Senior development headed to Carpentersville

Carpentersville seniors might one day have more options for where they can call home if a developer follows through on plans to develop just west of the village.

A representative from Naperville-based Atwell LLC discussed with Carpentersville officials Tuesday building a subdivision that would combine residential and commercial uses - housing catering to (but not restricted to) seniors plus space for doctor's offices and other businesses.

The site lies just outside the village's western boundary, prompting the need for annexation, but according to Village President Ed Ritter the board seems interested in expanding even farther west. Ritter said he liked most of the concepts but emphasized the preliminary nature of the presentation.

"This is quite a ways down the road," Ritter said. "We're two or three years from anything really happening."

The plan calls for development of about 166 acres along Huntley Road - space for commercial offices, ranch duplexes and quadplexes, age-restricted condominiums and single-family house lots. Early plans dedicate 14 acres to the single family lots which would border the Winchester Glen subdivision, the village's current western boundary.

Trustee Judy Sigwalt is cautious in her support for the project.

"With the economy and the housing market where it's at, I just don't know if this is a good time to move on it," Sigwalt said.

Though economists have declared the recession over, Sigwalt said she isn't sure there will be buyers for the upscale housing developers have in mind.

"We have a lot of seniors in this village that are on fixed incomes," Sigwalt said. "More and more people are opting to stay put and fix up what they have."

From here, Atwell will revise its plans and gather more information for a more in-depth proposal and another round of presentations to the village board.

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