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Elburn Village Board approves residential development plan

ELBURN – The Elburn Village Board on Dec. 16 unanimously approved a preliminary plan for a residential development located to the north of Route 38 and east of Route 47 that will feature a mix of 76 single-family homes and 78 age-targeted smaller ranch homes for buyers looking to downsize with less external maintenance.

The 70-acre subdivision, which is being developed by Lennar Homes, a national company based out of East Dundee, will be north of the Prairie Valley North subdivision and bordered on the north and east by agricultural land, with the main entrance off Route 47.

The single-family homes, which will range from 2,000 to 2,907 square feet with one to two stories and three to four bedrooms, will be located in the southern section of the development. The one-story cottage homes targeted toward the active adult will range from 1,200 to 1,880 square feet with two to three bedrooms, a one to two-car garage and a slightly narrower lot. The cottage homes will be located in the northern section of the subdivision.

Rich Olson, who represents Wheaton-based Gary R. Weber & Associates, said the homes designed for the active adult “give them the best of both worlds.”

This demographic is looking to downsize, wants less responsibility for the maintenance of a home, and doesn’t necessarily want to isolate themselves from other age groups, he said. A management company will provide lawn maintenance and snow removal for each of the homes.

Lennar’s Rick Murphy described their homes as “everything included,” with quartz countertops, video doorbells and WiFi-enabled devices and other “smart home” features being standard for each home.

The development will include a total of 28.5 acres that Lennar Homes has designated as “open space,” although portions of these areas include detention areas. A large “greenbelt” area on the north end of the development includes a detention area with prairie grasses and other features, and a smaller area of open space on the southwest corner includes four detention ponds surrounded by wetter prairie plantings.

A two-acre central park will include an area for more passive recreation on the north, featuring a pavilion and a playground on its southern section. The center of the development, where the park will be located, is the high point of the development, with drainage patterns both to the north and the south.

Trustee Ken Anderson raised a number of questions regarding drainage issues, especially considering the northern end of the development is where a flood plain exists. Anderson said the adjacent farmers had some concerns regarding drainage.

Lennar representatives said they were aware of the issues and have been working with village staff and others to mitigate potential future problems, including the replacement of at least one drainage tile on the property.

The active-adult homes in the northern section will, for the most part, have slabs for foundations, rather than basements.

Trustee Bill Grabarek asked about the development’s impact on the school district. Murphy said that the age-targeted portion of the development will generate much less of an impact on the schools. He estimated the total number of school-aged children at around 300, for a “net positive” impact on the school system. He estimated the range of the cost of homes will be from the high $200,000s to more than the $300,000s.

New police officer sworn in

Michael Terek, a new full-time officer on the Elburn police force, was sworn in Dec. 16. Terek, who lives in Oswego, was accompanied by a number of family members, including his wife and three children, the youngest of whom was 3 days old.

Terek, who earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice, will attend the police academy beginning in January.

“This is a big honor for me,” Terek said. “This is something I’ve always dreamed of. I’m really looking forward to serving this community.”

Source: The Daily Chronicle

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