Developers downsize proposal for West Dundee senior housing
An independent-living component has been removed from a proposed senior housing facility in West Dundee, with developers choosing to focus on assisted living and memory care.
Updated plans for the residential community at Route 31 and Angle Tarn call for reducing the number of apartments to 126 from 200, eliminating below-grade parking garages and downsizing the lot to 9 acres from 12, according to village documents.
Cutting the independent-living wing was an operational decision made by project leaders from Iowa-based Nelson Construction and Development, whose market studies have indicated a higher demand for assisted living and memory care, said Tim Scott, West Dundee's community development director. With a reduced density and lower parking demand, he said, the project now includes more green space throughout the property.
Trustees have unanimously approved preliminary plans for the site, including granting a special zoning use for a senior housing campus. Final development plans now will be reviewed by two advisory commissions before returning to the village board for a final vote.
The property slated for the senior housing project will be subdivided from a vacant 18-acre lot, leaving another 9 acres available for a compatible development plan, Scott said.
The land belongs to the Haeger Estes family, who founded and operated the now-shuttered Haeger Potteries in East Dundee. Fourth-generation company owner Lexy Haeger Estes and her husband, Craig Zachrich, have been partitioning sections of the family's estate for development purposes, including existing multifamily and single-family housing, as well as a corporate campus planned for the far south side of the village.
With a goal of filling a housing gap in the community, the senior living facility is a "piece of the puzzle" that Haeger Estes and Zachrich have long desired for their property, they said earlier.
The project is expected to offer 90 assisted-living units and 36 memory-care suites, with a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, village documents show. Two companion suites also will be available.
The memory-care and assisted-living units and services would be in separate wings, though all operations will take place under one roof to ensure efficiency, project leaders said.
Final development plans are expected to be reviewed by the appearance review commission Jan. 21. The proposal also will go to the planning and zoning commission before it is considered by the village board early this year.