Revised subdivision plan rolls on in Hawthorn Woods
An advisory Hawthorn Woods panel is recommending approval of a revised plan for houses and commercial lots at the northeast corner of Route 22 and Quentin Road.
Hinsdale-based Foxford Communities is leading the development plan for the site, which is across the street from a retail plaza with Mariano's Fresh Market, a McDonald's and a PNC Bank in Lake Zurich. It would be the third phase of the Hawthorn Trails subdivision.
Members of the village's advisory planning, building and zoning commission have given a thumbs-up to the project, with a condition that fire-suppression sprinklers be installed in all 39 houses to be clustered together. Panel members said the closeness of the houses is why the sprinklers should be required.
Community development director Michael Cassata said at a meeting last week residential sprinklers are not mandatory under Hawthorn Woods' village code. However, planning, building and zoning commission member Chris Donovan responded that Foxford's proposal would be on lots that are much smaller than usual in the village.
"We don't have other developers coming in here with lot sizes of 4,000 square feet and houses five feet apart," Donovan said.
Village board trustees will get the final say on the project after receiving the planning, building and zoning commission's recommendation.
As originally proposed, the houses would have been part of a development with a gas station, car wash and the commercial areas. Foxford dropped the gas station and car wash after stiff resistance from nearby residents.
Under the revised plan, there would be four commercial lots in place of the gas station and car wash on nearly 4 acres closest to Quentin and Route 22. The 39 clustered single-family houses, to be located toward the north end of the property, would start at about $500,000 and have alleys to mimic an urban setting.
According to its website, Icon Building Group of Algonquin would offer single-family houses ranging from 2,418 to 3,275 square feet that would cover most of the individual building lots.
Tim Kellogg, a property consultant with Hinsdale-based Foxford, said the development team also is trying to accommodate the village by planning a privately maintained playground that would be geared toward preschool-age children. He said all residents would be able to use the park's swings, jumping rocks and a dinosaur teeter totter.
At meetings this past summer, several residents voiced concern about the potential of the Foxford plan leading to declining property values because of smaller houses nearby and added traffic congestion.
Hawthorn Trails subdivision resident Somesh Surapureddi said he appreciates the changes.
"Thanks a lot for the cooperation and listening to us," he told village officials and the Foxford development team last week.