Developer wants to bring 98 new townhouses to Mundelein
A developer's plan for a new townhouse development in central Mundelein received a mixed reception Monday from the village board.
K. Hovnanian Homes, which has created other residential projects in town, wants to build 98 units in 20 buildings on the 700 block of Allanson Road, village documents indicate. The roughly 21-acre site is on the north side of Allanson, west of the Canadian National railroad tracks.
James Truesdell, the company's land acquisition adviser, unveiled the preliminary proposal during the village board's meeting Monday night.
The homes would range from 1,700 square feet to 2,400 square feet, Truesdell said. They'd each be two stories tall and have two-car garages.
The land is zoned for manufacturing business and would need to be reclassified for a residential development. Residential neighborhoods are on the north and west sides of the property. Manufacturing businesses are on the south and east sides.
The site contains "significant" wetlands, documents indicate, including a pond that has overflowed and contributed to flooding at a nearby apartment complex.
Trustee Dawn Abernathy voiced concern about the proposed development's potential impact on flooding. In response, Truesdell said his team is looking into the issue and hopes to alleviate flooding there.
Trustee Scott Black criticized the appearance of the proposed townhouses, saying they're not as attractive as a Hovnanian development in Buffalo Grove. Village officials have been working to improve design standards, Black said, and "your design is not anything close to the direction that we're looking to go."
Trustee Kerston Russell agreed, calling the architecture "blah." Trustee Ray Semple said he supported the project but also expressed concern about the architecture and the wetlands.
Truesdell said the designs shown Monday were preliminary and the company will work with village officials to improve them.
Trustees took no action on the proposal. It'll be up to the developer to tweak the plan, if desired, before bringing it back to the board seeking approval.
If the project moves forward, construction could start next summer, Truesdell said. The townhouses likely would range in price from the mid-$200,000's to the low-$300,000's, he said.