The Briarcliff neighborhood in Bourbonnais is a positive testament to urban planning.

Briarcliff consists of 794 residences on 260 acres. There are some condominiums and multi-family dwellings, but the overwhelming majority are single family homes.

Briarcliff Estates Community Association includes the neighborhoods of Briarcliff, Briar Green, Briar Point, Plum Creek, Tower Ridge, Thorn Hill and Brittany Lake.

When the area was developed, there was a determination that no two homes would be the same, said Larry McKain, the president of the BECA.

Being president is a voluntary position. Though it is elected, the presidency is historically filled by a person willing to give up their time, with the reward simply the knowledge that you are helping the community. McKain’s actual profession is serving as the superintendent of Nazarene churches in the Greater Chicago area. He works with 78 churches in 12 counties.

What the average onlooker might not know is that the Briarcliff association, through its dues, maintains a lot of common areas benefitting the lifestyle and property values of the residents. The village of Bourbonnais takes care of the roads, snow and leaf removal and trash pickup.

But the association takes care of two lakes, seven walking bridges, miles of paths and acres of greenways, along with all the trees and vegetation in those areas.

The result is a development with winding roads, not the square cut-and-dry crosshatch streets that are common in other areas. In a geographical part of the world famous for flat terrain, Briarcliff has hills. The net effect is a neighborhood markedly more scenic.

McKain himself lives on a lake. The association’s two lakes are Brittany Lake and Fisherman’s Pond. The lakes are natural to the terrain, but became deeper over the years as they were fed by rainwater runoff as homes were built. The lakes are stocked with bluegill and bass and catch-and-release angling by residents is encouraged. Brittany Lake has a lighted fountain that runs 10 months a year. It is scheduled to turn on in March.

McKain said Briarcliff is the premier walking community in Kankakee County. Approximately 15 miles of trails are maintained. Using the trails, you can link to the Kankakee River State Park on the north and to the Perry Farm on the south.

Briarcliff, McKain said, began in 1970. There are only a handful of lots left. For all intents and purposes, he explained, Briarcliff is a built-out community. When you buy a home in Briarcliff, you automatically become a member of the home owners association. The dues are based on the size of your lot. McKain said most dues run from $70 to $120 a year. Those fees create a $70,000 yearly budget for maintenance.

The budget is stretched because many homeowners chip in to help. A person, for example, might voluntarily mow a small public lot adjacent to their property. Others give of their time to maintain portions of the public pathways.

The association holds an annual meeting at the beginning of each year to set its budget. Regular meetings occur at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in the boardroom at the Bourbonnais Municipal Center. There is an executive director, Suzanne Boudreau. The meetings are open to the public. One activity of the association is an annual garage sale for the area, usually set for mid-June.

Additional information is available online at briarcliffbourbonnais.com. The site has the association’s annual budget, lots of useful information, like the dates for village brush pickup, and the original sales brochure for potential Briarcliff residents.

The brochure served as a handy community guide and also emphasized the idea that Briarcliff was more than just another development. Briarcliff, the brochure said, was a way of life.

Work on the drawing board for 2023 in Briarcliff, McKain said, includes a $40,000 upgrade to paths. That effort includes paving work and sealing to keep the paths looking good.

The association includes an architectural review board. Anyone seeking to change the exterior of their home must come before the board.

The total effect, McKain explained, is to create a very desirable community.

“Homes are snapped up fast,” he said.

For a while, he said, before the interest rate cooled, homes would be on the market for no more than a week.

“You don’t see many ‘For sale’ signs,” he said.

Most of the time, McKain said, the association is out of sight and out of mind for Briarcliff residents, a sign that things are running pretty efficiently.