Developers of a proposed 70-acre condominium/town home development near Interstate Highway 55 and Caton Farm Road on Tuesday described a conservation design that leaves 53 acres as open space with 1.5 miles of trails amid native plantings.
Despite a previous endorsement by the City Council’s Land Use Committee and city staff, the developers found themselves responding to charges that their Central Park Subdivision has too much development on too little land.
Councilman Tony Uremovic criticized the proposal, which puts six 4-story condominium buildings, 25 townhouses and a three-story office building, clusters 350 housing units on 17 acres.
“You’ll see building next to building next to building,” Uremovic predicted.
But City Manager John Mezera disagreed, saying the overall density is 4.9 units per acre.
Bob Rogina, whose engineering firm is working on the Colony Builders project, said conservation design conforms to the Will County Land Use Plan.
He said the design creates “a green corridor along the property, following the [DuPage River] flood plain” and creates “some beautiful greenway-type subdivisions.”
Rogina also said the design will enable developers to make topographic changes that reduce flooding, a big issue to residents, he said.
“We’re going to create more flood-water storage on the property than is required,” he said, estimating 120 percent compliance.
Colony Builders, through business partners Fred Hintze and Marty Schell, put the 70-acre project together by joining adjacent properties, including 30 acres purchased from the city of Joliet. Hintze and Schell bought the land from Joliet for $675,000. They were the only bidders.
