Final vote on Life Time Fitness project could come Monday in Lake Zurich

Life Time Fitness' plan to build a luxury center on the old Hackney's site in Lake Zurich could be given a final thumbs-up or thumbs-down by the village board Monday.

The meeting comes nearly nine months after Life Time presented its initial plan to the board during a review.

At that time, the building was to be a three stories and nearly 60 feet tall and located near the middle of the Hackney's property.

After two more reviews with the board, four meetings with the planning and zoning commission and hours of questions from residents, the plan changed significantly.

The revised plan is a two-story, 40-foot building utilizing more basement space. The building is farther southwest on the lot in response to concerns residents and the majority of plan commissioners raised that the property was too close to houses and parking lot entrances and exits would snarl traffic.

"This is a very substantial project; it is atypical from a regular retail building," Community Development Director Sarosh Saher said. "It did merit more discussion."

The discussion portion went on so long when the plan was before the village's planning and zoning commission the first two times, the board did not have enough time to discuss the proposal and vote. At their third meeting Jan. 17, planners voted 5 to 1 against the proposal, citing concerns raised by neighbors about the building size and location.

Life Time Fitness retooled the plan and brought it before the village board for a second review March 5. Several residents said they felt the project was going to be approved no matter what they said, a sentiment Mayor Thomas Poynton rejected.

"This is not a done deal. It never was a done deal. Anyone who wants to talk about this being a done deal is absolutely a baldfaced liar," Poynton said. "I'm sorry I have to use that language, but it is absolutely not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination."

On March 21 the revised plan was approved 5-1 by the planning and zoning commission.

Saher said he thought the revised plan addresses most if not all of the concerns residents voiced about the plan.

The board meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the village hall.