Condos hold cash for Gurnee schools

Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik said Monday night two local school districts would benefit from a housing development proposed near the village's border in unincorporated Lake County.

In a 6-0 vote, village board members authorized Kovarik to sign an agreement with the developer of the Wanish Park townhouses and condominiums, securing $55,000 in impact fees to be divided between Woodland Elementary District 50 and Warren Township High School District 121.

Kovarik said Gurnee has had an agreement with Lake County requiring developers to pay impact fees to schools and other taxing agencies affected by new housing on unincorporated land within 1½ miles of the village's border.

Wanish Park would have been unable to seek final approval from the Lake County Board if Gurnee didn't give its blessing to the impact fees that were negotiated, she said.

If built, Wanish Park will have 94 two-bedroom homes that must be owned by those 50 and older. The project is proposed for southwest of Hunt Club and Gages Lake roads in unincorporated Lake County near Gurnee.

"It looks like it would be a very nice development at that corner," Kovarik said.

Plans call for 54 condos and 40 townhouses at Wanish Park. The project might be up for final approval before the Lake County Board next month.

Some residents living near Gages Lake and Hunt Club roads are opposed to Wanish Park. Among them is Randy Helfer, who cites the likelihood of increased traffic and additional flooding problems as some of the concerns.

Helfer said a creek runs through the 22 acres pegged for the homes.

"It's constantly flooding and backing up," said Helfer, "and there is no flow through the property."

Kovarik said reducing the area's drainage problems is part of the plan for Wanish Park.