Developers of a proposed house and town home development that would leave about a quarter of the prime tract as open space have won a favorable recommendation from the Orland Park Planning Commission after three previous tries.
The developers, McNaughton Builders and Premier Development of Palos Park, now will take plans for the Dove Tail subdivision before the Village Board’s Community Development Committee on Jan. 29. They are seeking the property’s annexation and a special use permit for the planned unit development at 143rd Street and 88th Avenue.
The plan, recommended last week, calls for 186 houses and 14 town homes on 118 acres, 28 of which would remain open space. The village may require the developer to eliminate four lots if more land is needed for water retention, said village planner Greg Dreyer.
“But this is a good plan. Everyone is going to be happy with it,” he said.
The village is negotiating with the builder to purchase 13.2 acres on the north end of the property near 139th Street. The developer will donate 9.6 acres on a Commonwealth Edison easement under high tension wires and 5.2 acres for a park that will include a bike trail system.
The plan includes five ponds totaling 12.6 acres. A natural wetland area on 143rd Street will be maintained, and a viewing area will be built on the southwest corner of the site.
Since October, the project has gone through several transformations, with the issue of open space the key obstacle to approval. The village had asked the developer to set aside 40 acres for open space on the south end of the area adjacent to 143rd Street. The land would be purchased by the village with money from the Open Lands Fund.
The property, known locally as the Koehler Farm, is one of the largest open tracts of land east of La Grange Road. The village had earmarked it as a prime target for purchase before and after passage of the $20 million Open Lands referendum question in November.
The developer, though, had submitted plans for 13 acres of open space to be located on the north end, saying the property nearest 143rd Street was too valuable to the development. The Planning Commission refused to approve or deny the development until the specifics were worked out with the village.
When negotiations stalled with the village, developer Paul McNaughton submitted a revised plan in December for a subdivision that included more than 200 houses and a minimum park donation of 5.2 acres. The Planning Commission also refused to approve or deny that plan.
McNaughton and the village staff worked together on the latest plan before it was presented to the commission, Dreyer said.
The plan accepted last week will need the Community Development Committee’s approval before it can go before the Village Board in February.
