HUNTLEY – At the village’s June 24 board meeting, Charles Nordman, Huntley’s director of development services, gave a presentation to the village board regarding Huntley Development Limited Partnership (HDLP) in their request for the board to conceptually review a revised proposal for rezoning the properties at both the northwest corners of Route 47 and Jim Dhamer Drive and Freeman Road.
Nordman reminded the board that HDLP had made a prior zoning map amendment request in March 2020, which would also require changes to be made to the village’s I-90/IL-47 Gateway Plan that assists in identifying desired future land use and provides a framework for future planning decisions. Board members ultimately denied HDLP’s initial request by a vote of 2-4, with only trustees Ronda Goldman and Niko Kanakaris being in agreement for the rezoning request.
Since a formal rezoning application has not been reviewed by the Plan Commission, Nordman commented that no action would need to be taken by the board and the petitioners were only there to request a review of their revised proposal.
HDLP’s initial proposal requested to rezone property at the northeast corner of Route 47 and Freeman Road from “C-2” Regional Retail District to “BP” Business Park District; and rezone property at the northwest corner of Route 47 and Jim Dhamer Drive from “O” Corporate Office District and “P” Park and Open Space District, to “BP” and “C-2” districts.
Trustees at the time, requested the petitioners to bring forward confirmed planned development for the property, since there was no potential interest from developers, as was the case with the current conceptual review at the June 24 meeting.
Phil Waters, owner of the properties and representative for Horizon Group Properties, had told trustees that there had been no interest in developers to the properties for 20 years due to the lack of zoning.
Waters also addressed that HDLP would no longer be relocating Eakin Creek in Sun City, as well as had taken note of residential concerns regarding the proximity of the Regional Retail and Business Park zoning to Sun City Neighborhood 32B. To accommodate, the northern line of the proposed Business Park zoning was shifted to the south, indicating that there would now be 444 feet from the “BP” zoning to the back of the nearest home in Neighborhood 32B.
The north line of the Regional Retail was also shifted to the south to leave 228 feet in between the nearest home in that neighborhood.
Nordman stated that the current proposal was very similar to the one seen in March 2020. The only change noted was that the Business Park zoning at the northeast corner of Route 47 and Jim Dhamer Drive, would see a land reduction.
“It was previously proposed about 38 acres of ‘BP’ and the revised proposal has just over 29 acres of Business Park there at the northeast corner. So again, subtle changes to the northeast corner and no changes to the northwest corner of 47 and Jim Dhamer [Drive],” Nordman said.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) stated they will not approve a full access to Route 47 to both the east and west parcels, due to the locations not meeting space requirements between traffic signals.
“At best, it’ll be some sort of a limited right in, right out type of access…The other elements of the development agreement would include the extension of Village Green Drive. That’s the excess drive running behind the businesses that are in front of Jewel; extending that south to Freeman Road as well as extension of a multi-use path along Route 47 south of Freeman Road. It currently stops at Oak Creek Parkway,” Nordman said. “Finally, burial of the overhead utility lines that run along the east side of Route 47.”
Trustee Mary Holzkopf commented that she was in approval of the rezoning proposal on the side of Route 47 that doesn’t have to take into consideration residential areas, though had concerns for the rezoning that would come close to Sun City.
“My recommendation would be to potentially, if there’s an area for a retention pond or something that’s not building, to potentially put it in that area so that it is still as open land as it can be, without a building being there. I personally would like to hear more from the residents in that neighborhood. Right now, as it sits, I’m not comfortable with the approval of that ‘C-2’ on the other side that backs up to the Del Webb,” Holzkopf said.
Trustees Harry Leopold and Goldman were thankful to Waters for working to address prior residential concerns in Sun City.
“I know how the residents felt because I went to all those meetings and I know there’ll be a berm. I think they’re worried that you’re going to be right on top of them, which you’re not going to be. There’s still plenty of land between their houses and your plans…I think they’re worried about the headlights and lights of businesses flashing into their property, but I’m sure you’re professional enough to figure out a way to solve that,” Goldman told Waters.
Trustee Curt Kittel, stated that he hopes there will be enough landscaping in proximity to the Sun City neighborhood that backs up to the Regional Retail zoning, explaining that making the elevation higher on the berm could help, but that is all subject on approval from the Plan Commission.
Tim Hoeft, Huntley’s village president, ended the conversation by saying he is excited to see that property being developed.
“As I’ve said to you before, I appreciate the efforts you put forward to listen to our comments and the comments of our residents and I think moving forward would be good. I think [you should move] on to [the] Plan Commission and get this thing moving,” Hoeft said to Waters.
