Riverwoods commissioners weigh sustainability playbook as comprehensive plan and development interest evolve

Village staff and a planning consultant briefed the Planning Commission on Oct. 16 on next steps to update Riverwoods' comprehensive plan and on several active and potential development matters, including a developer withdrawal from the Walters Clure site and a separate 37‑acre proposal.

Director Witt told commissioners that the Taxman Group had backed out of a possible purchase and development at the Walters Clure site after disagreeing with the village's affordable housing ordinance. "They wanted a 100% fee in lieu," Witt said, but the village's ordinance requires 10% of units be affordable and allows a fee-in-lieu to cover only half of that 10%, effectively preserving a requirement for 5% of units to be on-site affordable. With Taxman gone, the village is urging a closer alignment of the plan-development ordinance with the comprehensive plan before another proposal arrives.

Witt said another developer has presented a site plan for a 37‑acre parcel that would include multiple townhomes, four 4‑story buildings totaling roughly 705 residential units and four commercial buildings. Staff provided the developer detailed comments and said the developer will revise the plan; staff noted access and internal circulation concerns and said substantial review remains before any filing.

Commissioners and consultant Michael Blue discussed how to fold the recently completed sustainability plan into broader policy. Blue described a proposed "sustainability playbook" to translate the plan's recommendations into prioritized, actionable steps that could be integrated with the comprehensive plan or appended as an input. "The sustainability plan is done. It's good. It's got it's got the direction in it. But the priorities for it, what gets done first, what gets done next ... it doesn't connect to policy," Blue said, urging a playbook and community engagement (open house and survey input) to build buy-in and set priorities.

Chairperson Breitcloff, who said she co-chaired the sustainability task force, recommended including a sustainability chapter in the comprehensive plan but was open to alternatives such as an appendix or distributing sustainability items through the plan's other chapters. Commissioners asked staff to circulate the full draft sustainability plan and the commissioners' previously submitted comments so the commission can review them before further action. Witt said staff would send those materials "by the middle of next week." The commission agreed to aim for integrating the sustainability priorities into the comprehensive plan update rather than redoing the task force's work.

Staff also briefed the commission on other near-term development and infrastructure items. Witt said staff and Kwik Trip representatives continue to coordinate on a proposed Kwik Trip site and a separate 1‑acre leftover parcel that could support a small retail use; the developer has received comments from the Illinois Department of Transportation and staff are working with the county on water and sewer connections. Witt said the county aims to resolve sanitary and water arrangements that would serve the Kwik Trip site and the adjacent parcel.

Witt reported infrastructure work elsewhere in the village: a water-main break at Braeburn and Saunders will enter repairs Monday, and the contractor is under investigation by the Department of Labor for alleged failure to pay prevailing wages. Witt said the county has estimated it owes the village the replacement of about 640 trees related to a county road project and that outcome and schedules remain uncertain.

Next steps: staff will provide the commission with the sustainability plan draft and collected comments, continue negotiations and technical review with the 37‑acre developer and Kwik Trip representatives, coordinate with the county on water and sewer questions, and return to the commission with concrete proposals and recommendations. The commission set its next meeting for Thursday, Nov. 6.