Revised Vernon Hills condo plan moves ahead

Builders acknowledge it could be two years or more before ground is broken, but a plan is proceeding for 90 condos in two buildings fronting Little Bear Lake in Vernon Hills.

Without promising final approval, the village board this week agreed a revised plan for the Lake Vernon Condominiums at Lakeview and Hawthorn parkways could move to staff review and public hearing.

The nearly 5-acre site is best known as the location of Opa and Portofino restaurants, which would be demolished and reintroduced as part of the ground-floor retail uses in the two condo buildings.

Chris Georges has owned the land and operated the restaurants for the past 25 years. The condo plan was informally presented to the village board in February, but was rejected because of concerns over height, density and traffic.

Substantial changes were made in the revised plan presented by Rick Vanselow, a partner in Demari Development Inc., of Lake Bluff.

Developers cut the number of units from 100 to 90; building heights were reduced, tapered and moved farther apart on either side of a plaza; a bank that was part of the project was eliminated; and, a boardwalk added to connect with a lake shore path.

"We feel this is a much better package," Vanselow said. "It reduces the overall mass; it blends right into the landscaping with the lake."

With the boardwalk and path, he added, public access to the lake shore would become available where it hadn't been before. Those issues have to be worked out with the Vernon Hills Park District and Lake County Stormwater Management Commission.

The architecture was described as a Beaux Arts design, which flourished between 1885 and 1920. It's a classical style featured in court houses, government structures and other large buildings, including Grand Central Terminal in New York.

"This is an opportunity to create what goes beyond just a big box," architect Darcy Bonner said. "There's been a lot of attention paid to all four elevations, every aspect, every view."

Some residents argued the buildings still were too large and at seven stories, too high for the prominent corner and would change the view from the adjoining Century Park. They also feared congestion in the area would worsen.

Village officials said there are plans to address traffic on Lakeview, Hawthorn and access to nearby Route 60.

"Regardless of whatever happens with the project, that's not going to stop us from improving those intersections. The traffic is already there," Mayor Roger Byrne said.

Board members appeared to like the design.

"This development is like no other residential development I'm aware of in town," Byrne said.

The property would have to be rezoned and variations for the number of units, buffers and setbacks, number of parking spaces and building heights required.