Age-restricted Oakbrook Estates aims to add 67 units in Crystal Lake

Developers are looking to expand the age-restricted Oakbrook Estates community by adding 67 units by Three Oaks and Sands roads in Crystal Lake.

More than 332 units are occupied at the manufactured housing park at 917 Crookedstick Court. Developers are looking to expand the aged-restricted housing for people ages 55 and older on about 9.5 acres of undeveloped land at 4202 Three Oaks Road.

Developers and owners Ravinia Communities purchased the area in December 2021.

“We believe we are providing safe, affordable, high-quality housing for seniors, a demographic that’s often underserved,” Ravinia Communities Principal Manager David Worth said. “We hope that this allows the city of Crystal Lake to continue to retain aging residents and provide additional housing options for them.”

Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission voted to give a positive recommendation to City Council, who will vote on the proposal on Dec. 17.

Ravinia Communities originally requested to build 69 units, but agreed to reserve at least two lots to create an expanded outdoor community area.

Commissioner Natasha Teetsov suggested owners create an outdoor recreational space for people to gather and families to visit that includes covered areas and seating.

“I think it would be important to add some kind of gathering outdoor amenities,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be particularly ornate or expansive, but just somewhere that people can bring their lunches and sit or sit on a bench when they’re walking their dog.”

The manufactured homes typically sell in the $120,000 to $180,000 range with an additional site rent cost of $900 a month, Worth said. Residents also have the option to rent the homes for about $1,700 to $2,200 a month.

Access roads to the new expansion will be through existing entrances on Sands Road and Ravinia Way. An entry point on Three Oaks Road will be for emergency access only, according to city documents

The currently wooded and county land would need to be annexed into Crystal Lake and cleared for development. Some existing trees will remain to use as a buffer and about 684 trees may need to be replaced, but a survey to determine the exact number is still pending, according to city documents.