Developer pitches new idea for 40 ‘luxury type of townhomes’ in Sycamore

SYCAMORE - A 40-unit, high density, condominium development at 1235 Hathaway Drive was workshopped by the Sycamore Planning and Zoning Commission and Kurt Kozlowski with Home Run Property Group Monday night.

Kozlowski said he recognized the last company to give a proposal on the property wasn’t well received, so after having the opportunity to purchase the south Sycamore property, he and Tom Weaver worked with Sycamore Community Development Coordinator, John Sauter and City Engineer, Mark Bushnell to come up with a concept plan that he feel is the best use for that property.

“We’re looking at 40 town-home units that will all be sold and owned, so they won’t be rentals,” Kozlowski said. “They’re going to be kind of luxury type of townhomes, so they’ll have nice furnishings such as granite countertops, crown moldings, solid doors, nice finishings, some brick exteriors.”

Kozlowski said he hoped to get the commission to consider to work towards getting the parcel of land rezoned to R3.

When asked about the density of the proposal, the measure of developed units per acre of land, Sauter said the 10-building, 40-unit proposal would be considered high density, which is between 7 to 9 units per acre. He also noted this is the lowest density proposal he’s seen for the property.

Sycamore Park District Commissioner Ted Strack said he thinks the proposal is a great use for the property. He worried about the implications of denying a previous proposal, however, in part because of the density and then forgoing that concern for this developer.

“That would be one of my concerns,” Strack said. “But I think it’s the right use of the property. I do.”

Kozlowski said Home Run Property Group is anticipating the townhomes to be priced in the low $300,000 range. He believes the created units could take some of the stress off the rental market because he thinks some people are looking to get property of their own.

“We’re going to leave it open for all ages because I think there’s a market for all ages,” Kozlowski said, “because we’ll be coming in price-wise, under what a new home would be. But you could still own something, so that’ll be like a stepping stone for younger people, or it could be people downsizing. We didn’t want to just like pigeonhole it and make it for a certain age demographic.”

When asked if he knew whether the neighbors of the property were OK with the development, Kozlowski said he didn’t know, but two neighbors of the property attended the meeting and identified themselves to him.

“That’d be me,” said Jodi Tyrrell, who lives on property right by the proposed development site. “I’d much rather see residential than commercial. I don’t want to smell a grease pit or something back there.”

Another neighbor of the proposed project, Lauranna Gones, also spoke to the commission and Kozlowski during the meeting.

“I agree. I am thrilled that it’s going to be townhouses, and I think that’s a perfect use for it,” Gones said. “I am concerned about the number of the density. There is a lot of traffic issues, Foxpointe is so busy. We’ve had people say they’d like to have a three-way stop at Foxpointe and Hathaway. It’s so busy.”

Kozlowski said he understands her concerns but the property group needed to make sure it was designed to still be a profitable project.

Earlier in the day, Bushnell said he utilized the Illinois Department of Transportation to look up traffic numbers in the area and found that Hathaway Drive hosts 2,150 cars a day.

During peak traffic hours in the morning, Bushnell said the proposed 40 units would generate 27 additional vehicles and 31 in the afternoon.

“So we’re talking basically 280 additional trips but if it was zoned commercial we really don’t know what it would generate,” said Bushnell.

The proposal will next head to the Sycamore City Council for approval before plans can move forward.