Politics & Government

Village Approves 22-Home Development Across From Glen Crest Middle School

The project is less than the 23 homes originally proposed, but several more than the 15 nearby residents were seeking.

A project by K. Hovnanian Homes to build the Amber Ridge subdivision, 22 new houses in the nine-acre forest grove across Sheehan Avenue from Glen Crest Middle School, has been unanimously approved by the Glen Ellyn Village Board, the Daily Herald reports.

According to the paper, the company had originally pushed for 23 homes, while nearby residents wanted 15 at most; to achieve the 22, the company had to acquire seven variances from the Village code for homes with 25 percent lot coverage or 2,500 sq. ft. coverage, whichever is less.

But the 15-home plan would have required 15 curb cuts on Sheehan, while the approved 22-home plan has no homes that front the avenue. "Fifteen curb cuts across from a school may not be best idea, and if the code says it's OK, maybe the code isn't right," the paper quoted Trustee Robert Friedberg saying.

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According to a Triblocal report, Glen Ellyn Police Chief Phil Norton said 15 curb cuts would create a safety issue for residents backing out of their driveways in a busy school area. 

K. Hovanian has indicated their return on the 23-lot property would actually be less than the projected return on the 15-lot property, as about $1 million in infrastructure costs would be needed to accommodate the new road, parkway trees, sidewalk, lights and utilities, according to a village staff memo.

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Trustees chose the 22-home plan based on Norton's points on safety, according to Triblocal. 

The approved project, which connects current dead-end Montclair Avenue with Sheehan, could take a year and a half to three years to build and sell the homes, according to the Herald. 

Read the full story at the Daily Herald website.

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