41 new single-family homes moving forward in Huntley

Huntley Springs residents soon will have some new neighbors.

A new subdivision with 41 single-family homes, called Stillwell Grove, is on its way to the south and east of the Huntley Springs retirement facility. The development will be near the Powers Road and Samantha Lane intersection, just east of the Route 47 corridor.

The Huntley Village Board gave unanimous approval Thursday to the preliminary plat of subdivision for the project, in addition to amending an annexation agreement governing the area and approving a development agreement necessary for the project to proceed.

Billitteri Enterprises, which has worked on other projects in town, including the fire station downtown that nows houses a D.C. Cobb’s, will be the developer for the subdivision.

The Village Board reviewed plans for the development in February. At that time, prices were expected to be $370,000 to $400,000. When the plans came back before the Village Board on Thursday, the prices were in the $458,000 to $476,000 ballpark. The updated price projections “establish home prices in line with Huntley’s current new construction subdivisions,” according to village documents.

Construction and site work costs largely drove the increase, Huntley Director of Development Services Charlie Nordman said Friday.

Plans for the homes include four different models, ranging from 1,340 square feet to 2,080 square feet. Three of the models are single-story, while the largest model will be two stories.

I think it’s a terrific proposal, and [I’m] looking forward to it.”

—  Vito Benigno, Huntley trustee

Three of the plans were included in Thursday’s meeting materials, and Nordman said Thursday that the fourth model was introduced this week. That model is 1,340 square feet and is a single-story, ranch-style house with a two-car garage, according to village records.

The second-smallest model is 1,580 square feet and one-story tall; the second-largest also is one story but a little larger at 1,850 square feet. The largest model is 2,030 square feet and the only one proposed to be two stories.

Those home sizes also are larger than the ones proposed back in February; the home sizes ranged from 1,100 to 1,500 square feet at that time.

Another major change for the homes includes basements. They weren’t originally part of the plans, but Village Board members indicated that they wanted basements back in February.

Developer Joe Billitteri said Friday that he also included large porches on the homes and was trying to build a sense of community in the development. Billitteri noted the development’s location near Route 47 businesses and said people can walk to some of them.

The Huntley Plan Commission unanimously approved the subdivision plans in October, and Nordman told the Village Board that two residents attended that meeting, more with questions than objections.

No members of the public commented during either the hearing related to the annexation agreement changes or Thursday’s Village Board meeting.

The setbacks for the homes were proposed to be 25 feet in the front, 30 feet in the back and 5 feet on the side. However, some on the Village Board had issues with the 5-foot side setbacks, and the board opted to make them 7.5 feet.

Trustee Harry Leopold said he welcomed the development and thought there would be a market for it.

“I think it’s a terrific proposal, and [I’m] looking forward to it,” Trustee Vito Benigno said.

Trustee John Piwko said he was “glad” the fourth option was added.

“As it is, you priced me out of the properties down there so, but good luck,” Piwko said.

The developers will need to come back for a final plat of subdivision and planned unit development, and Nordman said he expects they’ll come back to the Village Board within the next two months. Billitteri said Friday that he expects construction to start next month, weather permitting.

“We’re excited about the project,” Billitteri said.