Apartments on church-owned land rejected again by Crystal Lake planning commission

Developers are returning to the city for a second attempt at constructing more than 200 apartments on the Immanuel Lutheran Church property near downtown Crystal Lake.

The 24-acre property, located at 295, 345 and 395 Pathway Court, is just north of the Crystal Lake Jewel-Osco and surrounds and is owned by Immanuel Lutheran Church. The plan calls for 11 20-unit two-story buildings that consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a clubhouse with an outdoor pool, a fitness area, a community room and a dog run. More than 450 parking spots would be available through detached and attached garages plus open parking spaces.

The Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission declined to recommend the proposal in a 3-2 vote Wednesday, citing concerns of rezoning the location and allowing that space to be rentable apartments rather than owner-occupied. The City Council will vote on the matter Oct. 15.

“We have had a shortage of apartments, but that doesn’t mean that this is the place to put them,” commissioner Kathy Repholz said.

Developer Three Leaf Partners originally requested to build 312 apartments earlier this year and then revised the plan to 272 units with a density of 11.4 units per acre after city officials raised concerns of the density. Three Leaf presented a new plan Wednesday with 220 units, decreasing the density to 9.24 units per acre, which is just above the city code’s maximum of nine units per acre. The new plan also increased a landscape buffer to the north from 386 feet to 450 feet.

The City Council denied the developer’s first attempt with a 4-3 vote in May. Planning and zoning also denied the plan in a 4-2 vote against recommending it in April. Council members said they would like to see how successful newer apartment developments are, such as the Enclave, before adding more to the area.

Residents raised concerns with the previous proposal, and many remain, including density, traffic and the lack of owner-occupied homes. Residents also worry that the plan is being “fast-tracked” and said the possibility of a public park is a “deal-breaker.”

“This still feels rushed,” resident Donna Parente said. “We don’t have all the answers. We haven’t closed all the gaps. We’re close, but we’re not there yet.”

An updated traffic analysis found that there would be no significant changes made on the roads, resulting in 24% to 29% less traffic than the previous proposal, Crystal Lake City Engineer Abigail Wilgreen said.

Immanuel Lutheran Senior Pastor Larry Tieman said the church will “continue to be good neighbors” and is doing what it can within its parameters. The team brought in public affairs specialist Mary Claire Lanser to communicate with neighbors and held informational meetings over the summer.

“I feel like what’s being proposed differs from what the community desires and needs,” resident Stephanie Tucci said.

Developers also presented another bargaining chip to neighbors by offering 4.5 acres of open land to the Crystal Lake Park District to create a public park. Resident Bruce Mazurkiewicz said the plan is “completely unacceptable” until the park district accepts the land donation.

The park district originally declined the land donation and preferred the offered cash donation of $418,000, Crystal Lake Park District Executive Director Jason Herbster said. After some pushback from residents, the park board reconsidered the offer at a meeting Thursday.

Park district board members did not vote officially on what to do, but they agreed to counteroffer the developers with an ask to combine the offers by creating a “passive park” and a cash donation.

“I will contact the developer and [tell] them that we would like the land undeveloped and a cash donation to go along with it,” Herbster said.

Three Leaf Partners Vice President of Development and Acquisition Jordan Michalkiewicz estimates that the development could bring in more than $800,000 in real estate tax revenue annually. Currently, the property is tax-exempt.

Although there is a lot of pushback against high-density developments, Crystal Lake City Planner Elizabeth Maxwell said density can be a good thing, especially when attracting new businesses.

“There’s no restaurants in Bull Valley,” she said. “You do have to have a certain amount of density to attract retail.”

The apartment proposal is the only option for the property because no other developers have proposed owner-occupied homes or units, Tieman said.

“So, it can remain vacant for another 30 years, as well,” he said, “which is great for the neighbors, but I don’t think that’s so great for the city.”