February 3, 2010 - 291 words
Commission OKs Maples subdivision
MIKE NEUMANN - The Woodstock Independent
The Woodstock Plan Commission voted 6-0 Thursday in favor of recommending the revised final plat for The Maples at The Sonatas subdivision north of Ware Road.
The planned subdivision, comprised of about 24 acres north of Ware Road and east of the McHenry County Administration Building, originally was designed to include 126 attached homes. Developer Jamie Wilcox of the Wilcox Development Group said the homes were to be built in mostly four-unit structures and would serve active adults and the baby-boomer generation. The new plan is to build 124 maintenance-free detached townhomes with private courtyards and lots of natural light, as research indicates this type of housing is most desirable for the target market.
The final plat for The Maples at The Sonatas, a subdivision built in the vicinity by a different developer, was approved in 2004. Since then, the housing market has softened, which led the Wilcox Development Group to reconsider the parameters of the project, Wilcox said.
While most commissioners favored the new plat at a December meeting, some expressed concerns over setbacks and the ability of fire personnel to maneuver through the subdivision.
"They (the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District) said it wasn't a problem," said Jim Kastner, Woodstock's planning and zoning administrator. "They said there are some developments in Woodstock that do create problems, but they thought this would not be one of them."
The developer also increased setbacks on the site.
"Everything we've talked about, you've come back and made the changes," said Commissioner Steve Gavers.
The proposed units are slightly smaller than what was approved in 2004, starting at about 1,300 square feet rather than 1,500 square feet. The units would feature about 600 to 700 square feet of outdoor courtyard space. All homes are to be ranch style with no basements or crawl spaces.
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