision maintenance, first responders and school overcrowding.
The discussion led to a tie vote by the Planning and Zoning Board on whether to recommend the annexation and zoning change to the Swansea Board of Trustees, with three voting yes, three voting no and one absent.
Opponents include Swansea resident Brian Thouvenot, 49, whose mother lives on a century-old family farm next to the proposed development. His grandparents owned some of the 49 acres until the 1970s.
Brian Thouvenot likened White Oak Commons to a giant, high-density mobile home park that would create traffic, safety and quality-of-life issues and strain village resources.
“All the homes would be 10 feet apart,” Thouvenot said. “Can you imagine how many cars that’s going to be?”
Village Administrator Ben Schloesser said the current landowner, Hospital Sisters Health System, has made it clear that it plans to sell the property to make way for a housing development, whether it’s annexed by Swansea or another surrounding municipality.
“There’s value to have a say in that process,” Schloesser said.
School district weighs in
Dawn Elser, superintendent of Central School District 104, sent a letter to Swansea Mayor Mike Leopold and village trustees on Aug. 22, questioning why no one had consulted school officials about the development plan.
The district’s Central Elementary School and Arthur Middle School in O’Fallon serve parts of Fairview Heights, Shiloh, Belleville and Swansea, including the area where White Oak Commons would be.
“I was blindsided by (news of the plan),” Elser said.
Elser expressed concern about the instability of such a large rental development with “families coming and going” and its effect on district schools, which now serve about 600 students in preschool through eighth grade.
Elser noted that complexes with one- and two-bedroom apartments generally are occupied by single people and couples with no children or one child, so they have less of an impact on schools than subdivisions of homes with up to four bedrooms, which are planned at White Oak Commons.
“Central 104 has really prided itself on keeping class sizes small, and we’ve been able to do that with steady enrollment,” Elser said. “A potential large influx of students could cause us to become overcrowded.”
Elser said she generally believes “development is good” but worries that White Oak Commons could be bad for the school district, and she needs more information to solidify her opinion.
The land along Thouvenot Lane also is part of O’Fallon Township High School District 203.
Land was gift to hospital
The 49 acres in unincorporated St. Clair County are owned by Hospital Sisters Health System, which operates St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon.
Dr. Enrique “Henry” Rodriguez and his wife, Priscilla Rodriguez, gifted the land to the HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital Foundation in December 2018, according to spokeswoman Kelly Barbeau.
The property is listed for sale at $1.96 million on the Balke Brown Transwestern website. That’s about $40,000 an acre.
Next Chapter Neighborhoods, the Georgia-based company that wants to buy the land and build White Oak Commons, is asking the village of Swansea to annex it and rezone it from agricultural to planned business district, which allows commercial and residential uses.
“The market is absolutely screaming for this type of product,” said Andrew Malzer, vice president of development for Next Chapter.
Malzer said high mortgage rates and real-estate prices are keeping some people from buying homes, while others are choosing to live the convenient and “hassle-free” renter’s lifestyle.
“And if they’re going to rent, they would rather rent their own home rather than live in a stacked apartment complex with shared walls,” Malzer said.
White Oak Commons would be different from many build-to-rent housing developments in the United States, Malzer said, because all its streets, sidewalks, yards and common areas would be owned and maintained by one company, Next Chapter.
“The way they described it to us in the (Planning and Zoning Board) meeting is that it’s kind of like a horizontal apartment complex,” said Iliff, the building and zoning director.
Iliff prepared a report for the Swansea Board of Trustees after the meeting and stated that the development could help meet a strong demand for local housing. The village would be responsible for police and fire protection, but not street or sidewalk maintenance.
Developer gives details
Next Chapter Neighborhoods has built two similar subdivisions, one in Georgia and one in South Carolina, which the company later sold, according to Malzer. It’s now developing a third in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Plans are still in the conceptual stage, but Malzer expects White Oak Commons to include:
- About 48 homes with one bedroom, 135 homes with two bedrooms, 75 homes with three bedrooms and 16 homes with four bedrooms, each with a garage and back porch.
- Amenities such as a swimming pool, fitness center, walking trails, a grilling area, playground, dog park and possibly a pickleball court, as well as retention ponds for stormwater runoff.
- An atmosphere of diversity with all ages and backgrounds, not one of segregation with mostly young people or senior citizens.
Rents ranging from $1,200 to $1,400 for one-bedrooms, $1,400 to $1,600 for two-bedrooms, $1,600 to $1,900 for three-bedrooms and $1,900 and up for four-bedrooms.
- Preservation of natural wetlands and a large creek that runs through the middle of the property.
Malzer called the founders of Next Chapter “visionaries” who developed their first build-to-rent subdivision before other companies jumped on the bandwagon and before the current housing crisis.
“This build-to-rent space is the fastest growing niche in the real-estate market today,” he said.
Resident questions process
Brian Thouvenot’s great-grandparents, Joseph and Irma Thouvenot, settled in St. Clair County in the late 1800s. Log cabins predated the white farmhouse where his mother, Jean Thouvenot, lives.
Today, the area is filling up with subdivisions, apartment complexes and businesses, increasing traffic on Thouvenot Lane, which St. Clair County is widening.
Brian Thouvenot said area residents know that the HSHS land will be developed, but they feel village officials have rushed the process for White Oak Commons and failed to adequately examine the potential impacts of this relatively new type of rental development.
“When you zone it as one piece of property, you don’t have to adhere to the typical setbacks and spacing that you would have in a traditional neighborhood,” he said. “How they can get the density that they need is by putting the homes 10 feet apart. They’re literally right on top of each other.”
Next Chapter Neighborhoods applied for annexation and rezoning on June 16, according to Iliff. The Planning and Zoning Board considered it on July 12, resulting in the tie vote.
The Swansea Board of Trustees Community and Economic Development Committee tabled the proposal on Aug. 1 before voting 3 to 3 on Aug. 15. Mayor Leopold broke the tie in favor.
A vote on the annexation and zoning change is on the agenda for the next Board of Trustees meeting Sept. 6.
Thouvenot said officials violated village rules by allowing the Planning and Zoning Board to send the proposal to the Board of Trustees without waiting the required 90 days in the case of a tie vote and by allowing the mayor to break a tie in committee.
“We just want the process to be fair and well-thought-out,” Thouvenot said.
Mayor Leopold couldn’t be reached for comment on this story. Administrator Schloesser said officials have followed the “standard process” for reviewing a proposal to annex and rezone, as outlined in village ordinances, with White Oak Commons.
“There have been statutorily-mandated public hearings, and the public has had every opportunity to provide input,” he said.
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
