Plans for new subdivision, expansion of another, moving ahead in Huntley

Shaw Local News Network

Two new developments which promise to bring more than 300 houses to Huntley are moving forward, including a 173-home subdivision set to break ground this year.

The Fieldstone subdivision, which will include 173 single-family homes at the northwest corner of Haligus and Huntley-Dundee roads, received its final approval from the Huntley village board Thursday.

The other project, an expansion of the Talamore subdivision off Route 47, is moving forward, but will need to be approved one last time by the village board at a later date. The proposal also must go through the village's plan commission again.

Ohio-based M/I Homes is undertaking the Fieldstone subdivision, which received initial approval from the village board April 14. Director of Development Services Charles Nordman said the plans then and now are identical.

"I love your houses, and they're beautiful," village Trustee Ronda Goldman said last week.

While the land all will be prepared at one time, Fieldstone plans to build the subdivision in phases. The first will consist of 71 houses, Nordman said. The second phase will contain another 71 houses, with the final phase including the last 31 homes.

A park is slated for the second phase also, Nordman said.

The goal is to break ground this year, Marc McLaughlin with the Fieldstone project said. Housing models won't appear until foundation are laid, however, which is planned for next spring.

Trustee JR Westberg voiced concern about the financial stability of the company, saying he worries that current challenges facing the economy could impede the project's completion.

"This housing market could pop real quick," Westberg said. "We had that same issue with Talamore and Cider Grove."

McLaughlin said phasing the development helps prevent that from happening, adding that the Fieldstone project is in a "good position."

Trustees also moved forward with a proposal to have 129 single-family homes built as part of a planned addition to the Talamore subdivision. The homes will be built on a 63-acre spot that sits southwest of the end of Reed Road.

Trustees also preliminarily approved rezoning the area for the development, though a final vote is needed before plans move forward. Rezoning would also impact land adjacent to Talamore, though no plans for that space are included in the newest slate of houses.

The project originally was reviewed by the board on May 12, when trustees expressed support for the development. Though as the project made its way through the village's process, some concerns came up from residents.

Those concerns included worries over increased population, traffic and stormwater management. Village President Timothy Hoeft complimented the developer for taking time to work with residents on concerns.

Questions about extending both Algonquin and Reed roads have also come up. While the village has had conversations with McHenry County, there are no plans to do so at this time, Nordman said.

"There's a lot of work yet to be done," he said.