Algonquin approves subdivision of 200-plus townhomes, single-family houses

A subdivision with 99 single-family homes and 150 townhouses near Westfield Community School is moving forward in Algonquin.

Homebuilding company Lennar is looking to transform an empty plot of land about 80 acres in size into a new subdivision called Algonquin Meadows. The property is north of Longmeadow Parkway, west of Westfield Community School, south of the Willoughby Farms subdivision and east of Randall Road.

The Algonquin Village Board approved the plan in a 6-0 vote Tuesday. The Algonquin Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the plan in April.

For the proposed Algonquin project, the single-family-home density would be about 1.9 homes per acre, and the townhomes would be about 5.6 units per acre, which is consistent with the density and size of the neighboring Willoughby Farms subdivision, Lennar representative John McFarland said.

Developers do not have a community park in the plan, but the village requested that Lennar pay a fee to support the nearby Willoughby Farms Park, Algonquin Deputy Community Development Director Patrick Knapp said. Algonquin staff plans to create a master plan for the park this year and start park renovation work around 2027, he said. The property will be 33% open space, including four “naturalized” stormwater basins and a 100-foot-wide “conservation corridor” to the west, McFarland said.

Construction could potentially start by this fall, McFarland said.

The homes are to be built in three models, with prairie, craftsman and modern farmhouse styles, McFarland said. The townhouses and single-family homes all are expected to be for sale in a price range of $375,000 to $650,000.

Lennar recently developed the single-family-home community of 150 houses called Westview Crossing located off Square Barn Road. That project also consists of different style homes with about 22% open space. Lennar already has sold 50 homes since construction was completed last year, McFarland said.

The same developer also just won approval for the controversial Riverwoods residential development in Woodstock.

Developers also are working directly with Community School District 300′s Westfield Community School to create a connecting private access road, according to village documents. Trustee Laura Brehmer said she would like to see a revised traffic study if the road were to be accessible to parents, rather than just buses.

There was some resident pushback at the meeting with concerns of overcrowding the area and preserving the wetlands. The project could affect overall traffic especially along Algonquin and Randall roads, which are “already backed up,” resident Stephanie Lesko said. A traffic study was completed and concluded that the project would not have a significant influence on local traffic, according to village documents.

“It feels like residents are crammed and shoved in the village with the more properties going up,” Lesko said.