Planning commission backs Hawthorne Mall PUD amendments to allow 288‑unit mixed‑use building, reduced setbacks and parking ratio

The Village of Vernon Hills Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 27 recommended that the Village Board approve a set of amendments to the Hawthorne Mall planned unit development that would make way for a four‑story mixed‑use Phase 2 featuring 288 residential units, 37,000 square feet of retail, and a structured parking garage serving both uses.

Developers presented a reworked site plan that preserves roughly 103,000 square feet of retail and limits demolition at the mall to a small 5,600‑square‑foot “bumpout,” while shifting the mixed‑use building to a more visible, signalized intersection. Courtney Brower of Focus Development summarized the residential program: “we're proposing a four‑story apartment building with 288 residential units, 37,000 square ft of retail and there will be a structured parking garage with 540 spaces,” she said.

The commission considered multiple linked requests: amendments to ordinances 2013‑013 and 2013‑014 (site, landscape and architectural revisions and revised PUD special use), zoning code variations (reducing front and side yard setbacks, allowing increased tower and elevator‑tower heights), sign code variances (larger mall identification signs, rooftop‑mounted letters), and a subdivision plat waiver and final plat for a six‑lot subdivision. Staff and the petitioner also proposed reducing the residential parking ratio to 1.4 stalls per unit (the prior approval had used 1.5 or higher); petitioner materials show retail parking campuswide consistent with the 2022 ratio (about 4.16 stalls per 1,000 sq ft of retail) while reallocating where those stalls are located.

Commissioners probed traffic, pedestrian connections and parking allocation. Commissioner Fluno and others flagged pedestrian crossings and connections to adjacent parcels controlled by other owners (Macy’s and J.C. Penney parcels) and asked how residents would access village parks and trails. A resident from the Domain and a written commenter raised concerns about additional density and pedestrian safety at Townline Road’s gate five. Staff and the development team said a licensed traffic study, using November 2024 counts, was completed and reviewed by the village and IDOT; staff said much of peak activity will be contained on the mall campus and recommended conditions to address circulation and signage.

To address operational concerns the commission attached conditions including: (1) staff authority to approve limited design flexibility for mall elevations to speed leasing; (2) a wayfinding signage plan be provided with the site development permit to direct drivers to structured parking; (3) consideration of alternate plantings or larger shrubs/columnar trees to screen a visible back‑of‑house wall on the west parking field; (4) rooftop mechanical screening details if equipment sits within 12 feet of exterior walls; and (5) a requirement that petitioner designate employee parking areas if employee parking becomes an issue. The plan also includes an affordable housing commitment: 20% of units (about 58 units) set aside for households at 60% of area median income; materials gave a 2025 example that a one‑person household earning $50,400/year could rent a studio for $1,185/month under those limits.

The commission approved three motions by roll call: (1) recommend amending ordinance 2013‑013 to adopt the Phase 2 site, landscape and architectural plans; (2) recommend amending ordinance 2013‑014 to modify the PUD special use and record the requested zoning and sign variations (including setback reductions and increases in permitted sign sizes and rooftop letters); and (3) recommend waiving preliminary plan and approving a final plat for a six‑lot subdivision (with standard engineering and legal reviews). All motions passed unanimously; staff will forward the recommendations to the Village Board, with the petitioners and staff aiming for Village Board consideration as soon as practicable (staff mentioned a possible Sept. 16 date).

Developers and staff committed to follow up on the connectivity and circulation items: refining pedestrian exhibits, continuing outreach to adjacent parcel owners, submitting a wayfinding signage plan, and refining EV and garage‑charging plans in compliance with state building requirements. The commission’s recommendation included multiple technical and design conditions intended to preserve mall retail area, limit circulation impacts on Townline Road, and protect long‑term visual quality of the redevelopment.