Campton Hills trustees advance PUD conditions on landscaping, road widths and SSA funding

Campton Hills board participants reviewed a proposed Planned Unit Development and agreed on several conditions and next steps, including a requirement that each new home carry an active Special Service Area (SSA) to fund road and stormwater work and a direction to staff to circulate a revised landscape plan that prioritizes drought‑tolerant species.

Speaker 1 summarized the agreed conditions for the record, saying the board would "condition road widths as it stands, 28 feet," and that revised landscape sheets added that day would be incorporated into the final materials. The group discussed the need to replace invasive buckthorn and to select plants with salt and drought tolerance; Speaker 3 had urged favoring species that require less irrigation.

Safety and streetscape design were recurring concerns. Speaker 7 pressed for street lighting at intersections, arguing that "safety supersedes aesthetics" amid rising use of e‑bikes and scooters; the trustees asked staff to refine which intersections would receive lighting, with estimates ranging between about 18 and the low 30s fixtures. The board also discussed design measures to avoid monotony, including possible anti‑monotony language for garage doors and encouragement of side‑load garages where feasible.

On financing and maintenance, Speaker 5 explained that the developer must agree to an active SSA attached to each new house, with a dormant SSA set to step in if a homeowners association does not assume upkeep of non‑road open spaces. The requirement is intended to ensure the development funds its own street repairs and stormwater needs "in perpetuity," the discussion said.

The board also asked legal staff to draft ordinance language for formal consideration at a future meeting. Speaker 5 asked whether counsel could prepare the ordinance for the board to consider on the second meeting (referred to by participants as Dec. 2); staff aimed to circulate a draft packet before the Thanksgiving deadline so trustees could propose tweaks to the number and placement of street lights.

Speakers asked for additional exhibits and clarifications: staff will provide an exhibit showing sewer and water main extensions to the edge of the TIF boundary, and a revised landscape plan will include red‑highlighted areas and explicit language on drought‑tolerant plantings. Concerns about long construction phasing and side‑yard drainage also were raised; Speaker 2 urged more detail on phasing so early‑phase residents do not spend years in a construction zone.

No final ordinance vote was recorded in the session. The meeting concluded after a procedural motion to adjourn was made and seconded. Staff noted consultants had just begun unit commitments and that a joint review board meeting likely will occur in the spring.

What happens next: legal staff were asked to draft ordinance language for a subsequent meeting and staff will circulate revised landscape and exhibit materials to trustees before the next review cycle.