The Lake Forest City Council recently approved measures that move forward plans for two residential developments.
During a Jan. 17 meeting, the council considered a development that will contain nine single-family homes and another that would see three condominium buildings constructed near the Lake Forest Library. Amendments were also made to the master plan for the new Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital.
The council approved a zoning change and a tentative plat of subdivision for a proposed development at 770 Westleigh Road.
The Janko Group of Deerfield aims to build nine single-family homes targeted at empty nesters on 5 acres of a 22-acre site north of Westleigh Road and west of Stable Lane. The homes would be 3,000 to 3,500 square feet, have a master bedroom on the first floor and would sell for between $1.2 million and $1.5 million, said Jim Purinton, head of development for the Janko Group, at a November meeting.
The Lake Forest Land Foundation, which is an arm of the nonprofit Lake Forest Open Lands Association, bought the property eight years ago, said Cathy Czerniak, the city’s community development director. The remainder of the site, almost 17 acres, will be preserved as natural area, said John Sentell, president of Lake Forest Open Lands.
The property contains wetlands, wet mesic prairie and mature trees, Sentell said.
The developer now has to finalize engineering plans, which will be reviewed by the city Plan Commission. That could happen within the next two months, said Czerniak.
Along McKinley Road across from the downtown train station, the council approved a master plan for three condominium buildings. The council also gave conditional approval to the first of those buildings, which will be located at 721 and 725 McKinley Road, just north of the Lake Forest Library. Two small office buildings will need to be demolished before construction can start.
The first building will contain 13 units and will have underground parking, Czerniak said. The condo buildings are part of an effort by the city to move office and commercial space west to central business district and keep housing to the east of McKinley.
Czerniak anticipates demolition could start in the next 30 days and construction sometime in the spring.
Finally, the council amended and updated the master plan for Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital and in the process addressed some concerns voiced by residents at a Nov. 9 meeting of the Plan Commission.
The height of the east end of a berm will be raised and additional plantings will be added. Also, as portions of the existing hospital are vacated, a light reduction plan will be developed by the hospital.
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An acoustical engineer hired by the hospital found that a berm does well at screening any noise from a maintenance building that will be constructed on the property, Czerniak said. In the spring, city staff will meet with nearby residents who had concerns about water drainage.
Still to be determined is the future of the current hospital building. Arthur Miller, president of the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation, requested late last year that parts of the existing 1942 hospital be preserved.
The building’s architects, Anderson & Ticknor, are local design icons, Miller said.
“If that building is going to completely go away, I think there has to be a pretty significant discussion,” said Ald. Raymond Buschmann.
An amendment to the master plan said Northwestern will develop a plan “for memorializing” the existing hospital and submit it to the city for review. Northwestern has also hired a preservation consultant, Czerniak said.
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