It seems a rare combination-a real estate developer who also is an environmentalist.
The developer, Gurnee-based Westfield Homes, won the National Arborist Association Award this year for its part in not only preserving but also enhancing the trees at Stonebrook, a golf course community on the southeast corner of Illinois Highway 132 and Hunt Club Road in Gurnee.
Stonebrook was one of four subdivisions in the country to win this award, according to Bob Siuda, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Westfield Homes.
The original Stonebrook plan called for the elimination of about two-thirds of the trees to facilitate the drainage system, said Roger Gatewood, president of Westfield Homes.
That plan was scrapped and a new one was developed that involved routing the drainage out of the woods and into an open area. In preserving the trees, the developers have had to prune them back, fertilize them, and cut back roots and limbs.
“As builders, we create communities which are really tied to the environment,” said Gatewood. “It’s an educational process that involves educating our buyers on the environments we leave them.”
Stonebrook buyers are left with pamphlets on tree care, or, as in other Westfield communities, on wetland care and what to expect from that environment.
“We’ve taken as much care as we possibly can,” said Siuda.
The land chosen for the 462 single-family homes, townhouses and coach homes of Stonebrook comprises 200 acres. It’s one of several subdivisions underway or planned for the 1,600-acre area known as the Grand Hunt property. It is a picturesque setting, with wooded lots and 15 lots backing up to the 18-hole golf course.
The golf course, set to open next year, will be partially developed by Westfield and owned and operated by the Village of Gurnee. There will be no special concessions to Stonebrook residents at the golf course, other than close proximity.
Stonebrook offers a mix of 240 single-family homes priced from $154,900 to $183,900, 154 townhouses priced from $105,900 to $125,900 and 68 coach homes ranging from $119,900 to $134,900.
The single-family homes have three to four bedrooms and 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 baths. They range from 1,600 to 2,580 square feet, including a two-car attached garage. Lots range from 10,000 to 12,000 square feet.
Ten floor plans are available. High ceilings, two-story rooms and lofts are standard.
Basements are optional.
The townhouses have two or three bedrooms and 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 baths. They range from 1,300 to 1,580 square feet, including a one- or two-car garage.
Four floor plans are available.
Central air, wall-to-wall carpeting, two-story living rooms, fully applianced kitchens and wood decks are standard features.
The condominiums offer one to three bedrooms and 1 1/2 or two baths. They range from 1,290 to 1,700 square feet, including a two-car attached garage.
Four one-level floor designs are available. High ceilings, central air, fireplace, fully applianced kitchens and wood decks or patios are standard.
To date, 202 of 240 single-family homes have been sold, 104 of the 154 townhouses, and 14 of the 68 coach homes, which opened in May.
Although the Village of Gurnee does not impose monotony codes, which prevent the building of similar homes next to each other or on the same block, Stonebrook has its own.
“This is smart from the standpoint of marketing and the total look of the subdivision,” Siuda said.
There are no restrictions on the colors of the home exteriors, though beiges and grays and other colors that blend into the environment are popular.
Stonebrook is less than a mile west of the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate Highway 94). Just a short drive away are such attractions as the Gurnee Mills shopping center and the Great America amusement park, but they are far enough away to preserve privacy.
The subdivision is served primarily by Gurnee School District No. 56.
A new elementary school, serving grades 3 through 5, opened about a year ago. Some Gurnee elementary school children also attend the Woodland School District No. 50, which is located on Gages Lake Road, between Hunt Club Road and U.S. Highway 45.
Warren Township is the high school for the area.
“People laughed at us when we started out in Gurnee (over 12 years ago),” Siuda said. “They thought no one wanted to live in Gurnee. But today we have proved those detractors wrong.
“People often move to get to things. In Gurnee, things move to the people,” he said.
Westfield Homes has decided to start another development of 104 single-family homes just west of Stonebrook.
Sales are scheduled to begin soon at the new community, which is called Stonebrook Crossings. It will have the same 10 floor plans as Stonebrook, as well as two additional designs.
