All new Naperville apartment buildings, condominium buildings and most townhouses will require brick on half of their exteriors as part of a move by the City Council to toughen design guidelines.
Council member Richard Furstenau, who has sought the ordinance for months, proposed it again at a council meeting this month, when it was approved.
Furstenau wanted the ordinance because he said some Naperville developments don’t age well. He says requiring brick or masonry, including stone or concrete panels, will improve the aesthetics of a development.
“We’ve had some developments, some large, multifamily apartments and townhouses, that have been done in all siding, three stories, no break-ups in the way the units look,” he said. “After time, they start to look like barracks.”
Furstenau said that many of the newer apartment and condominium buildings in Naperville already have brick facades because the City Council has required brick on a case-by-case basis. The new rule means that every building will have to have the materials, he said.
City officials said the rule applies to multifamily housing, which is buildings of three or more units.
Naperville builder Tom Bart was disappointed by the ordinance, saying that the mandate will drive up the rents or mortgages for many people who cannot afford single-family homes.
“What they’re doing, it’s making it harder for teachers and city staffers to afford homes in Naperville,” Bart said. “That reduces the attainability of housing.”