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Homer Glen trustees hear developer presentation and sharp resident concerns over 15.5‑acre ARIA plan
Summary
At a Feb. 12 workshop the ARIA Group presented a revised 15.5‑acre mixed‑use plan for 159th Street in Homer Glen; residents pressed developers on density, Section 8, traffic, trees and school impacts while the developer pledged 'there will never be apartments.'
HOMER GLEN, Ill. — The Village of Homer Glen hosted a workshop Feb. 12 on a proposed 15.5‑acre mixed‑use development called ARIA, during which developers described a retail‑forward project with rooftop condominiums and gated villas and residents raised repeated concerns about density, rental housing and local impacts.
The ARIA team said it has reduced the total dwelling count from an earlier concept and is now showing 26 rooftop condominiums above mixed‑use retail and roughly 40 townhome/villa units in the rear. "This is a preliminary workshop discussion only on ARIA…No approvals are being considered this evening," Trustee Schaller told the room, emphasizing the plan was for early feedback.
Developer Boris Predovich of Legacy Development told residents, "There will never be apartments," and said commercial build‑out would not proceed until at least 70% of the condominium units are presold. Predovich described the plan as a "lifestyle‑based" community with boardwalks, meditation spaces, a tot lot and indoor/outdoor gathering areas.
Residents asked direct questions about affordability and whether housing vouchers or Section 8 tenants might occupy units. Predovich said privately financed units would target buyers near or above market price and affirmed his position that federal voucher tenants would not be the marketing target. The village attorney cautioned the board and audience that local government cannot lawfully bar rental based on source of income, citing state law protections: "It would be a violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act to preclude any person to rent," he said.
Other concerns relayed by speakers included traffic and cut‑through driving near Twin Lakes subdivision, the potential school‑age student yield from new units, and tree mitigation. One resident who read a letter from former trustee Margaret Sabo urged the board not to change zoning on 159th Street, saying Homer Glen's comprehensive plan "does not allow condos" and warning rezoning could set a precedent for future density.
On trees, a longtime resident said a tree survey submitted with an earlier 2010 special‑use approval should be combined with a new inventory to ensure full mitigation for cleared areas; developers said they plan to meet or exceed village tree‑preservation requirements when formal plans are filed.
On student impacts, the developer said the units "are not starter homes" and he does not expect a large number of new school‑age children, but trustees noted the school district was invited and that any formal application would trigger further reviews including school impact assessments and planning‑commission hearings.
The ARIA team provided rough fiscal estimates for the concept: Predovich said the project could generate more than $1 million annually in real‑estate tax revenue and roughly $1 million or more in annual sales taxes, with a total development value north of $60 million depending on final retail tenancy and scope.
No regulatory actions were taken at the workshop; the board framed the evening as information gathering and directed that any future changes will follow the village's formal review process including planning‑commission review, public hearings and action by the board.
What’s next: The ARIA concept remains at the workshop stage. Any formal special‑use, rezoning or site‑plan application would return for public notice, staff review and subsequent public hearings before the planning commission and village board.
