Huntley Village Board looks at plans for 41 single-family home subdivision

A new subdivision could be coming to Huntley.

Village Board members have taken a look at, but did not take any action on, a proposed 41 single-family home development on 16 acres near Samantha Lane northeast of Powers Road. The location is by the Huntley Springs retirement community.

Plans for the property originally called for townhomes, and the land remains zoned for townhomes, according to Huntley documents. Density would have been capped at six units per acre had the townhome plans gone through.

The current plans for the neighborhood include 2.6 units per acre, and Samantha Lane and Smith Drive would be extended to the homes. There would be two additional streets in the development. Neither the additional streets nor the development have been named.

Lot sizes are proposed to be 55 feet by 120 feet, ranging in square footage from 6,600 to about 8,300 square feet. The lot size zoning is meant to mirror the Garden Residential District zoning in Sun City, which is located across Route 47 from the development.

Trustees generally had positive feedback for the proposed subdivision.

“I love the look of it. I think it’s better than the townhome concept back there,” Trustee Ric Zydorowicz said.

Trustee Vito Benigno asked how the developers determined that single-family homes were better than townhomes.

Potential buyers “don’t want to share a wall, and they want their own home,” developer Joe Billitteri said.

Trustee John Piwko also liked the single-family homes.

“I do definitely like the homes better than townhomes,” Piwko said.

Trustee Ronda Goldman asked the developers to make sure potential buyers know they’re buying in Kane County rather than McHenry County.

However, unlike Sun City, golf carts won’t be allowed in the development.

“No,” Village President Tim Hoeft said, cutting off Billitteri when he began talking about the idea of golf carts in the neighborhood.

Billitteri Enterprises has developed other projects in Huntley, such as the former fire station that became home to D.C. Cobb’s.

The target market for the homes would be first-time homebuyers and empty nesters looking to downsize who currently don’t have many chances to buy a new home in Huntley, according to village documents. The homes would range in size from 1,100 to 1,500 square feet and cost about $370,000 to $400,000.

The Village Board also appreciated the affordability of the homes.

“I’m always up on my soapbox about making homes affordable,” Trustee Mary Holzkopf said, adding that people need affordable housing in the community, including those getting a divorce and college graduates looking to move back home.

The plans for the subdivision also include a homeowners association, which would be responsible for landscaping maintenance and snow removal.

“Everything will look nice all the time,” Billitteri said.

The Plan Commission and Village Board would need to approve a planned unit development and final plat of subdivision, among other items, for the development to move forward, according to Huntley village documents.

If approved, the subdivision would join other new developments, including the Fieldstone subdivision near Village Hall that broke ground this past fall. That development is slated to have 173 homes when fully built out.

Billitteri said Tuesday that he’s seeking to build a “nice little community” in the neighborhood, adding that people can reach out to him at joeb@profit-success.net if they have questions or comments about the project.