Planned communities are not unusual. But a planned-unit development (PUD) on land with rolling terrain, mature landscaping, wetlands and green belts is not easy to find in suburban Chicago.
Mallard Ridge, a new PUD in north suburban Lindenhurst, has all of these features and more, according to Larry Grossman, executive vice president of Northbrook-based Red Seal Development Corp., developer of the 95-acre property.
”Lindenhurst is a growing suburb with a reputation for maintaining its natural surroundings and quality living environment,” Grossman said. ”Our land plan is designed to emphasize the already interesting natural terrain.”
Mallard Ridge is east of Munn Road and north of Grand Avenue. When completed, the project will consist of 122 single-family homesites and 204 apartments. The commercial portion will provide 140,000 square feet of retail space and 36,000 square feet of office space.
”When we first acquired the Lindenhurst property, it was zoned in a common rectangular shape with three horizontal bands for each product type,” Grossman said. ”But we recognized its potential for a much more creative land plan and took advantage of what it had to offer, rather than using a typical grid-like plan.”
Office and retail tenants are just as concerned about the beauty of the land and immediate surroundings as home buyers,” he said. ”Open space and a well-designed community are essential to attract people to all product types.”
The single-family home section has curved streets and cul-de-sacs along with two lakes totaling 2.65 acres.
”Curved streets make a land plan more pleasing to the eye by softening the streetscape,” he said. ”When single-family residents look down the streets in Mallard Ridge, they won`t just see the fronts of other homes, but various angles of each.”
According to Grossman, similar philosophies of Red Seal and Pearson Brown & Associates Inc., a Libertyville-based land development consulting firm which assisted Red Seal in the plans of Mallard Ridge, work to dispel the monotony of many planned communities.
Jim Brown, president of Pearson Brown & Associates, said he believes in developing only communities with courtyards, cul-de-sacs and characteristics that create a sense of neighborhood.
”Using curves and other unusual patterns promotes a more friendly environment, encouraging interaction among neighbors,” Brown said.
A tree-lined road will divide the apartments and single-family sections.
The situations and angle of every building at Mallard Ridge was a serious consideration for Red Seal and Pearson Brown & Associates in every step of the planning process, from the apartments to office buildings.
In the apartment portion, 17 12-unit buildings will be built with two front facades so those entering the building will never have to use a rear entrance.
