Developer drops commercial plan in Wauconda

Wauconda residents fighting a proposed development on Route 176 near Sky Hill Road said Wednesday they were ecstatic to hear the developer withdrew the commercial part of the plan.

"It's very gratifying when your elected officials actually listen to you," resident Steve Rubin said.

Neighbors got up in arms early this month after learning the plan included a small commercial development of about 7,500 square feet in addition to 37 townhouses.

They complained of possible traffic and said they were shocked to learn it was the village that encouraged developer Castle MDP to include the commercial portion of the plan.

"I don't think really anybody objected to the residential portion in the first place," Rubin said. "We were very surprised to find (the commercial portion) wasn't the developer's idea."

After the village heard from residents on the issue, Mayor Salvatore Saccomanno said Wauconda brought the concerns to the developer.

"What we wanted to do is minimize the impact of the commercial in the neighborhood," Saccomanno said, adding the village asked for very limited hours of operation at any potential business in the location. "Based on that ... (the developer) just asked if he could pull that component out."

Instead of the commercial plot, the developer will now increase the number of residential units to 46.

"It turned out the neighbors had some very valid concerns," Saccomanno said.

The village will hold a special committee of the whole meeting Sept. 4 to discuss the proposal without the commercial portion.