Roscoe zoning board lays over Prairie Rose planned unit development amid design, drainage and safety questions

The Village of Roscoe Zoning Board of Appeals on May 14, 2025 voted to lay over consideration of a proposed planned unit development (PUD) for a group of parcels on the north end of the Prairie Rose/Prairie Garden area.

Planning staff presented the application as a mixed cluster of duplex and single-unit rental buildings clustered near commercial nodes including Schnucks, Starbucks and CVS. Planner Evan Hoyer said staff recommended approval of a PUD in principle but asked that the applicant work with staff to add more architectural detail and articulation to the building facades before final approval.

Applicant Tony Pipitone told the board the project would include about 15 buildings totaling 29 rental units — primarily two-bedroom, two-bath units with two-car garages — to be built in two or three phases over roughly two years. He said the units will be rental property rather than condominiums and that he expected monthly rents to be in the $1,700–$1,900 range, depending on market conditions. Pipitone said he intended units to be handicapped-accessible.

Engineering staff described required stormwater controls. Brandon, the project civil engineer, said the plan uses a series of on-site detention ponds along the south side of the site sized to accommodate a 100-year storm event and intended to hold and slowly release runoff; staff did not anticipate negative off-site drainage impacts if the ponds are built as designed.

Adjacent property owners and residents raised concerns during public comment. Margaret Powell, who identified herself as an owner of Rosco Rock and Sand, said runoff and trespass into the nearby quarry were the primary concerns. “This is really a safety issue,” Powell said, noting recent drownings at quarries and asking for barriers and other measures to limit unauthorized access. She also noted the site is subject to Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulations and told the board quarry access must be tightly controlled.

Letters from nearby Garden of Prairie Rose residents and a written comment from a resident identified as Ethan urged higher levels of architectural detail, suggested a 4-foot rather than an 8-foot internal walking path in some places, and asked for clear separation so the new development would not be mistaken for shared Prairie Rose amenities. One commenter suggested the new development be given a distinct name; the applicant said he had considered "Bella Rose."

Representatives of Roscoe Fire asked about hydrants and water-main placement; staff said water-main design typically goes through review by the North Park Public Water District and that utility comments would be addressed in engineering review.

Board members said multiple factors — the volume of material in the application packet, outstanding design questions and new board members still familiarizing themselves with the record — warranted additional time to review. A motion to lay the PUD over to a future meeting passed. The board did not adopt final design conditions at the May 14 hearing; staff will continue to work with the applicant on architectural details and technical plans, and the item will return to the board for further review.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to lay over consideration of the Prairie Rose PUD (to allow the board more time to review plans and for staff/applicant to refine architectural and technical details): motion made and seconded; outcome: laid over (vote recorded in meeting minutes; tally not specified in transcript).