Commission approves concept plan for 120‑unit supportive living community, subject to conditions
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Summary
The commission approved a concept plan for Heritage Woods, a 120‑unit supportive living/apartment facility for seniors that will require future annexation and connection to nearby sewer lines; staff and the fire district identified conditions to be met before development plan review.
The Lockport Plan and Zoning Commission voted to approve a concept plan for Heritage Woods, a proposed 120‑unit supportive living apartment building for seniors, subject to five conditions listed in the staff memo. The site is the southern portion (about 7.4 acres) of an 18.64‑acre parcel north of 160th Street and east of Gauger Road that currently lies in unincorporated Will County and would require annexation and rezoning.
Planning staff said the proposed three‑story building would provide 120 apartments—46 studios and 74 one‑bedroom units—designed for residents 65 and older and licensed to accept both Medicaid waiver and private‑pay residents. The concept plan shows a roughly 99,500‑square‑foot building, a circle drop‑off at the main entrance, accessible parking near the entrance and additional parking to the west; staff said 68 spaces are provided in the concept plan and the applicant anticipates 24 daytime employees at peak.
Rod Burkett, chairman of Guardant Management Solutions and the applicant, described the operator’s experience building and managing supportive‑living communities, saying the company operates multiple heritage‑branded properties in the region and noted that a third‑party market study indicated an unmet need for additional Medicaid‑certified assisted‑living units in the area. "We found about a 10 to 12 mile pocket in this area of Will County where there is no Medicaid certified assisted living," Burkett said, and added the market study estimated demand exceeding the proposed 120 units.
Staff noted the parcel’s comprehensive‑plan designation calls for single‑family residential at 1.6–2.5 units per acre; the applicant’s plan would yield about 16.21 units per acre on the 7.4‑acre portion to be developed (or about 10.5 units per acre if the full 18.6 acres were used), which exceeds the comprehensive plan density for single‑family. Staff also highlighted utilities and sewer capacity considerations: the applicant withdrew a prior, larger plan after determining the cost to connect to the city sewer line to the south was prohibitive; the current concept proposes to connect to an existing sanitary line that serves the Silo Bend development, and staff said that line has limited capacity and can accommodate the supportive living building but not an additional memory care facility.
The Homer Township Fire Prevention District reviewed the concept and submitted comments the developer must address, including ensuring fire apparatus can reach all parts of the building within 150 feet, placing hydrants within 100 feet of the fire department connection, spacing hydrants approximately 300 feet apart, and submission of sprinkler and alarm plans at permitting. The applicant said plans already reflect an emergency access hammerhead to meet apparatus needs.
Commissioners discussed parking, employee counts across shifts and sewer capacity; Commissioner Garland made the motion to approve the concept plan subject to staff conditions, and Commissioner Calderon seconded. The vote was unanimous. Planning staff noted final engineering and fire‑safety items must be addressed prior to committee of the whole on Aug. 6.
