Oswego commission OKs plans for hundreds more homes in Hudson Pointe

Plans continue to move ahead to build more than 200 single-family houses and townhouse units as part of the second phase of the Hudson Pointe development in Oswego.

At their June 6 meeting, the majority of planning and zoning commissioners recommended approval of plans for the project, planned for 81.1 acres on the east side of Harvey Road, generally south of Wolfs Crossing Road.

The land, which currently is used for agriculture and is unincorporated, is immediately south of the existing phase of Hudson Pointe. Lennar plans to build 144 single-family houses and 87 townhouse units as part of Hudson Pointe II.

Voting “no” was commissioner Justin Sather.

“I think it’s too much in too small of an area,” Sather said. “I just don’t like it. The east side of Oswego continues to get smaller and smaller lots with houses stacked closer and closer to each other. It is overburdening this side of Oswego.”

The lot sizes for the single-family homes would range in size from 8,250 square feet to 9,300 square feet. The 87 townhouse units would be spread across 19 buildings with each building containing four to five units.

Village planner Rachel Riemenschneider said the proposed use and proposed density – 2.85 units per acre – is consistent with the village’s Comprehensive Plan. Oswego village trustees now will review the plans.

The Village Board in February approved concept plans for the project after the planning and zoning commission had recommended approval of the plans.

Hudson Pointe Phase I is composed of 145 single-family houses and an apartment community called Emblem. Phase 2 of the development would be just south of the existing phase.

“Hudson Pointe Phase I is Lennar’s most popular community in all of Chicagoland,” John McFarland, representing the developer, told commissioners. ‘We’ve had great success and interest in it. We’ve been marketing there for about two years and we’ve sold 112 homes as of this past weekend there.”

Homes in Phase 2 are expected to sell between $390,000 and $530,000, McFarland said.

At the meeting in February, planning and zoning commission chairman Charlie Pajor asked him why he thought townhouses were an important part of the project.

“Why townhomes as opposed to additional detached single-family?” Pajor asked.

McFarland responded that doing so broadens the housing market.

“These aren’t small townhomes,” he said. “These townhomes are 1,700 to 2,000 square feet. They have two-car garages, three bedrooms and two baths. It just provides a niche for that person that doesn’t want to rent a walk-up apartment but maybe can’t quite yet afford a single-family home but wants to be a homeowner.”

The townhouses would not be offered for rent. However, an owner could decide to rent out a townhouse.

“If somebody wants to rent their place out, they could,” McFarland said.