Carpentersville settles suit with Kimball Hill homes

Long-awaited repairs to roads and sidewalks in Carpentersville's largest subdivision are expected to begin in the coming months now that the village and a developer have settled a 16-month-old lawsuit.

Rolling Meadows-based developer Kimball Hill Homes sued the village in March 2006 over the release of about $5.2 million in surety bonds related to work in the Kimball Farms subdivision.

A surety bond guarantees a project's completion.

While Kimball Hill Homes claimed work on the first seven sections -- about 700-homes -- of the eight section subdivision was completed in April 2004, village officials and residents disagreed.

"There was a difference in opinion," said Village Manager Craig Anderson. "We didn't think everything they said was satisfactorily completed was completed satisfactorily."

Under the terms of the agreement, the village will release the bond in return for more than $344,000 in cash to pay for various improvements.

Anderson said more than $262,000 will pay for roadway improvements to Sleepy Hollow Road between Huntley and Miller roads.

The remaining $82,000, Anderson said, would be used to repair uneven sidewalks, cracked streets and replace dead or missing trees throughout the west side subdivision.

Anderson said village staff is preparing to bid out contracts for the various jobs.

"The hope is to get stuff done this year but the trees more likely will be planted in the fall or spring, which is when that should happen," Anderson said. "We want to have it wrapped up before the end of the calendar year, hopefully we will be successful."

Although the litigation lasted longer than the village would have preferred, Village President Bill Sarto said the outcome is reasonable.

"We are making another step forward on fixing some of the things that have been languishing out there for a few years," Sarto said. "That's a good thing."

And residents say they are satisfied with the outcome.

"I am extremely encouraged that we are moving forward," said Kimball Farms Master Association President David Poweleit. "I am looking forward to working with the village to make sure all of the issues are addressed and taken care of, hopefully in a timely manner."

A representative from Kimball Hill Homes did not return calls for comment.