The part of McHenry north of Bull Valley Road, bisected by Curran Road and with Boone Creek flowing through it, will get developed one way or another, McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett said.

When the latest proposed development there will get a final vote from the McHenry City Council, however, is up in the air. On Monday night, the Council voted to table the developer Lennar’s request – to build 599 single-family homes on 293 acres – until issues raised by residents and the Council are addressed. The Council did not put a date on when that proposal should come back for their consideration.

“We will work with Lennar ... and the Council members individually, so that the next product that does come forward is something we can be happy with,” Jett said at the close of the meeting.

The motion to table Council action on the development passed on a 5-2 vote, with Alderwomen Bobbie Baehne, 1st Ward, and Sue Miller, 7th Ward, voting no. The vote came after more than two hours of presentations from Lennar, comments from residents, and questions from the Council.

Lennar first came to the Council in November 2024 seeking feedback on the development dubbed Preserves of Boone Creek. At the time, Director of Community Development Ross Polerecky said it was the largest single-family development pitched to McHenry in 20 years.

The property was annexed into the city in 2005 with an eye towards development, but it was never platted and no construction was ever started there, Polerecky said.

Second Ward Alderman Andy Glab was on the Council then. At that time, 20 years ago, developers came to the Council three times to get approvals, Glab said.

At that point, developers also included commercial properties along Bull Valley Road.

“That is why the density is higher” in the current proposal, said consultant Michael Werthman, who authored Lennar’s traffic study. The 2005 plan included 11 acres of commercial that can now be used for homes, he said, adding “commercial generates more traffic than a single-family home does.”

Traffic, the number of children that the development could bring to McHenry schools, the density of homes and the amount of open space included in the plan were among the concerns voiced by residents who spoke for a half-hour during the meeting – largely against the project.

For resident Matt Matusek, it is the traffic burden on existing residents that concerns him the most.

“There is no consideration for the people who are there,” Matusek said.

Resident Ross Courtemanche said, “I believe it is way too big for what our community is,” adding that he doubted Lennar’s assertion that a portion of the homes would be affordable.

According to Lennar officials who spoke, the development would include three types of homes including an age-targeted, active adult section.

Planned amenities include a clubhouse with a pool, play structures, fire pit and grilling stations, three miles of internal walking trails and a multi-use path along Bull Valley Road. The age-targeted section also includes parks with bocce and pickleball courts.

In what Lennar calls the “core” section of the development, 212 homes would be available on slabs, ranging from 1,625 square feet to 2,178 square feet of living space. Each would have a two-car garage and are considered more affordable.

Current home prices were not brought up in the meeting, but in 2024’s proposal, Murphy said Lennar was looking to keep prices in the $200,000 to $400,000 range.

While the development could bring additional children to McHenry District 15 or McHenry High School District 156, those numbers would replace falling enrollment, Rick Murphy Sr. of Lennar said.

“We did talk to the schools,” Murphy said. “They are down a significant percentage from where they were 15 years ago. Instead of empty classrooms, they can use [tax] money to help teach children.”

He also noted that the age-targeted, active adult homes do not generate school-aged children.

City Attorney David McArdle suggested that Lennar come back with changes to the plan when a development agreement is also ready for a Council vote.

That may take time and additional engineering by Lennar.

“Reengineering the project is ... a big ask,” Polerecky said.