Arlington Heights, developer disagree over Market project

The Arlington Market development, strongly desired by village officials and neighbors in the Kensington Street and Dryden Place neighborhood, hit a snag at Monday's village board meeting.

Mark Mastrorocco, land acquisitions manager with Pulte Homes, which has the residential pieces of the property under contract, said the developer would resume talks with village staff over points of disagreement.

The company proposes building 66 row houses on the north side of the property. The central area is approved for single-family homes, and Mastrorocco indicated Pulte would like to build something there eventually if the market is strong enough. The homebuilder is not involved with the commercial land along Kensington.

Village trustees agreed with staff members and the plan commission that the village should not take ownership of undersized streets or water mains on private property in the development. Providing guest parking is another area of contention.

"We've got to keep it market viable," said Mastrorocco, saying adding costs to the home prices and homeowners association assessments could hurt the project's success.

The smaller row houses would start in the mid-$200,000s, and the larger ones just under $300,000, he told the board. Pulte wants to build streets that are 22 feet wide. Village standards are 24 feet for private streets, wider for public ones.

Each home would have two extra parking spaces for guests, Mastrorocco said, but trustees envisioned problems when homeowners have parties if no guest parking lot is provided.

Village Manager Bill Dixon pointed out that Pulte has stuck to these points throughout discussions with the staff and the plan commission. But Mastrorocco said that faced with the board's opposition the company will try to work out solutions.

A project by a previous developer was proposed in 2003 and approved in 2006 with most of the old Arlington Market shopping center demolished in 2007.