Bartlett considers 30 single-family homes on Kane side

For the second time this month, a developer has approached Bartlett trustees with plans for single-family homes on vacant land once intended for town homes.

The real estate arm of Reliable Materials Corp. wants to bring 30 stand-alone houses to a roughly 9-acre site on the corner of West Bartlett Road and Southwind Boulevard. The homes would also put new residents in the village's Kane County side for the first time in years, officials say.

Reliable Materials, the owner of the land, is expected to name a homebuilder that would move forward with more detailed plans after trustees gave an informal nod to the concept Tuesday night.

While he welcomed single-family homes, Trustee Eric Shipman made clear vacant land to the west, also owned by Reliable Materials, is earmarked for office and light industrial development, although the company hasn't pitched any projects there.

"So often is the case when you get residential, people move in there and the last thing they want moving next to them is commercial and business, and that's what we have planned for that corner," Shipman said. "I think it's a good corner for commercial and business at some point."

In 2009, the village signed off on a preliminary proposal for a subdivision of 64 town homes, but the developer walked away in the housing market crash and never compiled final designs. Today, the site is bordered by vacant land to the north and west, athletic fields to the south and single-family homes to the east.

Earlier this month, trustees also were generally receptive to William Ryan Homes' vision for 43 single-family homes on Naperville Road south of Lake Street and east of Villa Olivia, the park district's golf, banquet and ski venue. That property saw two different town home developers drop plans before even breaking ground.

"There's still not a market today for this town home product in this area," said Richard Guerard, an attorney for Reliable Materials.

Both developers have proposed a 25-foot backyard setback on lots, well below the 45-foot standard in village code.

On Tuesday, Trustee T.L. Arends bristled at that configuration, echoing comments she made when Glenview-based William Ryan Homes came before the board.

"I cannot get past the 25 foot yard, period," Arends said. "It's not enough."

Guerard and village officials, though, say the size meets demand from homeowners looking for hassle-free backyards.

"Some years ago, there was a trend for more of the estate lot," Community Development Director Jim Plonczynski said in an interview. "I think now there's a trend towards more of the what I would call the city or urban lot (...), smaller setbacks, smaller yard and obviously less maintenance."

If the board gives the green light, the footprints for the homes would total 2,500 to 3,200 square feet. Prices would range from about $325,000 to $400,000.