New houses proposed near Mundelein's Fields of Ambria
A developer wants to build 12 houses on land partially encircled by the Fields of Ambria subdivision in northern Mundelein.
The 5-acre site, on the 29000 block of Midlothian Road, would be annexed into Mundelein if plans progress.
Formerly farmland, the property is occupied by a 4,636-square-foot house and some farm-related structures that date to the 1930s, according to village documents. They'd be razed, officials said.
A Chicago-area homebuilder called the Huron Group is behind the plan, which is dubbed Ambria Phase IV.
The original 240 Fields of Ambria houses were built in the 1990s by a different developer.
The Huron Group is proposing ranch-style and two-story houses on lots ranging from 10,500 square feet to about 16,600 square feet, Huron Group representative Steven Goodman told the village board during a public presentation Monday night.
One lot would be reserved for rainwater detention.
The homes would range in size from 1,800 square feet to 3,000 square feet, Goodman said, and they'd be similar to what's already in the Fields of Ambria neighborhood.
Prices would start in the $400,000 range, village documents indicate.
Residents and other drivers would access the homes via Salceda Drive within the Fields of Ambria subdivision, rather than directly from Midlothian Road, Goodman said.
Although they took no formal action, Mayor Steve Lentz and other village leaders supported the plan.
Trustees Kara Lambert and Erich Schwenk both liked the proposed layout and lot sizes. Schwenk lauded the plan for "not packing houses in there."
But some trustees had issues with the proposal.
Trustee Dawn Abernathy said she likes the plan but questioned if the proposed homes would blend visually with the existing Fields of Ambria houses.
Trustee Kerston Russell voiced concern about increased traffic from the development. A traffic light eventually might be needed at Midlothian Road and Ambria Drive, the main entrance to the Ambria development, he said.
During the public comment section earlier in the meeting, Mundelein resident and Mundelein High School District 120 board member Thomas Ouimet voiced concern about the possible impact on traffic from this and another proposed development.
"That road is not meant for the traffic that's already there," Ouimet said.
The proposal now moves to the village's planning and zoning commission for review.