Townhouse plan has some residents upset

Citing the likelihood of added road congestion and wetland disruption, some residents in unincorporated Fremont Township are against 249 townhouses proposed for Round Lake.

Plans call for the project to rise on 120 acres near Route 60 and Fairfield Road. Developer Marc Neuerman wants Round Lake to bring the unincorporated property within village boundaries through annexation.

Neuerman, managing member of Rosemont-based NBG Land Partners, said 75 of the 120 acres would be wetlands and open space. He said the wetland area would be improved and restored to pristine condition.

"I think what we're trying to do is we're trying to cluster (the homes) and be sensitive to open spaces and wetlands," he said Friday.

But some Fremont Township residents who live near the proposed development, including Mary Beth Kamnis, are skeptical.

They contend the townhouses likely will create more congestion on major thoroughfares such as Route 60, reduce values of surrounding properties and negatively affect the wetlands.

"In the morning, I can't get out of my driveway," said Kamnis, who lives on Chardon Road, west of Peterson Road and Route 60.

Kamnis said she hopes project opponents will attend a meeting of the Round Lake plan commission at 7 p.m. Oct. 30. The meeting will be at village hall, 442 N. Cedar Lake Road.

Plans call for 2-story townhouses to be clustered, with trails connecting the development. Neuerman said he hopes to attain approval so construction begins in mid-2008.

Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes said he's encouraged by the development plan, particularly the idea of creating clusters of townhouses so about 60 percent of the site would be open space and wetlands.

"By no means is it a done deal," Gentes said. "There's a process it's going through."

Village board members will get the final say on the development after receiving a plan commission recommendation. Gentes said he doesn't anticipate a final village board vote for several months.