Council questions density, traffic for Blackstone Realty’s narrow‑lot multifamily concepts

Developers with Blackstone Realty presented two preliminary concepts for a narrow, roughly 2‑acre site on Crystal Lake Road: a 24‑unit townhome plan (four clusters of six units) and a 36‑unit apartment concept (three, three‑story buildings). Architect Tony Cirillo described site constraints, including a 30–35 foot grade change from Crystal Lake Avenue to the rear of the property, and said both concepts were designed to provide two parking spaces per unit and room for fire‑apparatus access and hydrants.

Council members expressed concern about locating higher‑density housing directly across from a school and adjacent to a daycare and senior living facility. One alderman said the townhome option was preferable as a transition, while others called both concepts too dense for the 100' x 800' lot and warned of additional traffic at a school entrance. The council concluded there was insufficient support to advance either concept in its current form and encouraged the applicants to pursue alternative sites or return with revised plans.