Developer wants to put 19 apartment buildings on farmland in West Dundee

West Dundee officials are expected to decide next week whether more than 34 acres of farmland should be redeveloped into a 380-unit apartment community.

A proposal from Wisconsin-based Fiduciary Real Estate Development Inc. calls for constructing 19 two-story buildings, each with 20 luxury rental apartments, at Randall Road and Recreation Drive. A clubhouse and pool along the frontage of Randall would serve as the residential development's entryway, and an adjacent lot would be reserved for a potential commercial structure facing the high-traffic roadway.

The project aims to address a growing demand for multifamily housing that targets young professionals and empty nesters. Community Development Director Tim Scott says it also would help “weave together” the area's mix of land uses, including a residential subdivision, a middle school, a corporate park and a recreation center.

“This light-imprint, low-impact development will lead to a new neighborhood that can add value to the village and area,” he said.

The plan requires the unincorporated land to be annexed into West Dundee and rezoned to accommodate the apartments and commercial building, documents show. The village board is slated to vote Monday on whether to move the project forward after the planning and zoning commission recommended approval of development plans this week.

The development site is part of a roughly 47-acre parcel known as the Heuser property. Though not included in Fiduciary's proposal, the remaining 13 acres also are proposed to be annexed for potential future development.

“That's a separate piece, and we're not there yet,” Scott said. “But we certainly would be interested in something that's compatible with the (apartment community).”

Fiduciary intends to first develop 15 buildings before constructing four more in a second phase, according to village documents. The proposal calls for 38 studio, 152 one-bedroom, 152 two-bedroom and 38 three-bedroom units, all of which will have their own entrances.

Nearby residents throughout the process have expressed concerns over the housing development's proximity to their homes. Developers have been working to incorporate adequate year-round landscape screening into their plans, especially along the south property line between a planned detention basin and the adjacent neighborhood, said Tony DeRosa of Fiduciary.

Additionally, the Kane County Division of Transportation is requiring the development team to expand Recreation Drive and add a lane to Randall Road as part of the project, he said.

For the commercial component, Fiduciary representatives are watching the market and “testing the waters” to determine what uses and tenants would be the best fit, Scott said. Developing the outlot, as well as accounting for a new road behind it, could enable additional businesses and retail space along the frontage of Randall Road from Recreation Drive to Route 72.

“It's really planning for the future,” Scott said. “That's the important part.”