Frankfort trustees this week narrowly approved a revised plan of a development proposal they had rejected last month.
But acceptance did not come easily for developer Paul McNaughton’s Crystal Brook subdivision, where home prices are expected to start at $600,000.
Despite a layout featuring fewer home sites and more green space on the land at Harlem Avenue and Steger Road than previously proposed, Crystal Brook gained approval by a 3-2 vote.
The vote came after Mayor Jim Holland and Village Atty. George Mahoney said the state allows Village Board members to reconsider a vote taken at their last meeting.
Compromise was the key, said Trustee Cindy Heath, who noted that the number of single-family lots was reduced from 191 to 185 and the size of the subdivision’s conservation easement was widened from 10 to 20 feet. The average lot size in Crystal Brook will be 20,159 square feet, she said.
Trustees Todd Morgan and Jake Parrillo opposed the development.
“Control and management of residential growth is one of the top issues. Development isn’t just about building houses,” said Morgan, who noted that homes should also add to the community’s character.
Parrillo called the concessions “minimal” and said they didn’t address his concerns about traffic and density.
Crystal Brook met standards that gained acceptance for other recent subdivision proposals, Trustee Doug Walker said. “We have precedents that have been set, and we have consistency that we have to deal with,” Walker said.
