At its Oct. 3 meeting, the Lake Zurich Village Board decided to wait on making a decision about a proposed new subdivision that plans to include dozens of town houses, amid public concerns over the density of the project and its aesthetics.
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“I thought I was going to stay here until I die, and then I received notice about this 52-townhome community going up across the street from me,” resident Cindy Zappa said at the meeting, telling the board she would consider moving if the project got the green light as it was presented Monday.
She currently lives next to the proposed development at 670 South Old Rand Road.
The 52-townhome development has been about a year in the works, and the Planning and Zoning Commission approved it in August – on the condition that the developers meet some half-dozen criteria, which the developers did do.
Even still, in the face of opposition from the public as well as a majority of the Village Board, the developers asked for another month to address concerns and possibly redesign their plans.
For the most part, the opponents criticize the 9-acre development as being too dense, the buildings (at three stories high) too tall and, simply, an eyesore — among other concerns.
Zappa offered a whole host of objections, including an increase in traffic as well as litter and the destruction of a green space where children play — which is technically private property. But mostly, she just didn’t like the looks of the project, she said.
“It looks to me really uninviting and aesthetically unappealing,” Zappa said.
Three others also spoke out against the development.
“Similar to Cindy, I share concerns,” said Mark O’Rourke. He explained he also thought the plan was too dense and tall, and added that it would lead to light pollution – among other issues.
Elise Hood suggested that 52 new families in the area would stretch thin existing infrastructure, including the schools, noting that 52 families could bring around 200 new people to the area.
“I would like to see it stay the way it was when we moved here 18 years ago,” Hood said.
Still, developers defended their plan but pointed out they were amenable to changes and, in fact, had made changes based on the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in August.
Architect Dennis Kulak with Chicago-based KLLM said his firm had made a number of plan revisions based on community concerns, including moving the homes back from the road to afford more green space.
“We originally had 10 feet from the road and the property line. We now have 20 feet from the edge of the road to the property,” he said.
He also said the space would be used to plant evergreen trees and other vegetation and a 5-foot wide sidewalk.
“We are adding a crosswalk with a sign that is lighted through solar or whatever,” he said.
Kulak said a traffic study found there wouldn’t be any undue burden on the side streets, as they were built to accommodate an expanded capacity. He said an existing pond and green space of about an acre would remain, offering a buffer between the homes on the same contiguous plot of land and the new development.
Even the village’s community development director, Sarosh Saher, said the development, as presented, did not violate any codes and neither was it any denser than any other recently approved subdivision developments.
Even so, the board seemed leery of approving the project, with their objections being mostly about aesthetics.
“I think we’re on the journey, but we’re not done,” said Trustee Jon Sprawka, who said he didn’t think the street-facing garages looked very attractive.
“I would encourage pencil to paper, come back and revise this,” he said.
The majority of village trustees seemed to agree.
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Facing likely denial, the representatives for the developers — Kulak and a lawyer — asked for 30 days to once again revise the project to accommodate public and board concerns. This was granted, and the board make take up the issue in early November.
Jesse Wright is a freelancer.