Orland Park plan commissioners found much to like with a proposed townhouse development but delayed a vote Tuesday night because of dissatisfaction with the building exteriors and some concern about the amount of parking.
Architect John Schiess presented plans for the Townhomes of Colette Highlands, which will consist of 60 rowhouse-style homes on 3.6 acres west of Centennial Park.
Plan Commission Chairman Louis Stephens asked Schiess to return to the Nov. 24 meeting with more attractive exteriors, and “maybe you can find a way to add a couple more parking spaces.”
Schiess presented commissioners with computerized images of the building exteriors, which include flat and pitched roofs, two different entrance styles, some balconies and full masonry on end units.
Stephens said the site plan “makes a lot of sense” but characterized the exteriors as “kind of blah.”
Schiess’ proposal calls for 254 spaces, nearly double the required amount for such a development, but it was criticized by Pat McLaughlin, president of the Park Station Boulevard 1 Condominium Association, as having insufficient guest parking.
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McLaughlin, the only resident to speak at the public hearing without prompting by the commission, said he feared that townhouse residents’ guests would park in the nearby Park Station spaces, as some commuters using the 153rd Street Metra station already do.
McLaughlin was happy that the plan included turning a north-south street into a dead end to prevent traffic — about 100 vehicles a day, mostly commuters — from cutting through Park Station, which is just east of the development site.
“We needed to have this road closed. This is a big plus for us,” he said.
Tom Osterkorn, who has a single-family home nearby, was also pleased about closing off the street and said he felt reassured after attending meetings with Schiess.
“I found him to be very receptive to our concerns,” Osterkorn said, adding that he was “OK” with the Townhomes at Colette Highlands proposal.
Schiess developed five layouts for the development in working with Orland Park senior planner Nictarios “Tari” Pittos and responding to the neighboring residents issues.
Pittos said the Townhomes at Colette Highlands plan would be “comparable to Sheffield Square,” which is north of the proposed property. He told commissioners that there’s both “variety and diversity in the development,” which will have garages at the rear.
Dennis Sullivan is a freelance reporter.