Village board approves Villas of Hidden Valley preliminary plat and zoning change after resident concerns

The Village of Homer Glen Village Board approved a preliminary plat of subdivision, map amendment and a planned unit development for the Villas of Hidden Valley, Case HG2423APUD, following months of review and a recent resident meeting.

Trustee Rose Reinders, who led the discussion on behalf of the board, said the developer made concessions in response to resident concerns and that the plan now includes a cash donation instead of a small on-site park. “We are going to be taking money in lieu of a park in that in that actual, development,” Reinders said during debate.

Nut graf: The board’s action changes the site from C-2 (local business) to R-6A attached single-family residential, approves the developer’s preliminary plan and special use for a PUD, and removes the planned neighborhood park in favor of a park donation. Trustees said the project’s density is within the R-6 limit and the developer reduced building count where the park had been proposed.

Board members and residents raised three recurring concerns during public comment and at a resident meeting: density, on-site open space and stormwater. Resident Robert Karp said the proposed donation amount seemed low relative to estimated park costs and urged the village to consider larger green space and long-term maintenance. “The donation amount seems pretty low,” Karp said, noting a rough village park cost estimate of about $400,000 and that an $84,000–$87,000 donation “is kind of low.”

Other speakers from Hidden Valley Estates questioned parking for guests and overflow, and pointed to recent pond overflows during heavy rain. Dawn Spataro said she was not opposed to the development but worried about density and parking: “It seems there’s a lot of variances that they’re requesting and a lot of units.”

Trustees said the developer reduced the number of buildings where the park had been proposed and agreed to build a small pergola and benches to create limited on-site open space. Trustee Mason and other board members said the Villas product has sold quickly in similar nearby developments and that the builder had been responsive. Trustee Nick Mueller called the homes “a quality product” and said the project will help complete an area now dotted with vacant parcels.

The board asked village engineers and the developer to address flooding and pond maintenance during final engineering and permitting. Trustee Reinders and Trustee Mason said the developer agreed to expand stormwater ponds and coordinate on drainage issues; the board directed staff to confirm those commitments as part of final approvals.

The motion to approve the preliminary plat, map amendment and PUD (Case HG2423APUD, PINs 16523-225-0000, 16523-149-0000 and 16523-148-0000) passed on a roll-call vote with all trustees voting yes. The ordinance includes conditions and exceptions spelled out in the planning record.

Ending: The board’s approval allows the developer to proceed to final engineering and building-permit stages subject to the conditions set in the PUD approval and the village’s final sign-offs.